Hydrogen is an (alternative) energy carrier that can be produced using electrolysis from renewable power sources, such as solar, wind or natural gas. It’s a viable low carbon option for heating millions of homes, fuelling cars and planes and powering heavy industry and, as it only produces water vapour when used, hydrogen doesn’t emit carbon into the atmosphere like fossil fuels.
However, electrolytic hydrogen has its critics who point out that it requires a lot of power to produce, that not all of that power currently comes from renewable and/or low-carbon sources, and that it is difficult to store and transport. However, there is significant research and testing in how hydrogen is stored and moved to help scale up the production and use of hydrogen.
“The main benefit is its versatility. Passenger trains have now been developed to run on hydrogen, hydrogen propulsion for ships and planes is being trialled whilst hydrogen trucks, buses and taxis are all now in use. Heavy industry is also evaluating hydrogen; particular in the steel industry and power generation. On the domestic and commercial heating front, hydrogen boilers, gas cookers and fires are being developed to work on 100% pure hydrogen. So lots of things are being put in place. They are all relatively small scale at the moment but the size and range of application is increasing quickly. The versatility of hydrogen facilitates its use in almost all sectors, providing a low carbon solution wherever we use fossil fuels today.” - Kevin Kinsella
Hydrogen faces a number of challenges before it can overcome our reliance on fossil fuels, from up-scaling to changing policy and regulations.
“We are currently transitioning from a ‘linear’ energy system to another one, from a fossil fuel-based system to an energy system which is digitized, decentralized and obviously decarbonized. The government is looking at a number of policies, including decarbonizing heat, and that's where hydrogen and standards for hydrogen really start to play a role.” - Sebastiaan van Dort
“Hydrogen is not looked at in isolation, but as part of an overarching, integrated and system-based solution. We’re tackling hydrogen supply chain challenges, such as hydrogen production, distribution and storage, but also exploring the barriers to increasing the use of hydrogen in specific sectors of the economy. There are several sectors where hydrogen has been highlighted as particularly relevant and feasible for use: in domestic and commercial heating, in power generation and provision, as well as in transport - to decarbonize road freight and flight, rail and marine transport for example.” - Maria Vabeva-Daley