How the Hydrogen Economy can make sense Driving The Energy Transition: Episode 11
In 2006 Bossel asked does a hydrogen economy make sense?[i] In an often-cited analysis (Figure ET-12), he found 69% of electrical power is transmitted to the wheels of a battery electric vehicle. If the same electricity were used to generate hydrogen to power a fuel cell, in the end only 23% is transmitted. The BEV is 3 times more efficient at using locally supplied electricity, which can be derived directly from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
But this assumes the same source of energy to make electricity. Average wind and solar power vary more than 10-fold across the globe (Figure ET-13). As a molecular fuel, hydrogen can potentially be transported long distances. Hydrogen as an energy carrier could therefore be up to three times more efficient, not less, by allowing the transportation and storage of renewable power from the most efficient regions of the world.[ii]
Figure ET-12: Bossel鈥檚 2006 Hydrogen vs. Electric Vehicle Comparison
Figure ET-13: Average wind + solar intensity vs global location[iii]
References:
i Bossel, Ulf. 鈥淒oes a Hydrogen Economy Make Sense?鈥濃�疨roceedings of the IEEE. Vol. 94, No. 10, October 2006.
ii D. J. Smit and J. B. Powell, Role of International Oil Companies in the Net-Zero Emission Energy Transition, Annu. Rev. Chem. Biomol. Eng., 2023, 14, 301鈥�322.
iii Inderwildi O, Zhang C, Wang X, Kraft M. The impact of intelligent cyber-physical systems on the decarbonization of energy. Energy Environ Sci. 2020;13(3):744-771.