The Hydrogen Commandment

Source: Jemma Green · FORBES · | May 18, 2021

Green hydrogen supply chain  POWER LEDGER

While ideally we would aspire to a world with no carbon dioxide emissions, there are still many industries where at this point of time it is not possible, due to cost and available technology.    

Aviation is a well-known example, because of the high power to weight ratio demanded by an aircraft, jet engines need to run on jet fuel.  

Another example would be a diesel locomotive. Without electrifying the entire length of a line, and running it off renewables, a completely different solution needs to be found, one where a clean form of dense, storable energy can be brought along for the ride.

And this is the significance of hydrogen. Where some kind of highly portable high energy density is required, hydrogen looks promising.

Still at the prototype stage is a new generation of modified locomotives that are equipped with hydrogen storage which then produce their own electricity via a fuel cell.

“If just half the diesel multiple unit trains were replaced with hydrogen units, over 533,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year would be eliminated from UK rail emissions.” Mike Muldoon – Head of Business Development, Alstom UK & Ireland

The chemistry of a hydrogen train is particularly attractive. Hydrogen (H2) reacts with the oxygen (O2) in compressed air in a fuel cell to form electricity and water that is theoretically pure enough to drink. The inherent cleanliness of the reaction is an eco warriors dream.