HYDROGEN ECONOMY

The world today is slowly running out of fuel. Sources such as

coal, petroleum and other fossil fuels have been used to extremes
and there is very little of them left. Thus research is being done to
find alternate sources of energy.
Some new sources include solar power, wind energy, geothermal
energy and hydrogen power.
What is Hydrogen Economy?
In short, Hydrogen Economy refers to the vision as using
Hydrogen as an alternative power source as opposed to carbon
based forms. Instead of using petroleum for cars and other
vehicles, we used hydrogen-powered engines. So basically
instead of burning carbon, we burn hydrogen.
Geneticist J.B.S.Haldane proposed this concept. He also
acknowledged the fact that although Hydrogen is the most
common element in the universe, it doesnt naturally exist on
Earth in its elemental form. Engineers and scientists must
produce pure hydrogen from hydrogen compounds, including
fossil fuels or water. In order to extract hydrogen from these
compounds, you have to exert energy. The required energy may
come in the form of heat, electricity or even light and one of the
processes used may be water electrolysis.
Why Hydrogen Economy?
1. Minimize pollution: The only byproduct of combustion of
hydrogen is water. There are also no environmental dangers
like oil spills, smoke etc. to worry about. This makes it one of
the cleanest sources of energy available to mankind.
2. Elimination of Greenhouse gases: Any gas, which leads to
the overall warming of the Earths surface, is known as a

3.

4.

5.

6.

greenhouse gas. If the hydrogen comes from the electrolysis

of water, then hydrogen adds no greenhouse gases to the
environment. There is a perfect cycle -- electrolysis produces
hydrogen from water, and the hydrogen recombines with
oxygen to create water and power in a fuel cell.
The elimination of economic dependence: Not every country
has vast reserves of fossil fuels. Thus the entire world
depends upon those who do have the resources to supply
them with it. The elimination of oil means no dependence on
the Middle East and its oil reserves.
Distributed production - Hydrogen can be produced
anywhere that you have electricity and water which is
practically everywhere. People can even produce it in their
homes with relatively simple technology.
Fuel Efficient : Hydrogen energy is very efficient fuel source
than traditional sources of energy and produces more energy
per pound of fuel. For example a vehicle running on
hydrogen will go faster and further than one running on
fossil fuels for the same amount of both.
Can be used as Fuel in Rockets : Hydrogen energy is
powerful enough to propel spaceships and safer than using
any other similar product to accomplish such an energyintensive duty. In fact, hydrogen is three times as powerful
as gasoline and similar fossil fuels, meaning it takes less of it
to accomplish more.

Disadvantages of Hydrogen Economy

1. Volatile: Hydrogen is volatile in gas form, and while that
makes it able to accomplish huge tasks, it also makes it
sometimes hazardous to work around and use. An explosion
might lead to huge damage.
2. Expensive : Hydrogen gas also requires a lot of energy to
free if from other elements. Its already being used to power
some hybrid cars, but at the moment it is not a viable source
of fuel for everyone. That means until technology advances
enough to simplify and ease the process; hydrogen energy
will continue to be too expensive.

3. Storage : Hydrogen is also hard to move around. Whereas oil

can be sent through pipelines, and coal can be carried in the
back of dump trucks, super-light hydrogen is hard to
transport in a reasonable fashion. It is very expensive to
move anything more than small amounts of it, making it
impractical for most functions. Thus production must be
localized which further increases costs.
4. Highly Flammable : Hydrogen in itself is a highly inflammable
substance and always in the news for the potential risks
associated with it. Again, until suitable infrastructure and
technology is developed, use of hydrogen on large scales
remains unviable.
5. Dependency on Fossil Fuels : Though hydrogen energy is
renewable and its environmental impacts are minimal, we
still need other non-renewable sources like coal, oil and
natural gas to separate it from oxygen. We may reduce our
dependency on fossil fuels by using hydrogen but in turn we
are actually using them to produce hydrogen fuel. This
paradox can only be solved by better technologies, which
are yet to be developed.
6. Not a real energy source: Also, hydrogen is not a source of
energy, but only a carrier of energy. As a carrier, it plays a
role similar to that of water in a hydraulic heating system or
electrons in a copper wire. Thus some scientists argue that
hydrogen cannot ever be used as a discrete source of
energy.
7. Not Easy to Replace Existing Infrastructure : As expensive as
hydrogen is to produce and transport, it becomes even more
expensive when you consider trying to use it to replace
gasoline. There is no existing infrastructure in place to
accommodate hydrogen as a fuel source for the average
motorist. Gas stations and cars themselves would all have to
be refitted at an astronomical cost to taxpayers and
governments. It seems insane to even suggest that current
fuel sources be replaced when what is already in place is
working so well.

