Hydrogen, the fuel of the future?

Introduction

The demand for energy worldwide has caused an excessive consumption of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal), causing the intensification of the greenhouse effect, due to the fact that the main products of combustion are carbon dioxide (CO ₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur and nitrogen oxides, generating catastrophic effects such as acid rain and photochemical smog, consequently scientific research is currently being carried out dedicated to developing technologies for the generation of more efficient and less polluting energy , through other alternative sources such as renewable energies as clean and inexhaustible sources of energy

In this context, hydrogen represents the most innovative energy proposal of alternative fuels, with respect to fossil fuels and emitters of polluting and greenhouse gases, and with great potential as an energy vector. However, it is a difficult fuel to obtain, and its processing from an economic point of view is not profitable, entails exorbitant costs because it is not found in isolation in nature and is stored in a gaseous or liquid state (Figure 1).

So! Could a pilot energy system based on this element be generated?

Taking into account all of the above, it is important to propose new alternative technologies, such as renewable energy sources, in this context hydrogen is presented as an element linked to solving environmental aspects. In the case of the use of hydrogen as primary fuel, the issue of environmental impact is drastically reduced, since the only product of the electrochemical reaction is water vapor, so the emission of pollutants into the atmosphere is zero; which qualifies it as an energy vector that is the protagonist of a viable alternative to a sustainable energy model.

sustainable technology

One of the main problems is the way to produce hydrogen, it is generally extracted from the compounds of which it is a part: water, gas, hydrocarbons, biogas, and biomass, among others. Separating hydrogen from these elements is a complex process.

There are three industrial methods to obtain hydrogen from different energy sources: molecular transformation, coal gasification, and electrolysis of water molecules (H₂O) in oxygen (O₂) and hydrogen (H₂), the latter method being the most expensive production process; however, the use of non-renewable energy as a source would lower costs and make hydrogen formed by electrolysis the most sustainable energy alternative on the market with zero CO emissions.₂ ( Figure 2).

The difficulty in obtaining 100% clean hydrogen has led to the classification of the resulting product based on its sustainable value: gray hydrogen , it is the most used and the least environmentally friendly, due to its generation by fossil fuel. Blue or low-carbon hydrogen also processed from fossil fuels. The most ecological option is ‘green hydrogen’ , produced from renewable energy, a 100% sustainable alternative.

So will hydrogen be the clean fuel of the future?

There is still a long way to go with several questions and actions, especially in relation to investment to carry out the energy transition that decarbonization implies, once the still unresolved challenges have been overcome.

Hydrogen generation by electrolysis using alternating energy.

Conclusion

The success of hydrogen generated by electrolysis would represent the most sustainable energy alternative and the solution based on a clean and easy-to-use fuel that could solve both the needs of domestic consumption and transportation and would end energy dependence on fossil fuels (natural gas ). Something that will only be possible if international institutions give the eternal promise of clean fuels a chance.