Hydrogen’s growing role in sustainable energy systems
Unlocking the potential of the most common element in the universe
But will hydrogen just naturally burn out in time, its brief rise being nothing more than just the latest fad in the search for clean and climate-friendly energy alternatives? For example, there has been a buzz about hydrogen-powered fuel cells as a clean alternative to fossil fuels for more than a decade but yet it seems that their great rival in the form of the electric car has been the one capturing public and political imaginations. When seeking to answer this question, it actually appears that this truly might just be hydrogen’s time to shine as the recent interest and enthusiasm for hydrogen-based solutions doesn’t seem to be dissipating anytime soon. Its popularity is only likely to increase further as the worldwide trauma of COVID-19 is now starting to focus minds on how we can build a new and truly sustainable economy in the post-pandemic world. As noted by the IEA in its ‘Future of Hydrogen’ report, published in 2019, supplying hydrogen to industrial users is now a booming business and demand for hydrogen is threefold what it was in 1975 and still growing. The agency also noted that today, the majority of hydrogen production stems from fossil fuels, especially natural gas. Admittedly at first glance, this doesn’t sound very eco-friendly, but many recent projects and demonstrations are highlighting how hydrogen production can (and should) be shifted from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. With the lower costs of solar, hydro and wind power, constructing electrolysers in locations with good renewable resource conditions to produce hydrogen could become a low-cost and green solution, even if there are added costs of actually transporting the hydrogen to end users. In the long term, there are already good ideas being promoted about integrating hydrogen into sectors that are currently completely untouched by it thus far, such as construction and power generation – though it’s likely that transport will be the first sector really able to utilise hydrogen to its fullest potential. The European Commission has its own dedicated Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, an initiative that aims to demonstrate fuel cell and hydrogen technologies as one of the key pillars of future European energy and transport systems. All of the seven projects showcased in this month’s special feature are funded and supported through the Joint Undertaking, each one dedicated to demonstrating how hydrogen really could be a viable low-cost, energy-efficient fuel of the future, thus with the real potential of making an important contribution to the EU’s ambitious target of being fully carbon-neutral by 2050. We look forward to receiving your feedback. You can send questions or suggestions to editorial@cordis.europa.eu.