How do hydrogen fuel cells work?

The fuel cell which is most commonly used is called the

Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell.
The anode, conducts the electrons that are freed from the
hydrogen molecules so that they can be used in an external
circuit. It also has channels etched into it that disperse the
hydrogen gas equally over the surface of the catalyst.
The cathode, has channels etched into it that distribute the
oxygen to the surface of the catalyst. It also conducts the
electrons back from the external circuit to the catalyst, where
they can recombine with the hydrogen ions and oxygen to form
water.
The electrolyte is the proton exchange membrane. This
specially treated material, only conducts positively charged
ions. The membrane blocks electrons and is hydrated in order
to function and remain stable.
The catalyst facilitates the reaction of oxygen and hydrogen. It
is usually made of platinum nanoparticles very thinly coated
onto carbon paper or cloth. The catalyst is rough and porous so
that the maximum surface area of the platinum can be exposed
to the hydrogen or oxygen.
When an H2 molecule comes in contact with the platinum on
the catalyst, it splits into two H+ ions and two electrons (e-).
The electrons are conducted through the anode, where they

make their way through the external circuit (doing useful work
such as turning a motor) and return to the cathode side of the
fuel cell.
Meanwhile, on the cathode side of the fuel cell, oxygen gas
(O2) is being forced through the catalyst, where it forms two
oxygen atoms. Each of these atoms has a strong negative
charge. This negative charge attracts the two H+ ions through
the membrane, where they combine with an oxygen atom and
two of the electrons from the external circuit to form a water
molecule (H2O).
This reaction in a single fuel cell produces only about 0.7 volts.
To get this voltage up to a reasonable level, many separate fuel
cells must be combined to form a fuel-cell stack. Bipolar plates
are used to connect one fuel cell to another and are subjected
to both oxidizing and reducing conditions and potentials.
Production process of hydrogen
1. Kvrner-process:
The Kvrner-process or Kvaerner carbon black & hydrogen
process is a method, developed in the 1980s by a Norwegian
company of the same name, for the production of hydrogen
from hydrocarbons, such as methane, natural gas and biogas.
2. Biological production
Fermentative hydrogen production is the fermentative
conversion of organic substrate to biohydrogen by a diverse
group bacteria using multi enzyme systems. They do not
require light energy, so they are capable of constantly
producing hydrogen from organic compounds throughout the
day and night. Electrohydrogenesis is used in microbial fuel
cells where hydrogen is produced from organic matter (e.g.
from sewage, or solid matter while 0.2 - 0.8 V of electricity is
applied.

Biological hydrogen can be produced in an algae bioreactor. In

the late 1990s it was discovered that if the algae is deprived of
sulfur it will switch from the production of oxygen.
3. Biocatalysed electrolysis
Besides regular electrolysis, electrolysis using microbes is
another possibility. With biocatalysed electrolysis, hydrogen is
generated after running through the microbial fuel cell and a
variety of aquatic plants can be used like tomatoes and
sweetgrass.
4. High-pressure electrolysis
High pressure electrolysis is the electrolysis of water by
decomposition of water (H2O) into oxygen (O2) and hydrogen
gas (H2) by means of an electric current being passed through
the water. The difference with a standard electrolyzer is the
compressed hydrogen output around 120-200 bar (1740-2900
psi, 1220 MPa).[35] By pressurising the hydrogen in the
electrolyser, through a process known as chemical
compression, the need for an external hydrogen compressor is
eliminated.
5. High-temperature electrolysis
Hydrogen can be generated from energy supplied in the form
of heat and electricity through high-temperature electrolysis
(HTE). Because some of the energy in HTE is supplied in the
form of heat, less of the energy must be converted twice (from
heat to electricity, and then to chemical form), and so
potentially far less energy is required per kilogram of hydrogen
produced.
Nuclear heat can be directly applied to split hydrogen from
water. High temperature (9501000 C) gas cooled nuclear
reactors have the potential to split hydrogen from water by
thermochemical means using nuclear heat

