Hydrogen energy, economy and storage: Review and recommendation

Abstract

The hydrogen economy is a proposed system where hydrogen is produced and used extensively as the primary energy carrier. Successful development of hydrogen economy means innumerable advantages for the environment, energy security, economy, and final users. One major key to wholly develop hydrogen economy is safe, compact, light and cost-efficient hydrogen storage. The conventional gaseous state storage system as pressurized hydrogen gas and liquid state storage system pose safety and cost problems to onboard applications; therefore, they do not satisfy the future goals for a hydrogen economy. Fortunately, solid-state storage systems based on metal hydrides have demonstrated great potentials to store hydrogen in large quantities in a quite secure, compact, and repeatedly reversible manner and thus, becoming increasingly attractive option for hydrogen applications. However, techno-economic feasibility of hydrogen storage systems is yet to be realized as none of the current metal hydrides fulfill all the essential criteria for a practical hydrogen economy, mainly because of low hydrogen storage capacity, sluggish kinetics and unacceptable temperatures of hydrogen absorption/desorption. This article gives a brief review of hydrogen as an ideal sustainable energy carrier for the future economy, its storage as the stumbling block as well as the current position of solid-state hydrogen storage in metal hydrides and makes a recommendation based on the most promising novel discoveries made in the field in recent times which suggests a prospective breakthrough towards a hydrogen economy.