THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY

Options in transitioning to renewable energy

 

Hydrogen has been used for decades in industrial processes such as oil refining and ammonia production. However, it does not occur naturally except in stars – it cannot be dug out of the ground and burnt like natural gas. The attraction of hydrogen is that electrolysers can split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. This gas can then be stored and converted to power through a fuel cell – the only waste product is water. As such, governments and corporates have identified the gas as an enabler in delivering a shift from burning fossil fuels to renewable energy, avers MoneyWeek.