High-temperature electrolysis has been demonstrated in a

laboratory, at 108 MJ (thermal) per kilogram of hydrogen
produced but not at a commercial scale. In addition, this is
lower-quality "commercial" grade Hydrogen, unsuitable for use
in fuel cells
6. Photoelectrochemical water splitting
Using electricity produced by photovoltaic systems offers the
cleanest way to produce hydrogen. Water is broken into
hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysisa photoelectrochemical
cell (PEC) process which is also named artificial photosynthesis.
7. Concentrating solar thermal
Very high temperatures are required to dissociate water into
hydrogen and oxygen. A catalyst is required to make the
process operate at feasible temperatures. Heating the water
can be achieved through the use of concentrating solar power.
8. Photoelectrocatalytic production
A recent method consists of a gold electrode covered in layers
of indium phosphide nanoparticles. An iron-sulfur complex was
introduced into the layered arrangement, which when
submerged in water and irradiated with light under a small
electric current, produced hydrogen with an efficiency of 60%.
9.Thermochemical production
There are more than 352thermochemical cycles which can be
used for water splitting, around a dozen of these cycles such as
the iron oxide cycle, cerium(IV) oxide-cerium(III) oxide cycle
etc. are under research and in testing phase to produce
hydrogen and oxygen from water and heat without using
electricity.These processes can be more efficient than hightemperature electrolysis. Thermochemical production of
hydrogen using chemical energy from coal or natural gas is
generally not considered, because the direct chemical path is
more efficient.

None of the thermochemical hydrogen production processes

have been demonstrated at production levels, although several
have been demonstrated in laboratories.
Problems with storage
1. LIQUEFACTION: Chilled to near absolute zero, hydrogen gas
turns into a liquid containing one-quarter the energy in an
equivalent volume of gasoline. The technology is wellproven: For decades, space agencies have used liquid
hydrogen to power vehicles such as the space shuttle. The
cooling process requires a lot of energy.
2. COMPRESSION: Some hydrogen-powered vehicles use tanks
of room-temperature hydrogen compressed to a huge
degree. Refueling with compressed hydrogen is relatively
fast and simple. But even compressed, hydrogen requires
large- volume tanks. They take up four to five times as much
space as a gas tank with an equivalent mileage range. Then
again, fuel cell cars can accommodate bigger tanks because
they contain fewer mechanical parts.
3. SOLID-STATE: Certain compounds can trap hydrogen
molecules at room temperature and pressure, then release
them upon demand. So far, the most promising research has
been conducted with a class of materials called metal
hydrides. These materials are stable, but heavy: A 700pound tank might hold a few hours' fuel.
Countries with a near Hydrogen economy
Iceland with its abundant geothermal energy sources and access
to natural gas seems like a good place to develop a hydrogen
economy. But along what it calls the Icelandic Hydrogen Highway,
the country has encountered a few bumps and bruises. When the
economy and banking system tanked a few years ago the plans
for a hydrogen infrastructure were put on hold. But the dream
remains alive with a number of projects including the first fuel-cell
powered ocean-going tug, new hydrogen gas injection systems
that work in diesel engines to reduce emissions and fuel

consumption, and hydrogen production and compression

technology that works in combination with solar and wind
generators to produce 247 continuous renewable power. Today
Iceland under its SMART-H2 project operates and services
hydrogen vehicles including those operating with fuel cells and
internal combustion engines.
But Iceland is a small country with a little over 320,000 people.
Its quite another story when a country like Japan decides to make
a similar leap into investing in hydrogen for its energy future. The
Japanese government sees hydrogen fuel cells as a critical player
in the countrys energy future. Japanese companies hold the
largest number of patent applications in the field of fuel cell
technology. They see fuel cells as the power source for not only
transportation but also for residential consumption.
Case Study of Japan
Japan as always is one of the greatest consumers of new and
upcoming technologies. This time they have decided to take the
leap into funding a hydrogen economy.
Japan is increasingly dependent on fossil fuels with the shutdown
of nuclear plants following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear
accident. Its dependency on fossil fuels for power generation has
increased to close to 90% from around 60% before the accident.
More than 80% of the oil and 30% of the natural gas used by
Japan is supplied by the Middle East.
Japans car manufacturers are at the forefront of this push to
hydrogen. Honda, Toyota and Nissan are working with ten
hydrogen suppliers with plans to introduce fuel-cell automobiles
into the domestic market in 2015. Four urban markets are the
initial target with a commitment to provide an infrastructure of
100 hydrogen-fueling stations in lock step with the release of new
car models.

