PBS NewsHour: Could hydrogen be the clean fuel of the future? 4/20/22

[Caribbeans]

As leaders around the world search for cleaner energy solutions to fight climate change, a question has emerged: Could hydrogen be the clean fuel of the future? Planes, trains, cars and buses need lighter and longer-lasting power than batteries can provide, some scientists say. Science correspondent Miles O’Brien explores the possibilities of hydrogen-powered engines and whether they can deliver.

Air Date 4/20/22

The biggest energy revolution in at least 100 years is unfolding right now.

Especially in China, Korea and Japan.

[hunter]

1. No.

I worked this out in the 'eighties and burned through a few thesis advisors doing it.

[Caribbeans]

2. It's 2022

The 80's were FORTY YEARS AGO

Solar panels were completely unaffordable for all but the super rich and the efficiency was around 12-15%.

Thanks to China, today's panels are affordable and approaching 25%.

In the 1980's just about everyone on earth couldn't imagine making hydrogen with renewable energy. Now it's happening. The latest solar cost forecast from huge installations in the ME is 0.01 cent per kWh which means 1 Kg of H2 = around 0.50 CENTS.

Perhaps your thesis advisors would be interested in the fact that over 30 nations have published "National Hydrogen Strategies" - do you think the scientists advising these nations are ignorant?

Countries Roll Out Green Hydrogen Strategies, Electrolyzer Targets

Countries are increasingly embedding green hydrogen’s potential to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors within ambitious strategies. In December, Canada joined a long list of countries, which includes France, Japan, Australia, Norway, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Chile, and Finland, as well as the European Union, with plans to stimulate the production of hydrogen.

The policies take into account an explosion of global interest in the gas, which is dominantly being produced with methane and coal today. According to the International Energy Agency’s Hydrogen Projects Database, nearly 320 green hydrogen production demonstration projects have been announced worldwide—a total of about 200 MW of electrolyzer capacity—with new projects being added on almost a weekly basis... more https://www.powermag.com/countries-roll-out-green-hydrogen-strategies-electrolyzer-targets/

It's very sad to see that the nation that sent Astronauts to the moon with electrolizers to make water for them is now behind one of the biggest energy revolutions in history.

Lots of things talked about in the 80's were thought impossible THEN. Forty YEARS ago.

Take a look at China's H2 policy for example. There were NO hydrogen stations as recently as 2016. Now there are >250 and more installed EVERY DAY. H2 has been written into their latest 5 year plan (something the US could learn from) and prioritized.

If only you could show your 1980's advisors THIS:

100 hydrogen buses rolled out at once - the biggest H2 fleet rollout in the world so far.

They aren't stuck in 1982, fortunately for the rest of the world - they are going to drop the prices of hydrogen equipment drastically over the next few years.

[hunter]

3. Physical reality doesn't change with time or politics.

That's why I love it.

[Miguelito Loveless]

4. It doesn't change the math

A single kg of H2 requires about 55kWh of electricity to produce. That kg will propel a fuel cell car about 50 miles. The same amount of electricity will propel an EV 150-200 miles. H2 has potential in aviation, cargo ships, and storage of last resort, but not for replacing cars and trucks.

[NNadir]

5. The 2nd law of Thermdyamics hasn't changed since 1982, nor will it...

...in this century nor any other century.

I see no reason to object to Albert Einstein's remark that he felt that the laws of Thermodyamics will never be overturned.

Hydrogen is not now and has never been in over half a century of endless hype a primary form of energy. Thus the continuous hype is exactly equivalent to similar hype about batteries, useless as the atmosphere collapses.

It may be feasible to produce captive hydrogen by process intensification in very high temperature systems in the future, but right now on this planet the bulk of the world's hydrogen is produced from dangerous natural gas at a large Thermodyamic penalty. Thus hydrogen has the effect of making climate change worse, not better.

It is decidedly not clean or sustainable, and all of the cute marketing to the contrary is just silly.