Is Hydrogen A Sustainable Fuel For The Future?
To decide and to act are two completely different things and the gap between decision and feasibility is even greater. In this environment-conscious age, the need for alternative energy is no longer a novelty but a necessity, from improving the quality of life to battling climate change. The results of which would be seen as ripples as diversification in the fuel retail solutions.
With roughly 75 percent of the natural gas that is produced, is now used to produce hydrogen however, that is not the only source that we have access to. From nuclear plants to oils and even coal can be used to produce hydrogen and given the easy mobility of the resources, it is natural that the hydrogen produced and converted into liquid, will be used to power everything from homes to factories and even cars and planes.
And thus, it is no surprise that there is an influx of alternative solutions to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel and restore the environment. One such new rising contender is hydrogen. The most attractive aspect of hydrogen is that the residue is harmless to the environment. Therefore, it has constantly been worked to make it feasible for daily use.
The carbon-fuel age is coming to an end sooner or later and so companies and engineers alike are pushing to make it so that by the year 2050 energy produced by hydrogen fuel can account for roughly 12 percent* of the total energy needs, which is produced with no negative impact on the environment.
Now as new technologies rise and previous ones become more efficient hydrogen fuel has gained much popularity and the momentum has attracted the investment of different energy sectors along with countries coming together to facilitate and benefit from the hydrogen-driven technologies.
And the fact that hydrogen can be extracted in both natural sources and lab production makes it an extremely versatile fuel. While even water can be used as a ready source of hydrogen. The same hydrogen, if used in a wide spectrum of sectors, can result in an immense reduction in emission.
Now turning to, the automobile industry, we need to understand that the mere availability of hydrogen cell engines is not going to be enough. There needs to be a whole infrastructure, including modifications in the architechture, especially gas station design, maintenance, and training the human resource in such spaces. And given that almost everyone from lower to upper-middle-class focuses more on the price. For the significant incorporation of hydrogen fuel technology, there needs to be both culture and infrastructure in motion.
However apart from the automation energy hydrogen can be utilized in mixing with other natural gasses and in daily use, a smaller more efficient version of hydrogen cell can be used.
Fuel cells, for example, generate electricity using hydrogen, leaving only water vapour and warm air behind. It could lead to increased national energy security, reduced fuel use, and a variety of other benefits.
The high availability, customization range, and the lack of toxic emission allow for a wide range of experimentation from in-house use to warming cities and even factories and offices.
Although hydrogen is picking up pace and its use is becoming more widespread day by the full extent of its potential is yet to be explored. And the extent of its contribution to the clean energy sector is yet not fully realized.
Hydrogen single handily has the potential to bring different sectors such-haul transport, chemicals, and iron and steel, together given its high energy output while simultaneously cutting into carbon emissions.
Furthermore, hydrogen fuel can be used to make the other forms of renewable energy more feasible as it can be used to fill in the gap between the increasing energy demands and the still-growing renewable energy sources. With hydrogen, the main point of contention is the creativity and scalability aspect, but as the world as a whole is reaching new technological heights, hydrogen would turn from being a fuel of the future to the new norm.