Japans push to develop hydrogen storage technologies may get a

boost from Toyotas decision to give away its fuel-cell patents.
The auto giant offered up nearly 6,000 fuel-cell patents last
month to increase performance, reduce costs, and attract a
much broader market of buyers,
Toyota, which leads the hybrid auto sector with the Prius, began
selling its first fuel-cell car, the Mirai (which means "future" in
Japanese), in Japan last December. It plans to make the $57,500
sedan available in California and selected European markets later
this year.
The patent giveaway could be interpreted as a bid to head off a
competitive threat from Tesla, which is betting on battery
technology and has also opened up its intellectual property assets
to third parties.
Formerly commercial partners in the development of the RAV4
electric sports-utility vehicle, the two companies parted ways in
October. Tellingly, the Mirai is priced significantly below Teslas
Model S, which retails for around $70,000. However, another
reading of the situation is that Toyota is responding to interest in
the hydrogen economy in its home market. By December 2014,
there were 100,000 residential hydrogen fuel cells already
installed across Japan.
The nation is aiming for 5.3 million households, or roughly one in
10, to have fuel cells by 2030. Manufacturers such as Panasonic
are leading the charge to release compact and cost-effective
products for the residential market.
Residential energy storage was given an additional boost last
month with a stimulus package worth $700 million. But
transportation is where Japan is making its strongest hydrogen
bet. All the major Japanese automakers have fuel-cell models.
Toyota, which was originally planning to build just 700 Mirais this
year, is mulling an increase in production after getting 1,500
orders in a month. About 60 percent of these are from Japanese
government offices and corporate fleets.

Prime Minister Shinz Abe, one of the worlds first Mirai owners,
says he wants all his ministries and agencies to adopt fuel-cell
vehicles. To help sales, Japan is introducing a massive subsidy
program worth up to 3 million yen ($25,550) per purchase.
This is more than three times the 950,000 yen being offered to
prospective owners of Mitsubishis i-MiEV electric car.
Refueling ease is another reason Japanese consumers are
increasingly choosing hydrogen. Car owners can top up a
hydrogen tank within about five minutes, compared to the two
hours or so that it can take to recharge lithium-ion car batteries.
Finally, the Mirai comes with a range of about 430 miles per tank,
beating electric models. The Model S has a range of about 265
miles.
On the other hand, hydrogen fuel costs more per mile than driving
an electric car or even a hybrid. And an electric car can, in theory,
be charged from any standard power socket, while fuel-cell
vehicle owners are dependent on the availability of hydrogen
filling stations.
To deal with this, Abe last month said Japan will support the
introduction of 100 self-service refueling points this year, as well
as easing fuel-cell regulations. No further details have been
announced. But hydrogen infrastructure suppliers are already
taking positions in the market.
Air Liquide of France, for example, last month trumpeted the
completion of its fourth and fifth hydrogen filling station projects
on Japanese soil.
JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corp., meanwhile, opened its first filling
station in December and plans to have 40 by March of next year,
according to Japan Times. Tokyo Gas Co. and Iwatani Corp. also
unveiled their first filling stations last year.

