Symbolic convergence and the hydrogen economy

This article documents that the hydrogen economy continues to attract significant attention among politicians, the media, and some academics. We believe that an explanation lies in the way that the hydrogen economy fulfills psychological and cultural needs related to a future world where energy is abundant, cheap, and pollution-free, a “fantasy” that manifests itself with the idea that society can continue to operate without limits imposed by population growth and the destruction of the environment. The article begins by explaining its research methodology consisting of two literature reviews, research interviews of energy experts, and the application of symbolic convergence theory, a general communications theory about the construction of rhetorical fantasies. We then identify a host of socio-technical challenges to explain why the creation of a hydrogen economy would present immense (and possibly intractable) obstacles, an argument supplemented by our research interviews. Next, we employ symbolic convergence theory to identify five prevalent fantasy themes and rhetorical visions—independence, patriotism, progress, democratization, and inevitability—in academic and public discussions in favor of the hydrogen economy. We conclude by offering implications for scholarship relating to energy policy more broadly.     

Steps toward passively safe, proliferation-resistant nuclear power

After about a 30-year hiatus of construction in the US but not in all involved countries, the designs for an improved water-cooled nuclear reactor will hopefully be developed by a consortium of nuclear reactor builders and users under an agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The construction of high-temperature, helium-cooled pebble-bed or prismatic reactors may herald the entry of new, safer, and less costly types of reactors to replace the water-cooled reactors of the past and current types. Nuclear breeder reactors hold the promise of limitless energy supplies without the use of fossil fuels or renewables at acceptable costs but this development program has been stalled periodically, especially in the US, when abundant low-cost uranium sources were added to the supply side.     

Building a case for the hydrogen economy

BC Hydro has embarked on a strategy to be the leader in the development of a hydrogen economy in British Columbia, Canada, using sustainable electricity for hydrogen production. BC Hydro is now exploring this market by establishing relationships with key players and learning by doing through demonstration projects, as well as facilitating hydrogen opportunities in the province. BC Hydro's ultimate goal is to ensure that safe, economic and publicly acceptable hydrogen infrastructure is available to support the widespread adoption of fuel cell vehicles and other products.     

Towards hydrogen economy in Lithuania

Hydrogen energy technologies can play a vital role in solving problems related to the energy sector. In order to create globally acceptable strategies in the development of hydrogen economy international groups have been created. In spite of multinational cooperation, national strategies on development of hydrogen energy technologies vary considerably from country to country due to different national constraints. Lithuania is also in the process of developing its national hydrogen energy strategy taking into account its national peculiarities. The first part of this article analyzes the strategy of hydrogen technology commercialization in the European Union and the second part analyzes the specific problems related to introduction of hydrogen energy technologies into the market in Lithuania.     

From hydrocarbon to hydrogen–carbon to hydrogen economy

In the near- to medium-term future, hydrogen production will continue to rely on fossil fuels, and will, therefore, remain a potential source of significant CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere. Conventional CO₂ sequestration strategies offer rather expensive and ecologically uncertain solutions. The objective of this paper is to explore novel approaches to solving energy and environmental problems associated with the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels. The paper discusses the technological, environmental and economical aspects of large-scale production of hydrogen and carbon by the catalytic dissociation of natural gas (NG). The authors propose a scenario of fossil-based “hydrogen–carbon” infrastructure, where the hydrogen component of NG is used as a clean energy carrier (e.g., in transportation) and the carbon component is used in several application areas: structural materials, power generation, soil amendment and environmental remediation. This scenario will allow a smooth transition from the current hydrocarbon-based economy to a hydrogen–carbon economy as a half-way point to the ultimate hydrogen-from-renewables economy of the future.     

An ammonia energy vector for the hydrogen economy

This paper proposes the use of ammonia as a multipurpose energy vector. Synthesized from hydrogen produced in a large, centralized facility using nuclear process heat from a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), the ammonia serves as a low-cost vehicle for energy storage and transmission, via pipeline, to remote demand centers where some of it serves as a clean-burning fuel for local cogeneration and process heat applications, and some of it is used for direct agricultural application or as feedstock for production of nitrogen-based fertilizers or other chemical processes.     

