The hydrogen economy has been talked about for decades, but so far this economy only exists on paper. Scientists expect that the hydrogen economy will eventually replace the hydrocarbon economy when oil and natural gas run out. This article briefly explains what the hydrogen economy is. The hydrogen economy is a term for an economy in which hydrogen is the most important energy carrier. The basis lies in the production of hydrogen and oxygen from water through electrolysis. The hydrogen obtained can be stored and transported, so that it can be used as an energy source at a later date. The energy can be used for transport, electricity generation, heating, etc.
The origins of the hydrogen economy
The term hydrogen economy became widely known through the book The hydrogen economy by the American writer and critic Jeremy Rifkin. In his book he states that fossil fuel reserves will run out much sooner than scientists assume. He foresees major changes in society by replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen.
In the longer term, he envisions a completely new world in which end users generate their own electricity by burning hydrogen, but also make hydrogen themselves. Rifkin envisions an exchange of energy in a manner similar to information on the Internet, where users have direct contact with other users. He calls this the distribution generation.
The hydrogen economy in practice
The supply of sustainable energy varies greatly over time, as it is often dependent on wind, sun and tides. By generating hydrogen at times when electricity production from sustainable sources peaks, it is possible to generate electricity from it again at a later time, thus combating the problem of peaks.
The biggest problem with hydrogen is storage. Because hydrogen is the smallest molecule, storage without leaks is a major challenge. In addition, the amount of energy stored per molecule of hydrogen is relatively low. This means that many molecules of hydrogen are needed in relation to other fuels. To store a large number of hydrogen molecules in a small space, low temperatures or high pressure (700 bar) or a combination are required.
Politics
In the Netherlands it is still very quiet in politics regarding hydrogen. In the US, however, President George W. Bush has transferred a significant part of the budget for research into alternative fuels to the development of the hydrogen economy. Since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, fuel cells have also been called freedom cells.
Critical Sounds
It all sounds good in theory, but there are also critical voices regarding the hydrogen economy. The main arguments are:
- hydrogen generation is inefficient. More energy is lost than in generating and transporting electricity;
- escaped hydrogen contributes to the greenhouse effect;
- storage problems
- the safety aspects of hydrogen, because it is highly flammable and explosive.
Many opponents of hydrogen believe that oil companies have a major interest in the hydrogen economy because they can then take care of large-scale distribution .