The stations currently cost four or five times more than a

traditional gas station, so a priority for these companies will be to
cut the construction and operating costs of the facilities.
Safety will be another challenge. Tesla's Elon Musk has slammed
fuel cells on safety grounds, saying: Hydrogen is a quite
dangerous gas. It's suitable for the upper-stage rocket, but not for
cars.
Nevertheless, according to Per Christer Lund, a DNV GL energy
consultant, Japan is world-leading now in using hydrogen as part
of the system.Japan to show off its hydrogen technology
credentials at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Lund points out. And the
push for residential fuel cells could benefit the auto sector by
giving consumers a hydrogen refueling point at home.
There will be much focus on fuel cells, both in the car industry
and with hydrogen fuel-cell ships on the coast and on the rivers in
Tokyo, Lund predicts. Japan has a big strategy and big budgets
for hydrogen as an energy carrier.
The Japanese government has said for years now that it wants to
have 100 hydrogen fuel cell refilling stations operating in the
country by the end of fiscal-year 2015, which is March 31, 2016.
Reuters reports that it looks like the target won't be met, with
only 76 stations approved for government subsidies that cut the
cost of a single station said to be about five million dollars
roughly in half.
The suggestion is that energy companies aren't ready to bet that
much this early in hydrogen's infancy, especially when prediction
are that stations won't make a profit for another ten years.
Although the subsidy window has closed, Japanese authorities are
looking at ways to encourage more participation in the program,
including possibly increasing the subsidy.
Even if that happens, it's likely to be a challenging next few years
for the everyone involved with the hydrogen economy, with the
lack of stations making some early adopters cautious while

carmakers, governments and resource companies work out how

to bankroll the technology without making huge, bad bets.
Case Study Of Germany
Germany will become the first country completely accessible to
fuel cell vehicles in 2015, when carmaker Daimler and the Linde
technology group will build 20 new hydrogen filling stations. The
result will quadruple the number of public stations available and
make it possible for a fuel cell vehicle to reach any location in the
country.
Daimler's plans to start mass-producing fuel cell vehicles next
year were severely limited by the lack of public hydrogen filling
stations in Germany. The carmaker realized that if its vision of
battery-powered electric vehicles gaining mass appeal in tandem
with fuel cell electrics was to come true, it needed to so
something about the lack of hydrogen infrastructure.
Installation of the hydrogen refueling pumps will begin next year
at existing gas stations currently operated by various oil
companies. Daimler and Linde said their investment would be "in
the tens of millions of euros," declining to be more specific. They
said they were open to teaming up with other potential partners
in the fuel, energy and automotive industry.
"The time is ripe for electric vehicles powered by fuel cells, and
we must now address the subject of the relevant infrastructure,"
said Dieter Zetsche, Daimler's chairman and the director of its
Mercedes-Benz Cars unit. "Car drivers can only benefit from the
advantages of technology if there are enough hydrogen filling
stations available: long ranges, short refueling times and no local
emissions."
Fuel cell vehicles are essentially a different kind of electric car.
Fuel cells generate electricity in a chemical reaction between
hydrogen and oxygen, which yields only pure water vapor. In a

battery electric, the electricity is already stored in the battery. In

both cases, the electricity powers the vehicle's engine.
Of the 30 hydrogen filling stations operating now in Germany,
only seven are available to the public. According to Daimler, you
would need at least five to 10 filling stations to supply a major
city. While building 20 new stations over three years won't
accomplish that, it will allow the connection of major cities like
Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Munich with hydrogen filling
stations along main traffic routes.
This will make it possible for a fuel cell vehicle to reach any
distant corner of Germany without fear of running out of hydrogen
before finding another refueling station. It is as close as it gets,
for now, to a comprehensive network of hydrogen filling stations
and will mean that Germany will have the most advanced
hydrogen infrastructure in the world.
Not waiting for government support
"It's not clear yet if the government will support this, but we'll
build the hydrogen refueling network anyway," said Matthias
Brock, communications manager for Daimler's research and
development department.
Daimler and Linde's network is not subsidized by the government,
but it builds on some programs that are. There is the H2-Mobility
project -- which works to slowly increase the number of hydrogen
filling stations. There is also the Clean Energy Partnership -- which
tests the system compatibility of hydrogen in everyday use. It
also tests hydrogen's clean and sustainable production,
transportation and storage. The programs are supported by
Germany's National Innovation Program for Hydrogen and Fuel
Cell Technology.
There are less than 100 publicly available hydrogen refueling
stations worldwide. Government funding is less than $1 billion

