kolhydrogen

Kolhydrogen, also referred to as coal-derived hydrogen, is hydrogen gas produced from coal as the primary feedstock. In industrial history it describes hydrogen extracted during coal gasification or by upgrading coal gas, a mixture of gases including H2, CO, CO2, and CH4, from which hydrogen is separated and purified. The most common modern method is coal gasification, where coal reacts with oxygen and steam at high temperature to produce syngas, from which hydrogen is isolated. Purification techniques such as pressure swing adsorption or membrane separation yield high-purity H2. Alternatively, hydrogen can be produced from coal-derived syngas through the water-gas shift reaction to increase the H2 content.

Historically, coal gas (town gas) used for lighting and illumination contained hydrogen along with methane and carbon monoxide. In those contexts, kolhydrogen referred to the hydrogen component within the gas mixture. In contemporary energy discussions, coal-based hydrogen is scrutinized for its carbon footprint. When produced with carbon capture and storage (CCS) or alongside low-carbon energy sources, coal-derived hydrogen can be described as blue hydrogen; without CCS, it remains highly carbon-intensive.

Uses of kolhydrogen include refining, ammonia synthesis, methanol production, and as a fuel or reducing agent in metallurgical processes. The term is primarily found in regional or historical contexts; in most technical literature, hydrogen production methods and feedstock origins are described without the regional term.

See also: hydrogen production, coal gasification, syngas, water-gas shift, blue hydrogen, carbon capture and storage.