Why Hydrogen?
Hydrogen is considered a secondary source of energy. Though available everywhere,hydrogen is only present in compound form. So, for hydrogen to be separated in the pure form, a tremendous amount of energy is required. This energy could be from a renewable source or a non-renewable source. 90% of the H2produced today comes from non-renewable sources, mainly hydrocarbon fuels, called blue hydrogen, which is again harmful to the earth. Then there are renewable energy sources that can be used to produce pure H2 known as green hydrogen. However, the question arises: If renewable energies can directly be used to produce electricity efficiently and effectively rather than producing hydrogen, which should be combusted to generate electricity, why should renewables be used to produce hydrogen?
Both production of electricity and H2from renewables demands high technology, with H2 production even more demanding as the electricity from renewables is further used to break hydrogen from its compounds. This complex procedure is essential because today's leading renewable energy sources are the sun and the wind, which could not be relied on to generate electricity round the clock. However, this electricity produced can be used to produce hydrogen, which is a more sustainable source. Hydrogen also has several other uses, and it also comes on par with electricity as an energy carrier. It's sometimes easier and economical to transport hydrogen to long-distance areas through pipelines than electricity. Moreover, this hydrogen could also be transformed into several forms of energy, including electricity.
-Afrin Hewitt Alban