The Biden administration says the infrastructure needed under a plan announced Friday to boost natural gas shipments to Europe will be built so that it can be converted later to distribute climate-friendly hydrogen.
In the short term, the pipelines, tanks and terminals could expand the use of liquefied natural gas and encourage more production in the U.S., drawing the ire of environmentalists who want to wean the world from fossil fuels. But under the vision outlined by the U.S. and the European Union, the equipment could eventually be re-purposed to transport hydrogen.
A colorless, odorless gas, hydrogen is considered a potential breakthrough source of clean energy. When fed through a fuel cell or burned in turbines, it generates electricity without producing greenhouse gases. And it’s seen as one of the few ways to remove carbon-dioxide emissions from industrial manufacturing where high heat is required.