Hydrogen: the energy source for the 21st century

In a quest to improve air quality, many experts are supportive of using hydrogen as the fuel of the future. More recently, two other key objectives of several nations have been instrumental in accelerating development for an alternative fuel, independence from foreign oil and securing renewable, affordable energy sources. Most experts suggest that hydrogen as an alternative fuel has the elements to address all three of these concerns. In its purest form there are zero emissions, the supply is endless and production may use a variety of energy sources, including renewable. The purpose of this paper is to explore and understand the challenges related to moving to a hydrogen-fueled economy. The efforts of some countries and leaders in the automotive sector are reviewed as they strive to develop the technology and find possible answers to production, storage and distribution challenges. There are many opinions on how best to proceed. Some favor moving directly to a hydrogen infrastructure, while others advocate transitioning by using hydrogen fuel cell technology. While the problems of migrating to hydrogen are complex, there is no doubt that hydrogen is the energy source for the 21st century. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.