BBC: First 'zero-emissions' hydrogen filling station opens in South Yorkshire UK

[nationalize the fed]

A zero-emissions refuelling station for hydrogen-powered cars - claimed to be the first of its kind in the country - has opened.

ITM Power created the site at the Advanced Manufacturing Park near the M1 in Rotherham.

It uses electricity generated by a wind turbine to split water into its constituent parts: hydrogen and oxygen.



A hydrogen car could now fill up with enough fuel for it to reach London from South Yorkshire, the company said.

Rebecca Markillie, of Sheffield based ITM, said: "It's the perfect solution. It's a clean fuel utilising wind power, we start with water and end with water".

A hydrogen-powered car only emits water vapour as it runs...snip
More: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-34278051

http://www.itm-power.com/

ITM Power: HFuel Onsite Hydrogen Production via Electrolysis

In the UK- H2 is #1

[longship]

1. Hydrogen is not yet zero emissions.

Where does the hydrogen come from? Molecular hydrogen, H2, is not natural on Earth.

In order to generate molecular hydrogen one has to put in more energy than is released by burning the hydrogen. That's just simple thermodynamics, physics 101.

Hydrogen is not an energy source on Earth, because all the natural hydrogen escapes the atmosphere, again physics 101.

Hydrogen may be a viable energy storage medium, but hydrogen has to be generated by other means, by coal or natural gas fired electrical generation which is -- by definition -- not clean energy.

Again, where does hydrogen fuel come from if it is not natural on Earth? The answer is inevitable. Hydrogen is only clean if it is generated by a clean energy source. And the world does not have such an infrastructure in place at this time (although some are working on it).

They are generating H2 with electrolysis which always consumes more energy than is released by burning the hydrogen. Always!

But some day the UK may have clean energy via wind or (unlikely) solar to make the H2 cleanly. I don't think they are there yet. It is good that they are using wind here, so this is an exception. But widespread hydrogen will take some doing. If this is economic, it may lead the way.

R&K