“The hydrogen economy is the future.”
When President George W. Bush signed into law the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Initiative in 2003, it was hoped that hydrogen would become a potential game-changer in the electric power industry.
Now, 20 years later, has the technology and industry lived up to that promise? Since hydrogen can be used as a fuel for power generation, a storage medium for renewable energy, and as a feedstock for industrial processes, it was thought by some to be more hype than hope.
Fuel cells have zero emissions and can generate electricity more efficiently than traditional combustion-based systems. As fuel cells become more widely adopted, they can revolutionize the power generation industry by providing a clean, reliable, and efficient source of electricity. Today, the rapid growth of commercialization of fuel cells means more hope than hype.
Hydrogen can also be used as a storage medium for renewable energy. One of the biggest challenges facing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar is their intermittency – they generate electricity only when the wind is blowing, or when the sun is shining. By using excess renewable energy to produce hydrogen through electrolysis, the hydrogen can be stored and used to generate electricity when needed. This can help to stabilize the grid and make renewable energy sources more reliable and consistent.
Another way that hydrogen can change the electric power industry is through the decarbonization of industrial processes. Many industrial processes such as steel, paper, refining, and cement production are currently reliant on fossil fuels, which are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. By using hydrogen as a feedstock for these processes, the emissions can be drastically reduced. This could be a significant step in reducing the overall carbon footprint of the power industry and making it more sustainable.
Finally, hydrogen can play a key role in the development of a hydrogen economy, where hydrogen is used as a fuel for transportation, heating, and power generation. This could create new markets for hydrogen and provide additional revenue streams for the power industry. The development of the hydrogen economy would also create new opportunities for job creation and economic growth.
Twenty years since 2003, when the bill was signed into law, there is more hope than hype for the future of hydrogen.
Alan Ross is vice president of corporate communications for H2scan. More information can be found at www.h2scan.com.