Hydrogen – fuel for thought

This story first appeared in the December issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

Hydrogen offers an “integrated solution” as a power source compatible with electric vehicles.

An APEC electric vehicle and hydrogen technology policy workshop in Wellington on November 21 explored the subject and learned about progress in developing hydrogen fuel cells.

Far from writing off hydrogen, as suggested in an IDTechEx overview report, Electric Vehicles 2018-2038: Forecasts, Analysis and Opportunities which predicts fuel cell and non-plug-in vehicles will be sidelined, the workshop found some automakers and others continuing to work on the fuel.

Experts at the workshop talked about a “hydrogen economy” and outlined progress in the fuel’s development.
They also covered the benefits and pitfalls of using hydrogen fuel cells in transport, finding it especially useful for long-range heavy transport.

Hydrogen can come from various sources, mostly natural gas (methane) although it can be produced from rubbish (biomass).

It can even be made from cannabis, legal in California from January 1 next year. Workshop speaker Chris White from the California Fuel Cell partnership dubbed it “high-drogen”.

She drives a fuel cell Honda Clarity (a plug-in hybrid is due out soon) and says California has about 100 hydrogen fuel stations with 30 more being developed.

Electrolysis is one “green” way of producing hydrogen and is growing in popularity. But the costs of making hydrogen from renewable sources are high so much of the development is concentrating on lowering those costs.

Hydrogen fuel stations and associated infrastructure such as storage are needed, probably suited for current service stations, but again the costs are high.

They need to be lower to increase demand, International Energy Agency senior energy and transport analyst Pierpaolo Cazzola says.

High-volume manufacturing could be one way of bringing costs down, he says.

“A move to hydrogen should be across the whole energy system.”

Cazzola says hydrogen is especially suitable for long-haul heavy transport.

Hiringa (Maori for perseverance, energy) Energy managing director Catherine Clennett aims to create a zero-emission hydrogen energy future for New Zealand – and provide the infrastructure for it.

She says Taranaki is a good base with a port, natural gas supplies and a farming community close by (hydrogen helps make ammonia for fertiliser).

Like some other speakers, Clennett believes hydrogen would make a good export product.

New Zealand FCEV Consortium director Dr Linda Wright considers hydrogen ideal for New Zealand’s southern regions where there’s high rainfall (to make it), global tourist destinations and heavy passenger transport and maritime vessels that could use it.

In addition, the area has extensive agriculture.

“We have an opportunity to export renewable hydrogen,” she says.

Markets might include islands where other energy forms are difficult to generate or provide.

Wright describes hydrogen as an “integrated solution” rather than a separate energy source.

Others says hydrogen is an alternative to power forms such as batteries and that it’s better not to rely entirely on one form of EV energy.

Converging technologies could also open new pathways for hydrogen use.