April 18, 2022
THE FUTURE OF EVERY POLICY IS THE PAST OF W:
The hydrogen energy dream: Automakers, industries, and governments are betting on hydrogen again. Will it work this time? (Umair Irfan, Apr 18, 2022, Vox)
Hydrogen has potential uses beyond vehicles, too: It can make synthetic fuels and store power for the electricity grid; it can also clean up industries that are notoriously hard to decarbonize, like steel manufacturing.These promising use cases have driven interest and investment in hydrogen as fuel in the past, which is why you may have heard about it before: Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama touted hydrogen and invested government money into researching and developing the fuel. But the hype faded each time as high production costs, practical challenges, and a limited infrastructure for hydrogen-powered vehicles got in the way. For hydrogen-powered cars to truly take off anywhere, they'll first require a vast network of fueling stations, pipelines, and producers -- essentially a hydrogen economy -- to compete and win against fossil fuels. The US has never gotten close to building something like this.But for now, the momentum behind hydrogen energy is once again building as its demand grows and the technology behind it improves. According to 2018 data, hydrogen fuel cells have dropped 60 percent in price since 2006, while their durability increased fourfold.In 2021, Toyota sold more than 2,600 Mirais in the US, a record. Other hydrogen cars have entered the market too, including the Hyundai Nexo and the Honda Clarity. As of March 1, more than 12,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have been sold or leased in the US. Meanwhile, Delta Airlines and Airbus in March signed an agreement to develop hydrogen-powered aircraft. New hydrogen production plants are in the works in the US. In February, President Joe Biden signed an executive order pledging close to $10 billion to boost hydrogen production, infrastructure, and research.Overseas, China announced plans to produce as much as 200,000 tons of carbon-free hydrogen per year to help run a fleet of 50,000 fuel cell-powered vehicles by 2025. The United Kingdom is aiming to double its hydrogen production. Globally, hydrogen production and transportation has received more than $80 billion in investment.In a moment when the urgency of the climate crisis cannot be understated, hydrogen is getting another chance to help clean up the planet.
Posted by Orrin Judd at April 18, 2022 12:00 AM