The Hydrogen Economy Part II

The Next Energy Transition

Right now we may be standing on the brink of the next big energy transition, or diversification. The international community recognizes hydrogen as a key component to a clean, sustainable energy system. This future hydrogen economy features hydrogen as an energy carrier in the stationary power, transportation, industrial, residential and commercial sectors.

As technology matures, hydrogen will be produced mainly using clean technologies like electrolysis from renewables and nuclear, or reformation of fossil feedstocks with carbon sequestration. It may be stored, transported by truck or pipeline, and used in a fuel cell, turbine or engine to generate an electric current with water as the principal by-product.

To reach that point, hydrogen will be introduced into small market segments as these technologies become market-ready. The chemical and refining industries have safely produced, stored and transported hydrogen for industrial purposes for decades. The technologies used by those industries to produce hydrogen are a logical starting point to catalyze more widespread use of hydrogen as an energy carrier,