Overview
A clean energy
Among the advantages of hydrogen as an energy source is the fact that its combustion does not emit carbon dioxide (CO2), the main cause of the greenhouse effect. Therefore it is possible to obtain clean energy from hydrogen, with no polluting by-products. Furthermore, hydrogen itself can be obtained from water, by electrolysis, with zero emissions, and the only by-product of this process is pure oxygen.
A strategic role
Hydrogen is also a very versatile energy carrier, meaning that it is capable of "absorbing" energy; this is the reason why it may solve one of the main problems related to energy management: its storage. In addition to this, its availability is in fact unlimited; although hydrogen is seldom found on Earth in its free state, it does exist in several compounds. Current methods permit hydrogen to be stored as a gas in high-pressure tanks, as a liquid in cryogenic containers, and as a solid in combination with other elements (metal hydrides).
An ally of renewable energy sources
Currently, approximately 23% of our energy production comes from renewable sources but, according to experts from the Hydrogen Council, this amount will grow to 68% by 2050. However, the efficiency of solar- or wind-powered plants depends on the variable presence of sun and wind, with considerable discrepancies between energy production and its demand: for example in Europe, during the winter, just when the need is higher, the production of solar energy drops by 60%.Thanks to its capacity to store energy, hydrogen could be used in integrated renewable source systems to recover excess energy, which would otherwise be wasted, and make it available as and when required.