The Presidents U.S. hydrogen initiative

Copyright 2004 by Academic Press. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved. 

Without additional research demonstrating their promise, the business case for investment in the hydrogen economy is uncertain. Therefore, the DOE will support research and development (R D) to help establish a business case and to enable a commercialization decision. Given the tremendous technical hurdles that must be overcome today to meet customer requirements, 2015 is an ambitious but achievable time frame. 

Our time frame and budget allow us to support the exploration of multiple production, delivery, and storage pathways, and to reevaluate the feasibility of different options with phased go/no-go decision points. Systems integration is crucial. Hydrogen production, storage, and delivery methods must complement each other, and the feasibility of one method will depend upon its compatibility with other parts of the system. This is why we have established a systems integration plan to analyze all models and pathways and to appropriately integrate individual efforts with overall objectives at the macro-system level. 

In particular, the DOE Hydrogen Program emphasizes developing hydrogen infrastructure in parallel with hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technologies. 

If one element of the hydrogen system is not able to meet customer requirements, it is unlikely that the system as a whole will be able to function. For example, having the infrastructure to enable every driver to refuel their hydrogen fuel cell vehicle near their home or place of business is crucial to the success of the hydrogen transition. There is a need to coordinate elements of the hydrogen value chain, so one component does not delay progress on another. 

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