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As renewable energy becomes big business, here are five challenges slowing the conversion to a Hydrogen Economy now.
The technology exists to begin converting from a petroleum-based economy to a hydrogen-based economy. So with oil prices soaring to record highs and the polar caps melting from global warming, what’s holding things up? According to Hydrogen Now, an international, non-profit organization with advisers worldwide, there are five key reasons why renewable hydrogen energy may still be as much as 10 to 20 years from complete commercialization. 1. Hydrogen StorageBecause hydrogen is so light, small tanks – say, in an automobile – cannot store a lot of gaseous hydrogen, so storage is a key issue. Ford and GM are working with 10,000 psi tanks in their remarkable concept cars -- Ford's Model U and GM's Hy-Wire. Another company, Dynetek Industries, is currently testing a larger 12,500 psi tank for gaseous hydrogen. 2. H2 Distribution No infrastructure currently exists to distribute hydrogen to the American public along the nation’s highways and in the cities. Building a viable distribution infrastructure is a challenge that needs both money and a long-term commitment from private enterprise and government sources. 3. Cost to Produce HydrogenAt present, hydrogen costs more to produce than gasoline, largely due to massive tax breaks given to the oil and petroleum industry. The one thing in hydrogen’s favor is the ballooning cost of oil and petroleum products as oil and gasoline prices continue to soar. At the same time, the adoption of cheap technologies, such as solar and wind, should go a long way to drive down the cost of producing hydrogen from water. 4. Danger of HydrogenHydrogen is a flammable, like any other combustible gas or liquid, but has a long safety record. When the hydrogen-powered Hindenberg disaster is brought up, experts explain that an electrical discharge ignited the “skin” of the airship and on-board diesel. Like other gaseous fuels, if handled with appropriate care, hydrogen is regarded as safer than any of the other fossil fuels. 5. Fuel Cell ObstaclesFuel cell technology is an area waiting for American innovation and ingenuity to find new solutions to some unresolved challenges. Among the key issues: fuel cells are too expensive to produce, they don’t run well in cold weather, and the fuel-cell market may need more copper than the world has. Aluminum is a possible replacement, but it takes up more space in the fuel cell than copper. Solar Hydrogen PowerDespite these obstacles, scientists anticipate that advances in technology will eventually drive down the cost of hydrogen production to make it as affordable as it is benign on the environment. Solar hydrogen power and wind-derived hydrogen power are both solutions that should reduce production costs and, in turn, accelerate solutions for some of the distribution, storage and fuel cell challenges. But ultimately will solar-derived hydrogen power, for example, become more affordable than gas and oil? Most experts are optimistic that it will, as the technology gets sorted out. "Technology advancements could make solar-derived hydrogen, with its potential for near-site delivery, cost competitive (with natural gas and oil)," says Margeret K Mann and Johanna S. Ivy, in the online Solar Today magazine.
The copyright of the article Hydrogen Power Hurdles in Investment is owned by Steve Vogel. Permission to republish Hydrogen Power Hurdles in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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