Fresh water and petroleum-based hydrocarbon products are the most important hydrogen compounds used in industry. 15 billion cubic meters of fresh water is used annually for industrial purposes, while petroleum consumption has increased until 2009, when it fell for the first time in 30 years. Developing countries’ industrialization is rapidly increasing the demand for water, with an estimated 228 billion cubic meters of water to be used per year by 2025. Hydrogen chemistry will continue to be essential for industrial growth, even with the rise of new energy technologies.
In industry, by far, the most important of the hydrogen compounds in use worldwide is fresh water, followed closely by a variety of petroleum-based hydrocarbon products. In 2011, estimates of water consumption on a global basis amounted to 68 billion cubic meters annually. Water based on evapotranspiration (ET), the renewable form acquired from surface soils and run-offs, accounts for 18 billion cubic meters, with the remaining 40 billion coming from non-renewable fossil groundwater. With 23% of this used for industrial purposes, approximately 15 billion cubic meters of fresh water is used as an industrial chemical each year. It is estimated that at least 28% of all fresh water available on the planet is destined for human use, of which 69% is destined for agriculture, 23% for industry and 8% for domestic use.
Petroleum is clearly the second most important of the hydrogen compounds for industry. World oil consumption by the top 15 nations, including the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) group of nations, was estimated in 2008 at about 3.4 billion cubic meters per year, or 20 billion barrels per year. year. Fossil fuel consumption increased by about 2% per year until 2009, when it fell as a global average for the first time in 30 years. Most of this decline has occurred in Western nations which have exhibited an economic slump, while overall developing country use of petroleum-based hydrogen compounds has continued to grow. In 2009, China became the largest energy consumer, responsible for 18% of the world’s energy consumption.
The use of water for industry varies greatly from region to region. Africa as a whole uses only about 5% of its fresh water for industry, while in Europe 54% of fresh water is used as industrial compound. The industrialization of developing countries over agriculture as the primary form of economic growth is rapidly increasing the demand for water. The World Bank calculates that, in 2025, 228 billion cubic meters of water will be used per year, with an average growth in the use of water for industrial and energy production purposes of about 4.2% per year. The 2025 estimate represents 70% of all available fresh water on the planet, leaving a small fraction available for natural processes and ecosystems.
Hydrogen chemistry will continue to be essential for industrial growth, even as new energy technologies replace petroleum-based ones. Biofuels such as ethanol are also composed largely of hydrogen, with a chemical formula of C2H6O. Ethanol, biodiesel and other petroleum substitutes are refined from plant products such as soy or palm oil and corn. This further increases the use of fresh water in the industrial process of producing such hydrogen compounds.
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