Hydrogen: The Future’s Fuel

Abstract

The exploitation of fossil fuels at a tremendous scale, especially after the industrial revolution in the 18th century, has instigated damage to the environment. The usage of fossil-based fuels results in an excess accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs), i.e., mainly CH4 and CO2, in the atmosphere. This is the reason for decreased air quality, increased global warming, and disturbed seasonal variations in many world regions. The usage of Hydrogen (H2) as a fuel is a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to its high calorific value, clean-burning characteristics, and abundance availability from different feedstocks. H2 can be a game-changer in the fuel industry especially if utilized commercially in the transportation sector giving net-zero carbon emission. The recent research is going on the techno-economic feasibility of H2 production, and recently an Indian Oil & Gas conglomerate Reliance Industries pledged to produce blue H2 at $1.2-$1.5 /Kg. The concept of the H2 economy is encouraging and supports the pledges of the Paris Agreement. The different H2 production techniques, along with the corresponding color spectrum, have been discussed in this article. Finally, the prospects and advantages of green H2 have been discussed over its other color spectrum.