To what extent is hydrogen the fuel of the future?
Adib Rahman
Introduction
Hydrogen, the first element in the periodic table and the most abundant element in the universe, has the potential to provide us with sustainable energy for generations. The growing population and development of up-and-coming countries means that there is an increasing demand for energy. This, coupled with the ongoing climate crisis, means that there is an urgent need for new, reliable, clean and sustainable sources of energy. Is hydrogen a viable solution and can it become the fuel of the future?
What makes hydrogen a viable energy source?
As mentioned earlier, the world needs energy that is produced in an environmentally friendly manner, and one of the major benefits of hydrogen as an energy carrier is that it provides emission-free energy. When used in fuel cells, the only products are electricity heat and water which complies with the requirements of an emission-free source of energy. In sectors such as transportation, hydrogen can play a pivotal role in decarbonization. Shifting to an energy profile that make greater use of hydrogen energy will ultimately provide a very effective mitigation technique against climate change. Another benefit of hydrogen as an energy carrier is its very high specific energy (or gravimetric energy, the stored energy per unit mass) compared to other fuels. This makes hydrogen a feasible option for weight- sensitive applications such as in aviation and aerospace.
Figure 1: graph showing the specific energy of hydrogen in comparison to other common energy sources Date accessed 19/08/23
Furthermore, hydrogen is renewable and has great abundance as it can be obtained from a variety of sources, including from water and natural gases. The methods of producing hydrogen will be explored later.
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