Sustainable Solution for Decentralised Hydrogen Production

The dimension of hydrogen utilisation in future fuel-cell applications largely depends on the widespread availability of hydrogen produced from renewable resources. Fuel cell systems produce electrical power and heat in a highly efficient system with or without minor direct harmful emissions. The efficiency of fuel-cells does not depend on the stack size, and for this reason hydrogen is proposed as energy carrier for the on-site allocation of electrical energy from renewable primary energy sources. Fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) and fuel cell power stations for home use are possible applications which make use of hydrogen for power generation. The sustainability and environmental effects are largely influenced by the production method from primary energy sources. Today, carbon dioxide emissions from hydrogen utilisation are just shifted towards the place of hydrogen production since more than 90% is produced from fossil hydrocarbons. Long shipping distances from centralised production plants to the consumer in combination with the comparatively low-energy density of hydrogen storage solutions require new, innovative solutions.