Hydrogen energy's key contributions to the sustainable energy mix of a low-carbon future in Nigeria

During the period between 2001 and 2007, oil prices increased from $20 to $140 per barrel, making oil prices higher than at any period in the twenty-first century. This was invariably good in gross domestic product terms for Nigeria which most regrettably, has continued to be a monoproduct oil economy since oil production started in the 1960s, with no value addition to the crude oil export. Indeed, the country still imports refined products to meet her domestic requirements, over 50 years after the first oil wells were drilled at Oloibiri in the Niger Delta region. Nigeria's proven oil reserves are reported as 36.2 billion barrels as at the end of 2010, with an R/P ratio of 42.4 and contributing 2.7% of world oil output (http://www.bp.com/assets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/reports_and_publications/statistical_energy_review_2011/STAGING/local_assets/pdf/statistical_review_of_world_energy_full_report_2011. pdf). While estimates indicate that the world has 43.44 years left of this non-renewable resource (http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/reports_and_publications/statistical_energy_review_2008/STAGING/local_assets/2010_downloads/statistical_review_of_world_energy_full_report_2010. pdf); with all assumptions associated with such estimates, upstream resource investment continues at the exploration end, and in Nigeria, new findings are frequently being announced which make the total resource estimate to be rather dynamic, as expected. An envisaged future built on hydrogen energy is known as the hydrogen economy since it has impacts on the economy, environment and society. Hydrogen can be produced from a variety of 'raw materials', some of which are abundantly available in Nigeria and they include natural gas, coal, biomass, agricultural and municipal wastes, and ocean water using energy from the sun and the wind. In light of the ongoing developments in the energy sector in Nigeria, the focus of this present review is to analyse the current energy situation with a view to estimating the potentials and implications of a hydrogen economy for Nigeria. Several issues and constraints are considered such as population growth, urbanisation, the transportation sector, production of hydrogen from fossil fuels as a short-term measure to developing a hydrogen infrastructure and ultimately clean production of hydrogen from renewable energy sources. This paper describes a future hydrogen economy from a climate change perspective that is based on production processes that have zero or near zero-carbon emissions to the environment. The economic impact aspects are, however, not addressed in this work. Nonetheless, the review provides a detailed and realistic assessment of the prospects of a hydrogen economy for a future low-carbon growth path for Nigeria.