The energy sector of the world is on the cusp of immense change, but to what is it going to change? ABS' energy market research program has been monitoring the possibilities. The world’s demand for energy is voracious and increasing. Our energy infrastructure is aging and large chunks are at the end of their design life. People are becoming aware that the primary energy resource, fossil fuels, is not limitless.
One solution being put forward is to convert from the Carbon Economy which fuelled the Industrial Revolution to a Hydrogen Economy. But what is this and will it solve the problems?
This Hydrogen market research report explains what a Hydrogen Economy would be and describes the many obstacles which would need to be overcome to bring it into existence. This report provides hydrogen market information looking at the development of the Hydrogen Economy and how they will advance on two fronts. The development of another technology, the Fuel Cell, is essential to the exploitation of Hydrogen; the two are interlinked. Fuel cells utilise the chemical energy of hydrogen to produce electricity and thermal energy.
We are further along the road than many people realise. The technology and infrastructure to produce and deliver large quantities of Hydrogen to consumption points must be created. Hydrogen has been used in industry for many years, and 50 million tonnes are now produced each year. This is a drop in the ocean of what will be needed to operate a Hydrogen Economy but it can be done. The many and varied technologies of Fuel Cells alternatives to batteries and the combustion engine must be developed and refined to exploit the properties of Hydrogen. Hydrogen will be produced from a diverse base of primary energy feedstocks, or from water using renewable electricity in the process.
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells have competitors. New technologies include large scale electrification in conjunction with plug-in hybrid vehicles and Li-ion batteries in transport. In the stationary applications market, distributed electricity generation or cogeneration present an alternative to hydrogen. Other significant competitors are a new level of power generation technologies, such as large, increased efficiency coal and gas-fired power plants, possibly using underground coal gasification (UCG) with CO2 capture and storage (CCS), renewable electricity supply technologies which are already widespread in the market (wind and solar PV) or now being commercialised (ocean and tidal energy), and new nuclear power technologies.
ABS believes in 50 years the world may use a hybrid, a composite of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells, beside other energy carriers, distributed generation, gas and electricity, renewable energy and emission-free generation from hydrocarbons using underground coal gasification, carbon capture and storage. he possibilities are endless.
Related products:
For more information on the rest of the topics we cover within the hydrogen market please go to our hydrogen page.
|
Hydrogen Market Research
Nuclear
Water
& Waste Market Research
Products
& Services
FAQs
