Our dependency on non-renewable fossil fuels has come back to haunt us. If we don’t act fast, then the carbon footprint will be large enough to encompass the world. That is why scientists are hard at work in seeking alternative sources energy in which one of them happens to be hydrogen.

The potential purposes of using hydrogen are aplenty. Despite being the third most abundant element on the earth’s surface, it only exists in chemical compounds like hydrocarbon and water. However, it can be separated using the method of electrolysis, which is quite expensive.

Here are some of the more common pros and cons in using hydrogen as a new source of energy.

Pros

1. Renewable And Abundant

One of the best potentials looking into hydrogen being an alternative fuel source is that it will never run out. It may take some time to acquire it, but it is renewable, so no one would have to worry about wasting it like other sources of fuel.

2. No Catastrophic Emissions

Unlike carbon monoxide, there are no harmful emissions left behind by hydrogen. As a matter of fact, when it used in NASA spaceships, the only thing left behind by burning hydrogen is clean drinking water for the astronauts.

3. Very Powerful

Apart from being renewable and lacking in harmful emissions, hydrogen also happens to be quite powerful by being used as rocket fuel. Here’s a fun fact; hydrogen is three times as powerful as gasoline as well as other fossil fuels. In a way, this means that you can do so much more with less effort.

4. Environmentally-Friendly

Another amazing and unique trait that separates hydrogen from other fuel sources is that it is non-toxic. It presents a benefit not only to humans and animals but also to the rest of the environment as well.

5. Fuel-Efficiency

Hydrogen is extremely proficient because it delivers more energy with every pound of fuel. It actually means that you can go even further than you would with traditional gasoline.  

Cons

Unfortunately, in spite of being a relatively cheaper source of energy for many, hydrogen also comes with its share of shortcomings as well.

1. Expensive To Extract

Hydrogen requires a lot of effort to be extracted from chemical compounds. With that in mind, it also eats up a lot of our time and resources that end up being quite expensive. At the moment, there is only enough hydrogen to power hybrid cars until further advancements are made to simplify the process.

2. It’s Not Easy To Replace Present Infrastructure

Apart from the fact that hydrogen is expensive to extract, it is also quite expensive in trying to replace gasoline. It is because there is no infrastructure that is there to replace hydrogen as the prime source for land vehicles. It will be such a steep cost to taxpayers and governments in trying to refit every car and gas station.

At the moment, until there is a more affordable solution, gasoline remains as the more favorable fuel source for many.

3. Hard To Transport

Despite hydrogen being light in density, it can be tricky to move it around. Because of that, it can be very expensive to collect even little amounts of it also. It is due to that challenge that makes the transportation of hydrogen quite time-consuming and costly.

4. Very Flammable

If you did not get the hint with the rocket fuel bit, then we should let you know, it is very flammable. Hydrogen is prone to catching fire, or worse, exploding. So it would be wise to think about carrying it around.

5. Storage

Because hydrogen is at a lower density than gasoline, it has to be kept it lower temperatures to maintain its liquid form and effectiveness as a fuel source. This is why hydrogen has to be stored and transported under high pressures, which then makes this whole process difficult and expensive.