A role for ammonia in the hydrogen economy

Ammonia (NH₃) is a non-polluting fuel which produces only water and nitrogen as products of combustion. Therefore, it could be an alternative to hydrogen for vehicle motive power in the hydrogen economy. For this role ‘electrolytic ammonia’ would be prepared by catalytic combination of electrolytic hydrogen and atmospheric nitrogen. The background and developmental status of hydrogen and ammonia as motor-vehicle fuels are reviewed. Engine tests have demonstrated that ammonia can replace gasoline or diesel fuel for motor vehicles, giving near-theoretical values of engine power and efficiency. Ammonia is superior to hydrogen as a vehicle fuel for several reasons: it can be stored and transported as a liquid at ambient temperatures in low-pressure containers; per unit volume ammonia has 1.3 times the heating value of liquid hydrogen; ammonia is distributed internationally in quantities of over 100 million tons per year, and procedures and facilities are established world-wide for its safe handling and distribution. These factors would greatly facilitate the commercial adoption of ammonia as a practical replacement for carbonaceous fuels. The projected cost of supplying ‘electrolytic ammonia’ to motor vehicle filling stations is estimated to be roughly half the cost of supplying electrolytic liquid hydrogen for the same purpose, i.e. $10.5–12.5 GJ⁻¹ for ammonia vs $25–30 GJ⁻¹ for LH₂ (1988$). A summary is presented of the physical and thermo-chemical characteristics and estimated costs of ammonia in comparison with hydrogen, as liquid, compressed gas or stored as metal hydride. Properties of gasoline, methanol, ethanol and liquified methane are also listed.     

Towards a hydrogen economy in Portugal

The dramatic societal, infrastructural and institutional changes associated with the transition to a hydrogen economy and the actions that must be taken to capitalize on the transition have been analyzed by a number of studies in many countries ranging from rhetorical visions to full technology roadmaps. As yet no such study has been undertaken in Portugal. This paper ascertains that Portugal needs to fully understand the potential that it has to develop a “hydrogen economy”, and to take steps for this technology transition. An analysis is made of the current Portuguese energy system and policies in the light of the key technology transition challenges towards a hydrogen economy. The current status of hydrogen technology development is compared with that of other countries, and potential production to end-use hydrogen chains are examined. Key areas of promise for hydrogen technologies in Portugal are identified. The paper concludes with recommendations for actions to begin the process of transition towards a “hydrogen economy”.     

Towards a hydrogen economy in Poland

The global changes in energy policy, including the increasing contribution of renewable sources of energy to the total output of produced energy and various attempts to introduce advanced energy technologies, and the increasingly efficient use of the energy that had already been emitted are sufficient reasons to discuss Poland's energy policy. The present work features an analysis of the current state of Poland's energy economy and the economic factors that affect the power industry. The tenets of Poland's current energy policy are also presented in the context of hydrogen energy. The possibilities and limitations concerning the transition to hydrogen power in Poland are discussed taking into account a number of aspects, some of which include the degree of development of the electric power infrastructure, the current and future demand for electric energy with regard to the current geopolitical and economic situation of Poland, and Poland's membership in the European Union.     

The hydrogen economy: Its history

The concept leading to a hydrogen economy lay in the work of a Nazi engineer, Lawaceck, 1968. I heard his suggestion of cheaper transfer of energy in hydrogen through pipes at a dinner in that year.     

Towards a peer-to-peer hydrogen economy framework

The research community is seeking for novel technological/business models to speed up the decarbonization process, i.e. a decreasing relative reliance on carbon. The completion of decarbonization ultimately depends on the production and use of pure hydrogen as energy carrier. With respect to electricity, which is currently the most relevant and clean energy carrier, hydrogen has a fundamental advantage that it can be stored efficiently.In this research context, we propose a Peer-to-Peer Hydrogen Economy Framework based on decentralized production, storage and trading of energy. We apply the peer-to-peer paradigm for designing a virtual network, where peer software entities implement distributed algorithms for the localization of remote energy providers. The proposed approach has many advantages, both technical (availability, robustness, scalability) and socio-economic (shared responsibilities and improved competition).     

