Hydrogen, the fuel of the future?

Solar and wind are already proving they can replace fossil fuels as the main source of our electricity, but what they can’t do (yet) is provide the fuel at enough scale to decarbonise heavy end users like the transport sector. 

Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are where a significant part of the solution might lie. As a fuel, hydrogen produces zero emissions at the point of use. It can be stored as a liquid or a gas, be used as feedstock for chemical industries, fuel cells to generate electricity and heat, all things which combined could see a huge step towards a “net zero” world.

Yet, hydrogen comes with its own unique set of challenges. The difficulty in utilizing it for energy can be broken down into 3 main parts: production, storage and end use.

Right now, most hydrogen is produced as an industrial by-product of natural gas, known as “grey” hydrogen. Owing to the low global price of natural gas, grey hydrogen is the cheapest.