globally, with successors to completed programs in Japan, Korea

and Germany not yet announced. The U.S. Department of Energy
has also cut its research and development spending in this area.
"The development of electrical mobility will be largely
characterized by the hydrogen fuel-cell," Wolfgang Reitzle, Linde's
chairman, said in a statement. "We are delighted to be able to
shape this development in cooperation with Daimler. We see
ourselves as a forerunner in the field, and aim to promote the
market maturity of hydrogen-powered vehicles."
The aim now for Daimler and its allies is to ensure that the
number of fuel-cell powered vehicles running on generatively
produced hydrogen is constantly increasing, demonstrating the
market maturity of the fuel cell solution.
"We are building 200 cars for Germany, Norway and the United
States this year," Brock said.
Seventy of those will be Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL vehicles
going to California. Daimler began manufacturing a small series of
this model in late 2009, then quickly decided to make it the first
fuel cell passenger car it would mass-produce. It has an operating
range of about 250 miles and a 700-bar hydrogen tank, and its
electric motor develops an output of 100 kilowatts with a torque
of 290 newton meters. The engine's power is similar to that of a
2-liter gasoline engine, and the car has a top speed of 106 mph
For about $100,000, you get silence and power
"The difference is the silence while you drive; you hear almost
nothing from the engine," Brock said. "It also has very powerful
acceleration because you have high torque from the beginning.
It's very fun driving it."
Daimler won't reveal exactly how much the B-Class F-CELL costs,
but industry analysts generally say a fuel cell car costs about
$100,000 today. The cars are currently leased by manufacturers
at a loss to build public awareness of the technology and to test
performance. By 2015, carmakers hope to be able to reduce costs
to about $50,000 per vehicle.

The most aggressive is Hyundai, which plans to build 1,000 fuel

cell cars already next year and 10,000 per year by 2015. Toyota,
Nissan and General Motors have also said they aim to have fuel
cell cars for sale to the general public by 2015.
The main technical obstacles to the fuel cell technology used to
be range, longevity of the fuel cell and operation at cold
temperatures. Fuel cell cars can now start at temperatures below
minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit, as experiments in Iceland and
Norway and during the Vancouver Winter Olympics have shown.
The range before refueling has become acceptable, as well, after
manufacturers switched to high-pressure 700-bar tanks. But
there's still room to improve the lifetime of the fuel cell.
Daimler also makes a fuel cell city bus, the Mercedes-Benz Citaro.
It has a hybrid system with fuel cell, electric motor and lithium-ion
batteries. It stores 77 pounds of hydrogen in seven cylinders on
the roof, which give it a range of 125 miles. The water-cooled
lithium-ion batteries have a capacity of 27 kWh, which is sufficient
to power the electric motors at a constant 120 kW, or 163
horsepower. The bus emits no pollutants and is almost completely
silent, with a top speed of 65 mph.
The 4-minute refueling
Three Citaros operated successfully every day for three years in
punishing weather conditions on the streets of Iceland's capital,
Reykjavik, before the financial crisis and the collapse of the
country's biggest banks postponed Iceland's dreams of becoming
the world's first hydrogen-powered economy.
Now Iceland says it is more likely that its future vehicle fleet will
combine fuel cell vehicles with battery-powered electrics, which
suits Daimler just fine.
"We think we will have a mix of vehicles in the future with various
powertrain options," Brock said. "That's why we are concentrating
on building high-technology combustion engine cars, hybrid cars,
as well as electric cars powered either by batteries or fuel cells.

The battery-powered cars are good for short trips and city driving.
The fuel cell electric cars are better for longer ranges and have
shorter refueling times. You can fill a hydrogen tank in three or
four minutes."
Fuel cell vehicles have been overshadowed recently by battery
electric vehicles. Models like the Tesla Roadster, Nissan Leaf and
Chevrolet Volt have been launched with great fanfare. Innovative
companies like Better Place and Nuvve are testing speedy battery
replacement systems and ways to sell power from battery
electrics back to the grid, respectively
Daimler is also active in the battery electric arena. It has 1,500
Smart electric cars on the road now. Next month, it will roll out a
new version of the Smart Fortwo. The newer version has more
power and a longer range. Daimler plans to boost production to
10,000 Smart electrics. "We'll build a number of battery-powered
cars in the five-digit range every year," Brock explained.
Infrastructure limitations may prevent manufacturers at first from
rolling out fuel cell cars on the same wide scale as electric
vehicles, but they will be on the streets in increasing numbers by
2015. They will tend to be larger and more high-end than the
electrics, and they will have a bigger range, while battery
electrics may be mainly city cars, Brock added.
Case study of Iceland
Tiny Iceland, already the greatest harnesser of renewables, with
99% of electricity coming via geysers and hydroelectric dams, is
politically committed to becoming the world's first hydrogen
economy - cutting greenhouse emissions to zero, it hopes, within
30 years and leading a global energy revolution.
At present, Iceland spends $150m a year importing 850,000 tons
of oil to meet 35% of its energy needs, which are mainly in
transport, fishing and metals production. Ironically, this make the
country one of the world's higher per capita carbon emitters, but
its vision is to work with others to break through the technological

