Non-renewable nature and environmental pollution toward the climatic changes are some disadvantages of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal).
Hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel is a good solution to avoid the pollution. Ability of production of hydrogen fuel from the most available renewable energy, solar power (power to electrolyze) is a major encouraging point.
Trapping the countries in prize controlling authorities (OPEC) is another important reason to turn the hydrogen fuel.
However, risk of storage and handling is a major issue to be addressed when hydrogen is used as a fuel for general use.
I would like to discuss the ability of current technology for the production/use hydrogen (as a alternative for fossil fuel) for general needs.
Simply say, yes, of-course. Risk of storage and handle is more or less the same as in case of all gases that we use as fuel. Do not forget that hydrogen is zero emission fuel on site of consuming. This would have a sense if also production of hydrogen were under zero emission. There also possibility how to produce it with renewable energy as you said. It only depends how effective this process is and how big its capacity is. Maybe we can use electricity directly instead of converting it in case of solar power and so on. We must calculate also emission which is needed for production of this energy sources and their lifetime (e.g. solar panels). And we also must calculate energy or emission which is necessary for compression and storage of hydrogen. So maybe hydrogen production and transportation which make sense from economic and environmental point of view is cardinal task. If we had it, there are technologies how to hydrogen can be used for heat or electricity or both.
Unfortunately, "economic" and "environmental" are variables that are under development in this task. For example, if environment were the most important, it would't be matter how expensive it is. If money right now were the most important, it would't be matter how dirty it is or how big problem it brings in future. It is strongly depending on politics and sometimes facts and natural sense are not the most important factors in decision procedures.
Thank you Roman Fiala and Emmanuel V Murray for you comments.
I am also thinking about demand and supply.
Further, I would like to draw your attention about the media release given below;
"Germany Moves Into Hydrogen With Lessons From OPEC and Russia"
available at
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/germany-moves-hydrogen-lessons-opec-050021172.html
thank you for paper. I heard about it also. It is example of political decision. Energetic independence is also good motivation. Problem is where to build enough solar, wind and similar power plants. They want to do it in Africa and find some deal with countries there. However, the concept is not new it was here also in international EU scale and it is/was called Desertec. So, why not go ahead.
https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertec
There is also Dutch project for production of hydrogen.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/shell-10gw-offshore-wind-to-hydrogen-plan-should-be-possible-46015/
Roman Fiala , Saddam M. Al-Mahmoud and Mohamed EL-Shimy ,
Thank you for the comment. the most Important matter is the rate of Hydrogen fuel production per unit solar energy/renewable energy at present technological strength.
Yes sir. Recently World's first hydrogen train rolls out in Germany. Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, a process that leaves steam and water as the only emissions.
Dear Sagar Ingavale ,
What is the method use for the production of Hydrogen for the Train.
Of course yes, the future of hydrogen fuels (green energy source/zero carbon based) is bright and its more feasible as compared to fossil fuels keeping in mind the global worming issues as you mentioned in your post. These days the commonly used methodes for the production of hydrogen are electrocatalytic and photoelectrocatalytic splitting of water.
Dear Muhammad Akbar,
What about commercial application of method of Photoelectrocatalytic splitting of water for hydrogen production ?
Dear Sir, A. G. Piyal Aravinna
The production of Hydrogen for the Train is not mentioned.
More details available on https://www.alstom.com/our-solutions/rolling-stock/coradia-ilint-worlds-1st-hydrogen-powered-train
Dear sir, A. G. Piyal Aravinna I would like to know a general question what are the logistic problems(Apart from the Pipelines) we can find in transporting the "hydrogen fuel" from Africa to Germany, As there are no approved regulations for ships to carry hydrogen fuel as we have for LPG and LNG.
Our recently published review paper entitled “A review of cleaner alternative fuels for maritime transportation” might help in adressing this question: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352484721002067
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