Hydrogen: the “40-year-old virgin” scenario
Bertrand Piccard
Explorer, Psychiatrist, Inspirational speaker, Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation
For the past 40 years, a clean world fueled by hydrogen was like sex for teenagers. Everyone spoke about it, but nobody was doing it. Today, the process is getting mature and it seems we can start to do it. Why? Because each actor of the current energy and mobility market has something to gain from it.
Last January during the World Economic Forum in Davos, I had the chance to actively participate in the launch of the Hydrogen Council: 13 leaders from energy, transport and industrial companies who got together to create the first global initiative positioning hydrogen - and fuel cells technologies - as a profitable and viable solution to tackle Climate Change.
After a glimmer of hope at the end of the 90', hydrogen has been shadowed by the introduction of lithium batteries. Today, it looks like the benefits of this technology can be fully seized, from production to end-use, because it is non-disruptive for the current players. That is why it can bring everyone on board:
Chemistry experts like Air Liquide or The Linde Group, could become the equivalent of a clean fuel “producing-country”, using power from electric grid companies like ENGIE, at low demand times to hydrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Oil and gas giants like Total and Royal Dutch Shell could upgrade their pipelines networks and gas stations to bring this clean fuel directly to the consumers.
In this scheme, innovative automotive and rail transport companies, such as Hyundai, Honda, Kawasaki, BMW or Alstom will be better positioned to increase their share of zero-emission fuel cell transport because the hydrogen market will be adapted, giving them the means to do it in a profitable way!
Such initiatives from the business sector are inspiring. Sadly, they are the ones we cruelly lack in the political world, which sets targets without giving solutions to reach them. Yet, in this scenario, governments would be winners since they could reach their carbon reduction targets and still tax hydrogen like they tax gasoline fuel - something they don't know how to do with battery electric vehicles.
Source: Hyundai
Switching to profitable and efficient hydrogen-based solutions would also allow small businesses to stand out, compete into the market. It would stimulate innovation. Traditional oil and gas industries would not fight, but rather bond with cleantech companies. Jobs would not only be saved, but also multiplied due to the new opportunities created. Investments in old installations would be upgraded and adapted, rather than abandoned.
The world cannot continue on combustion engines…this is last century. It’s not only about protecting the environment, it’s a lot about making money, new industrial markets, economic development, profit, job creation. The example of the Hydrogen Council shows that the time has come to adapt, change our way of thinking and doing … to lose once and for all our virginity when it comes to cleantech!
Interim- and Project manager at Affinitas SA
7yI would agree with Charles. I personally see the future as every house producing its own electricity, to store the excess as Hydrogen produced directly by the house, and displacement of vehicles with electricity (mainly because of the inefficiency of the change from chemical to mechanical energy). In the winter the hydrogen should then be converted back to electricity using a gas turbine, using the excess heat to keep the house warm. The issue for the common buyer -like me- is to find its way through the jungle of what's on the market and to find competent companies to set all this up.
Lead Innovator - Hypuljet Ltd UK
7yI say again Bertrand there is NO NEED for a Hydrogen network to mimic the filling stations which developed to network petrol and then diesel fuels, built up by the Oil majors. Hydrogen can be produced literally anywhere and On Board the EV with an On demand system as the best option. In my opinion the wrong direction has been taken because it has been influenced by other players who know the ease of producing hydrogen and that it will lead to loss of control and influence. The problem is of course that the take up of Hydrogen has taken 40 years and we are still 20 years from it having any real effect. Fuel Cells are expensive and consume a lot of hydrogen fuel and a way to mitigate that is shown clearly by Riversimple, change the vehicle design to extreme light weight which allows a small fuel cell to have a good range. Or people could look at HyPulJet.2.0 H2 Rotary Engine-generator with second phase to increase efficiency and out put. Basically as it is a Combustion process it will work absolutely fine, on impure Hydrogen, which would be produced by an on board the EV system and this is a distinct advantage for combustion over Fuel Cells. Fuel Cells need pure Hydrogen other wise the membrane becomes blocked, reduced output to failure. So Bertrand, if as you and many others in the higher echelons, really do want a Hydrogen clean energy future, then I suggest that as a serious Influencer, you research other methods and options which are out here. As I have offered you before, HyPulJet.2.0 might just be the power pack which allows your next round the world e.Airplane event, to be a more normal powered flight. Hydrogen is the Clean Energy Future, it is simply not being done in the right way. I could not have an Oil well in my garden or a Refinery in my garage, but I most certainly can have a safe system of producing hydrogen in my garage or better still on board an EV.
CEO at AIRPOWER LTD ISRAEL
7yMr. Picard, You might be interested in a novel technology that converts piston engine wasted heat into electricity. This technology could cut car emitted pollution by 50%. This technology is based on proven jet engine physics, thus could be implemented within few years. May be you can help promote it? Israel Hirshberg