Hydrogen power in the foreseeable future
Hydrogen is seen as the fuel of the future that will remove the car from the environmental equation. With no more than water as an emission and the possibility of producing hydrogen from several sources – hydrogen is the most plentiful potential fuel on Earth – the scope for hydrogen being used as an energy source would seem enormous. To ensure this potential is realised globally, it is essential that there is a transparent, realistic action plan regarding production, economics and infrastructure development taking into account global interactions and regional differences. The aim of the EU-funded 'Benchmarking of the European hydrogen energy roadmap HyWays with International Partners' (Hyways-IPHE) was therefore to compare road mapping and systems analysis activities in both Europe and the United States. Europe and the United States are prominent members of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) which was established in 2003 to accelerate the transition to a hydrogen economy. Providing a platform for 18 partner countries worldwide to organise and coordinate research and development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, IPHE also educates stakeholders and the general public on the benefits and challenges in the establishment of a hydrogen economy. Project researchers compared modelling methodologies and assumptions used in energy pathway analysis and provided valuable benchmarking to identify major differences and the need for further developments. Further modelling analysis took into account infrastructure and resource analysis as well as stakeholder consultation in roadmapping processes. A workshop for the comparison of project results saw exchange and dissemination of benchmarking activities to other IPHE member countries. One notable achievement of the Hyways-IPHE project was a comprehensive methodology for benchmarking hydrogen energy pathway analysis tools. This includes a technical and economic comparison of hydrogen production plants, delivery modes, energy use from well to tank and emissions. The project benchmarking system facilitates the comparison of existing cases on several levels highlighting differences in results for energy pathways, overall costs and financial frameworks. Full conversion to hydrogen is a long process. Viable benchmarking methodologies can speed up the process by comparing and uniting an individual country's initiatives.