Risk analysis for the infrastructure of a hydrogen economy

Increasing scarcity of fossil fuels makes the deployment of hydrogen in combination with renewable energy sources, nuclear energy or the utilization of electricity from full time operation of existing power stations an interesting alternative. A pre-requisite is, however, that the safety of the required infrastructure is investigated and that its design is made such that the associated risk is at least not higher than that of existing supplies. Therefore, a risk analysis considering its most important objects such as storage tanks, filling stations, vehicles as well as heating and electricity supplies for residential buildings was carried out. The latter are considered as representative of the entire infrastructure. The study is based on fault and event tree analyses, wherever required, and consequence calculations using the PHAST code. The procedure for evaluating the risk and corresponding results are presented taking one of the objects as an example.     

Analysis of Ontario's hydrogen economy demands from hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

The ‘Hydrogen Economy’ is a proposed system where hydrogen is produced from carbon dioxide free energy sources and is used as an alternative fuel for transportation. The utilization of hydrogen to power fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) can significantly decrease air pollutants and greenhouse gases emission from the transportation sector. In order to build the future hydrogen economy, there must be a significant development in the hydrogen infrastructure, and huge investments will be needed for the development of hydrogen production, storage, and distribution technologies. This paper focuses on the analysis of hydrogen demand from hydrogen FCVs in Ontario, Canada, and the related cost of hydrogen. Three potential hydrogen demand scenarios over a long period of time were projected to estimate hydrogen FCVs market penetration, and the costs associated with the hydrogen production, storage and distribution were also calculated. A sensitivity analysis was implemented to investigate the uncertainties of some parameters on the design of the future hydrogen infrastructure. It was found that the cost of hydrogen is very sensitive to electricity price, but other factors such as water price, energy efficiency of electrolysis, and plant life have insignificant impact on the total cost of hydrogen produced.     

Green hydrogen production potential for developing a hydrogen economy in Pakistan

Pakistan's energy crisis can be diminished through the use of Renewable and alternative sources of energy. Hydrogen as an energy vector is likely to replace the fossil fuels in the future owing to the political, financial and environmental factors associated with the latter. In this regard it is imperative that conscious effort is directed towards the production of hydrogen from Renewable resources. Renewable energy resources are abundantly available in Pakistan. The need to produce Hydrogen from Renewable resources in Pakistan (or any developing economy) is investigated because it is possible to store vast amount of intermittent renewable energy for later use. Thus the introduction of Hydrogen in the energy supply chain implies the start of a Pakistan Hydrogen Economy. Many nations have developed the Hydrogen Energy Roadmap, and if Pakistan has to follow suite it is only possible through the employment of Renewable energy resources. This study estimates the potential of different Renewable resources available in Pakistan i.e. Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Biomass and Municipal Solid waste. An estimate is then made for the potential of producing hydrogen from various established technologies from each of these Renewable resources. A number of reviews have been published stating the availability and usage of Renewable energy in Pakistan; however no specific study has been focused on the use of Renewable resources for developing a Hydrogen economy or a power-to-gas system in Pakistan. This study concludes that that Biomass is the most feasible feedstock for developing a Hydrogen supply chain in Pakistan with a potential to generate 6.6 million tons of Hydrogen annually, followed by Solar PV that has a generation potential of 2.8 million tons and then Municipal solid waste with a capacity of 1 million ton per annum.     

"氢经济"与氢能发展战略的思考

1何谓“氢经济” 能源是支撑社会经济发展的物质基础。目前人类使用的能源是以石油、煤炭等为代表的化石燃料为主，因此人们称目前人类处于“碳氢经济”时代。石油、煤炭和天然气动摇着我们的经济系统，经济的运行和增长无时不与这些能源发生着直接和间接的关系。“碳氢经济”使经济系统呈现着这样的图景：人类建立了从能源资源勘探、开采、运输到加工转换、输送的完善坚实的能源工业体系，以此作为动力的源泉向经济的各个行业、领域输送能量，