Hydrogen production

Abstract

In today's society as global energy demands are addressed, it is expected that hydrogen will play a crucial role in future energy infrastructure. Hydrogen is being turned too as an energy carrier in hopes to wean our current society away from carbon-emitting fossil fuels and to mitigate their effects on the atmosphere. Hydrogen has a gross energy or higher heating value of 142 MJ/kg compared to natural gas or crude oil that register at 52 and 45 MJ/kg, respectively, hydrogen also has demonstrated its ability as fuel for vehicles, electricity storage via fuel cells, and a number of other useful attributes in the chemical and metallurgical industries.

Hydrogen can be produced using diverse, domestic resources including fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal (preferentially with carbon capture, utilization, and storage); biomass grown from renewable, nonfood crops; or using nuclear energy and renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power to split water. This diversity of potential supply sources is an important reason why hydrogen is such a promising energy carrier. Hydrogen can be produced at large central plants, at medium-scale semicentral plants, or in small distributed units located at or very near the point of use, such as at refueling stations or stationary power sites.