Fred Krupp rightly draws attention to hydrogen’s many shortcomings (“Hydrogen Isn’t as Green as It Looks,” op-ed, July 20). He errs, however, when he concedes that “hydrogen is most appropriate in activities such as steel and cement production, for which there are no better alternatives.” In fact, steel can be produced by molten oxide electrolysis, which converts iron ore into liquid metal in one step, with no carbon dioxide emissions, and at a price point competitive with today’s product. By contrast, steel made with hydrogen carries a “green premium” on the order of 30% to 60%.
There are hydrogen devotees who refer to it as the Swiss army knife of decarbonization. In some applications, hydrogen is more like the Rube Goldberg device of decarbonization.
Em. Prof. Donald R. Sadoway
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Mass.
Mr. Sadoway is the inventor of molten oxide electrolysis and co-founder of Boston Metal.
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