Infrastructure, energy

Ogden, J. (1999). Prospects for Building a Hydrogen Energy Infrastructure, In Annual Reviews of Energy and the Environment, ed. R. Socolow. Palo Alto, CA Annual Reviews. 

Ogden, J.M., Prospects for building a hydrogen energy infrastructure. Annu. Rev. Energy Environ., 24, 227-279,1999. 

In addition to the man-made environmental problems that have affected the Caspian adversely, the sea has exhibited a curious natural variation in its water level that has created additional problems and has wrought havoc on coastal infrastmcture. Since 1978, the sea level has risen almost 7.5 feet. Flooding in coastal zones has inundated residential areas, transport, telecommunications and energy infrastructure, chemical and petrochemical industries, croplands and hatcheries, forcing thousands of residents to be evacuated from flooded homes. In Turkmenistan, the town of Dervish, which is detached from the western part of the mainland, is turning into an island due to the rise in sea level, and Cheleken and Karakul are sinking into the water as well. 

A hydrogen economy may require the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars for an entirely new energy infrastructure of pipelines, fueling stations and power sources. This will come from public and private money. 

Cost is one hurdle that is keeping hydrogen from being more widely as a fuel. Many changes in the energy infrastructure are needed to use hydrogen. 

The challenge is that most of the required new hydrogen and fuel cell technologies are still in their infancy - compared with the existing conventional energy infrastructure - and major investments, both public and private, will be needed to commercialise the production of hydrogen for energy use. 

The Ministry of Economic Affairs has created three governmental projects supporting the process of the changes to be made in the energy-infrastructure. These projects are called ... 

Expand the hydrogen energy infrastructure along the 1-44 corridor between St. Louis and Springfield/Branson and along the 1-70 corridor between St. Louis and Kansas City. 

They must show good integration into the actual energy infrastructure without need of new dedicated equipment. 

Development and/or verification of the compatibility of hydrogen as a substitute for conventional fuels within the present energy infrastructure. 

The opportunity for motivating a change in the energy infrastructure is here now it may be gone in ten years. 

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