Hydrogen as an energy vector

Neither the use of hydrogen as an energy vector nor the vision of a hydrogen economy is new. Until the 1960s, hydrogen was used in many countries in the form... 

In the 1970s, a first serious energy crisis related to a sharp increase in the cost of fossil fuels led to a revival of interest in water electrolysis. This time the interest was focused on hydrogen as an energy vector that could possibly replace fossil fuels in the world economy The aim was twofold to become relatively independent of the influence of the oil market and to reduce the environmental impact of the... 

Nowadays, the concerns about pollution and the recent dramatic increase in the price of oil have definitely boosted interest in hydrogen as an energy vector and a clean fuel, although the problem of a dean energy source is still far from being solved. 

In the following sections, the applications for synthesis gas will be summarized, the chemistry and thermodynamics related to the production of synthesis gas will be described and after which the various industrial processes for the manufacture of synthesis gas will be highlighted. The emphasis will be on catalytic routes, but thermal (partial oxidation) routes will be briefly described as well. Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is added, as this is an increasingly important issue for the use of synthesis gas as a source for hydrogen as an energy vector. 

The proponents of the Hydrogen Energy concept (or "Hydrogen Economy" as it is sometimes known) point to the undoubted attractions of hydrogen as an energy vector for the future. These may be summarized briefly ... 

Most of the technology appropriate to hydrogen as an energy vector seems to be established, at least in outline. Much remains to be done by way of optimization and scale-up, as we shall discuss for the particular cases of electrolyzers and fuel cells. Such work is needed to define the economics of the process a full knowledge of the economics is vital when one has to choose between options for large-scale energy projects of national importance. 

In this paper an attempt has been made to indicate the important role that electrochemistry will play in the future world energy scene, particularly in the context of hydrogen as an energy vector of the next century. The author does not subscribe to the view that, on this time-... 

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