Rising environmental concerns, a growing desire for sustainability, and rising gasoline prices have prompted governments to look into alternative energy sources. Hydrogen energy research and development is receiving a significant amount of funding. In contrast to traditional fossil fuels, which emit CO2, hydrogen is a clean fuel that emits only water as a byproduct when burned. The energy system can be made clean, renewable, and sustainable if hydrogen can be produced from water using renewable energy.
The concept of fuel cells and the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier is not new, but the development of hydrogen fuel cell technology that is practical for use in commercial transportation systems and infrastructures is presently speeding up. However, it will take a few years before it is available commercially. Fuel cells for commercial cars and machinery have the potential to become indispensable in the future of transportation and infrastructure, with countries racing to research, manufacture, and commercialise hydrogen fuel cell solutions. Given the scarcity of rare metals needed to create EV batteries, hydrogen will become increasingly important in providing zero-emission transportation. Because hydrogen is abundant, it has the potential to level the playing field in the automotive industry, whereas the supply of raw materials for electric vehicle batteries is monopolised by a few major companies.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), hydrogen’s part of the energy mix in the 2050s could rise to 12% from nearly nil now. According to the report, 66% of the hydrogen used in 2050 must be green, meaning it must be created from water rather than natural gas.
In particular, the automobile industry has worked to transition to renewable energy sources and minimise its carbon impact. In this context, hydrogen fuel cell technology is gaining traction throughout the world as a viable multi-sector alternative to fossil fuels.
Fuel cell technology uses hydrogen’s chemical energy to create electricity in a clean and efficient manner. Hydrogen is an energy carrier, unlike basic fuels like coal and petroleum, or renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. This means that hydrogen must be created utilising main energy sources like natural gas, water, biomass, and so on. Hydrogen may be utilised to power industrial and commercial buildings, transportation, and long-term grid-based energy storage in reversible systems after it has been obtained. Hydrogen fuel-powered fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), are like other electric cars and have an electric motor. FCEVs, on the other hand, create energy using a fuel cell stack fuelled by hydrogen stored on-board, rather than utilising batteries that take power from the grid.
FCEVs are among the cleanest means of transportation since they generate only water vapour and warm air rather than toxic exhaust emissions. Future technology advancements are expected to increase total WTW (well-to-wheel) efficiency for FCEVs, which is currently estimated to be about 30–35 per cent.
How the world is working towards adopting hydrogen?
- The European Union is pushing for a hydrogen initiative that will include aviation and heavy industry. Manufacturers will welcome the availability of an alternative CO2-free fuel because EU CO2 law for automobiles and SUVs needs average fuel usage of 92 miles per gallon by 2030. The EU laws are close to requiring all new automobiles to be battery-powered by 2030, yet electric cars have so far only succeeded in reaching high-priced categories. The race is on to develop a mass-market electric vehicle by 2030, but many fear it will fail. According to IHS Markit, worldwide production of battery-only powered sedans and SUVs will account for just 15.9% of the market in , while gasoline, diesel, and mild hybrids (ICEs supplemented by extra electrification) would account for just over 70%. In a rational world, the EU would encourage automakers to create more fuel-efficient ICE automobiles. Instead, it appears to be threatening to tighten the existing regulations.
- Meanwhilze, the Hydrogen Council, a worldwide business group founded to promote the technology, predicts that by 2050, hydrogen would power more than 400 million vehicles and SUVs, up to 20 million tracks, and 5 million buses, according to US investment research firm Energy & Capital. Hydrogen will generate 18% of the world’s energy by 2050.
- The Indian government, on the other hand, has lately made steps to establish infrastructure for hydrogen use. In March, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the commencement of a pilot project for hydrogen-based advanced fuel cell electric cars. Toyota Kirloskar Motor is collaborating with the International Center for Automotive Technology (ICAT) on a pilot project to test and evaluate the world’s most sophisticated FCEV, the Toyota Mirai, which runs on hydrogen, on Indian roads and in Indian climates. It would be a first-of-its-kind effort in India to create awareness about the Toyota Mirai, a hydrogen-only automobile featuring FCEV technology.
Conclusion:
Hydrogen might be the best option for our future energy needs, but it will take political will and investment to make it happen. However, when fossil fuels become scarce, hydrogen may become an important source of energy for the world’s population. The cost of hydrogen is already falling globally, partially due to lower renewable energy costs, but also due to advancements in water electrolysis and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. The International Energy Agency in Paris estimates that the cost of producing hydrogen will drop by another 30% by 2030, but the rapid cost reductions of recent photovoltaic solar energy projects in the Middle East may mean that the local cost of commercially producing hydrogen will fall even faster. The hydrogen economy might prove to be a vital instrument in the transition away from hydrocarbons as investment in hydrogen infrastructure develops and net costs continue to decline.