Experts emphasized the importance of separating hydrogen sulfide gas, a major pollutant in the Black Sea, as a means to not only mitigate environmental damage but also to unlock significant economic benefits.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Birol Kılkış, a lecturer at OSTİM Technical University’s Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, said: “Hydrogen sulfide, a highly toxic gas, is a major threat to the ecosystem of the Black Sea, particularly due to pollution inflows from the Danube River. This pollution, carried by currents, accumulates on Türkiye’s coasts, leading to a rise in hydrogen sulfide levels.”
Kılkış revealed that an alarming 7 billion cubic meters of hydrogen sulfide gas are added to the Black Sea annually.
“This accumulation not only reduces fish populations but also causes pollution to rise to the sea’s surface, disrupting the entire ecosystem. Hydrogen sulfide disrupts the ecological balance in the Black Sea to a great extent. Life in the sea has almost stopped; at the moment, there is only life in the upper strata,” he noted.
Describing the Black Sea as an “energy sea,” Kılkış proposed that by separating hydrogen sulfide from the sea, both hydrogen and sulfur can be extracted. This process would not only mitigate the negative effects of this gas but also turn it into an advantage, providing valuable resources for industrial use.
“By mixing the hydrogen we obtain from the Black Sea at a rate of 20%, at most 30%, into the natural gas lines, we can ensure that the content has a higher energy potential and can save natural gas. Thus, we can use the dangerous hydrogen sulfide gas in the Black Sea in a beneficial way both in industry and in residences. Sulfur is used in the iron and steel industry, and this industry already exists there. It can also be used in some agricultural additives in the chemical industry, so sulfur has an important place in the industry. In this way, it is possible to establish a green city and a green industry on the coast with the hydrogen sulfide we extract from the Black Sea,” Kılkış explained.
Stating that the official natural gas reserve in the Black Sea is expected to be sufficient for 15 years in residences and the hydrogen fuel obtained from hydrogen sulfide is theoretically sufficient for 600 years, Kılkış underlined that hydrogen will not cause carbon emissions if it is produced from a source with ready potential such as the Black Sea by using completely renewable energy sources.
“It has been suggested that since there is abundant coal in the Black Sea region, hydrogen could be extracted from coal. While this is technically possible, it requires burning five units of coal to produce one unit of hydrogen. This process would result in the emission of carbon dioxide, making the hydrogen produced not truly clean or green. Alternatively, the hydrogen sulfide deposits in the Black Sea offer a significant opportunity for producing green hydrogen. These hydrogen sulfide reserves are already present in the sea and should be considered as a valuable source for energy storage and transportation,” he explained.
Kılkış elaborated on the “Hydrogen Production Ship” project, which aims to utilize the Black Sea’s hydrogen potential through a comprehensive approach encompassing exploration, extraction, transportation and utilization. Central to this project is a specially designed hydrogen production ship, a pioneering concept in this field.”
Sharing the information about the project, Kılkış said: “Hydrogen sulfide gas, for example, in Black Sea’s coastal city Sinop, for an optimum sharing and the most economical operation, if separated, the hydrogen produced on land can be combined with the ready-made hydrogen brought by shuttle ship and used in the existing natural gas network while meeting the demands of the sulfur industry. Again, wind, solar and geothermal resources can be exploited on land. With this holistic approach, the hydrogen concept will be expanded from sea to land to achieve a complete hydrogen cycle and perhaps Sinop will be able to take the title of the world’s first hydrogen city.”
Kılkış emphasized that a designed hydrogen ship can produce approximately 1.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas equivalent per year, corresponding to the annual gas needs of roughly 200,000 households.
Stating that introducing green energy resources to the economy with appropriate technologies will contribute to Türkiye’s energy independence and regional energy security, Kılkış said: “The evaluation of the special advantages of the hydrogen energy potential offered by the Black Sea in parallel with natural gas will strengthen our hydrocarbon activities and even more economically and politically in our activities in the Mediterranean. At the same time, it will give us the opportunity to achieve the carbon dioxide emission reduction targets stipulated by the Paris Agreement in a shorter time.”
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