barriers which are stopping electricity being generated directly

from water and stored conveniently and safely.
Cars, ships and planes running on water is not just an
environmental utopia but the goal of many of the world's most
hard-nosed businesses and most dedicated scientists. In a
hydrogen economy, water itself is not used as a fuel, but
hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen
atoms. The only by-product is pure oxygen.
The vision of turning Iceland into a hydrogen economy came from
Bragi rnason, a professor of chemistry at the University of
Iceland, who turned his attention to potential energy sources in
Iceland in the 1960s. It struck him that, in spite of seemingly
infinite sources of hydro-energy and geothermal energy (the
country exploits only about 16% of its potential), Iceland still had
to import oil to cover almost 40% of its energy needs.
In the 1970s, rnason believed that hydrogen was the obvious
answer, athough it sounded like science fiction to his countrymen.
Environmental awareness has been slow to gain ground in Iceland
- not because Icelanders do not care about nature, but because
being so dependent on it and dominated by it can cloud the
perspective. But the visionary rnason is enthusiastic and
realistic. "It takes about 50 years to convert from one source of
energy to another," he says, pointing to the progress to date in
Iceland.
Influenced by rnason's ideas, the Icelandic government has been
committed to the use of hydrogen since 1997. As the news
spread, foreign companies interested in forming alliances to test
and develop new technology in Iceland started knocking at the
door. Eventually, DaimlerChrysler, Shell Hydrogen and Norsk
Hydro formed a joint venture, Icelandic New Energy, (INE), run by
Jn Bjrn Sklason. The majority partner is Vistorka, a company
owned jointly by the Icelandic public and private enterprises.
INE's goal is to lead the conversion into a hydrogen economy by
following a six-step plan which could take 30 years to fulfil. The
first phase, now running, will be a 4m programme, subsidised by

the EU, to run a trial on three hydrogen buses and to add a

hydrogen station in a onventional petrol station.
The second phase will shortly convert the island's buses to
hydrogen, followed by all cars. The fourth and fifth phases should
convert the fishing fleet. The sixth and most adventurous phase is
to export hydrogen to Europe.
Sklason says Iceland has the advantage of political commitment,
knowledge of and experience in harnessing renewable energy
sources to produce hydrogen, high technical standards and
willingness to test new technologies.So far, so simple. The tricky
bit is that no one knows what the technological solutions to
storing hydrogen will be.
The easiest solution is to bind it in methanol. Most of the
methanol needed for the Icelandic market can be produced in
Iceland by combining hydrogen and carbon-oxide gases emitted
by the country's metal industries. But this is not an emission-free
solution and both Sklason and rnason hope that the technology
for use of pure hydrogen will be found. One of the companies
working with INE is DCH Technology, an innovator in hydrogen
fuel cells, which will be testing its products in Iceland.
History shows that it is not always the best solution which
becomes the standard. With a halfway solution like the methanolhydrogen combination, rni Finnsson, director of the Icelandic
Nature Conservation Association, says he fears that if this solution
is chosen further development will stop. So far the cost of running
a hydrogen bus, let alone a hydrogen car, is higher than using
fossil fuel, whatever solution is chosen. But the cost is rapidly
being reduced as more research work is done in this field.
"People seem prepared to pay up to 20% more for organic
tomatoes," says Sklason. "Wouldn't they also be prepared to pay
20% more for an emission-free car?" With international interest in
harnessing emission-free energy and billions of pounds being
poured into R&D in hydrogen related technologies, the Icelandic
plans to convert to hydrogen seem rather realistic.

The future might yet belong to the hydrogen Vikings.