{"id":50692,"date":"2019-08-19T13:03:58","date_gmt":"2019-08-19T13:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alj.com\/?post_type=perspective&p=50692"},"modified":"2022-12-30T08:25:12","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T08:25:12","slug":"hydrogen-the-key-driver-to-zero-emission-transport","status":"publish","type":"perspective","link":"https:\/\/alj.com\/en\/perspective\/hydrogen-the-key-driver-to-zero-emission-transport\/","title":{"rendered":"Hydrogen: the key driver to zero-emission transport?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Could hydrogen be on the cusp of a breakthrough as the sustainable automotive fuel of the future?<\/p>\n

Long hyped as the ultimate clean energy fuel, hydrogen has never quite lived up its promise. \u00a0But that could all be about to change, according to experts at a leading global energy organization.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cThe huge challenges of climate change, as well as the rise of the wind and solar industries, are giving it new momentum and attracting fresh interest from governments and businesses well beyond the auto \u00adindustry,\u201d<\/em> says Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency<\/a>[1]<\/a> (IEA), which launched<\/a> its \u2018Future of Hydrogen\u2019 report at the G20 in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.<\/p>\n

Mr. Birol, who also chairs the World Economic Forum\u2019s<\/a> Energy Advisory Panel, believes the development of new technologies and processes mean that hydrogen now has the potential to revolutionize mobility in the coming decades.<\/p>\n

He emphasizes the vital role clean vehicles have to play in bridging the gap between today and a net-zero emissions future, and points out that the storage capability of hydrogen \u2013 \u201ca big hydrogen storage facility in Texas\u2026 can hold about 1,000 times as much electricity as the world\u2019s largest lithium-ion battery complex<\/em>\u201d \u2013 means it could be a key component in unlocking major progress.<\/p>\n

While electrification is set to be a large part of the future of personal transport, Mr. Birol believes the potential power of hydrogen, combined with the natural propensity to traditional ports of major industrial sectors, provides an opportunity to develop new ways of powering everything from trucks and ships to refineries, chemical plants and steel mills.<\/p>\n

Were his vision to become reality, today\u2019s heavy and dirty industries would be transformed at a stroke. \u00a0Gone would be the greenhouse gases and harmful emissions, replaced instead by an energy process that produces only water \u2013 which could itself be used to produce even more energy.<\/p>\n

And all of this could be powered by \u201cthe most abundant element in the universe<\/em>\u201d. \u00a0In the words of Mr. Birol: \u201cWhat\u2019s not to like?<\/em>\u201d Inevitably, there are still substantial challenges to overcome.\u00a0 Not least a financial one.\u00a0 Mr. Birol says:<\/p>\n

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\u201cGovernments will be crucial in determining whether hydrogen succeeds or fails. \u00a0Most of the more than 200 projects under way still rely heavily on direct government funding, according to International Energy Agency analysis. \u00a0But smart policies should encourage the private sector to secure long-term supplies of clean hydrogen and give investors the incentives to back the best businesses.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

More than anything, he says, \u201cthe world should not miss this unprecedented chance to make hydrogen a serious part of our sustainable energy future<\/em>\u201d. \u00a0And with a growing number of countries implementing policies designed to directly support and encourage investment in hydrogen technologies, Mr. Birol may get his wish[2]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are several compelling reasons why hydrogen fuel cell vehicles could provide an attractive alternative to the currently more widely adopted electric vehicle.\u00a0 First, the range of a hydrogen car is 700km-800km, compared to just 300km-400km in the very best performing electric vehicles[3]<\/a>.\u00a0 Fuel cell cars can also refuel at the same speed as gasoline cars \u2013 which is significantly quicker than the charging process on an electric vehicle.\u00a0 And hydrogen can be a completely clean power source, created by harnessing excess electricity generated by renewable energy<\/a> sources to break down water and produce the hydrogen needed for fuel cell vehicles[4]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The development of clean hydrogen would overcome some of the challenges that have so far restrained hydrogen\u2019s progress.\u00a0 Traditionally, producing hydrogen is not a clean process.\u00a0 Natural gas is the current primary source of hydrogen production and this fuel cost accounts for 45%-75% of total hydrogen production costs[5]<\/a>.\u00a0 Producing hydrogen from fossil fuels also means that as demand for hydrogen has soared \u2013 it has trebled since 1975 \u2013 so too have the emissions generated by traditional hydrogen production.\u00a0 It now accounts for 830 million tons of CO2<\/sub> per year, roughly the same as the total CO2<\/sub> emissions of the UK and Indonesia combined[6]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\nHowever, there is good news on the horizon. As the cost of renewable energy falls, it is becoming more feasible to produce hydrogen from renewable sources, thereby keeping emissions to a minimum. In its recent \u201cFuture of Hydrogen\u201d report, the IEA predicts the cost of producing hydrogen from renewable energy could fall by 30% by 2030 as a result of declining costs of renewables and the scaling up of hydrogen production:<\/p>\n

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\u201cWith declining costs for renewable electricity, in particular from solar PV and wind, interest is growing in electrolytic hydrogen and there have been several demonstration projects in recent years\u2026 With declining costs for solar PV and wind generation, building electrolyzers at locations with excellent renewable resource conditions could become a low-cost supply option for hydrogen<\/em>.[7]<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Has hydrogen\u2019s time come?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although hydrogen has been hailed in the past as the \u2018energy of the future\u2019, Mr. Birol is not alone in his assessment that this time, things could be different.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere is a new and credible pathway to clean, affordable and widespread use of hydrogen in global energy systems, as long as governments, companies and other actors seize these near-term opportunities<\/em>,\u201d says the IEA report[8]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In China, the man credited with ensuring that the country\u2019s electric vehicle sales now account for one of every two EVs sold globally[9]<\/a>, is urging a new automotive revolution based on hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. \u00a0Former Audi executive Wan Gang \u2013 who has also served as China\u2019s Minister of Science and Technology \u2013 says a strategy of national subsidies, similar to those used by China to support the growth of electric vehicles, could have a major impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe should look into establishing a hydrogen society,\u201d<\/em> said Wan in a recent article in the South China Morning Post. \u201cWe need to move further toward fuel cells.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

He continued this line of thinking in a recent Bloomberg News interview:<\/p>\n