Demand for hydrogen fuel infrastructure is on the rise
October 25, 2013New report highlights state of global hydrogen fuel infrastructure
Navigant Research, a leading market research firm, has released a new report concerning the state of the global hydrogen fuel infrastructure. Hydrogen fuel is becoming a very valuable resource, especially to those that are interested in renewable energy. The global auto industry, for instance, has become a strong advocate for hydrogen fuel, but this form of renewable energy is not restricted to being used in transportation. Hydrogen fuel cells are often used to provide back-up power in a variety of industries and are quickly becoming a valuable residential energy resource.
Demand for fuel cells continues to grow
As fuel cells begin to grow in popularity, issues concerning hydrogen fuel infrastructure are beginning to attract more attention. The demand for hydrogen is on the rise, but the world’s ability to efficiently and effectively supply this demand is somewhat lacking. According to the report from Navigant Research, the demand for fuel cells in the transportation sector, as well as that for stationary fuel cells, will continue to grow and if global infrastructure is not capable of meeting demand, these energy systems may be met with failure rather than success.
Infrastructure needed for hydrogen-powered vehicles to succeed
In transportation, a comprehensive hydrogen fuel infrastructure is needed for fuel cell vehicles to be attractive to consumers. Without an infrastructure, consumers will be unable to fuel their new vehicles, which will make them significantly less likely to purchase these models. The global auto industry has become heavily invested in hydrogen fuel in recent years and has been working to help countries around the world establish a reliable hydrogen fuel infrastructure, but these efforts have been sluggish due to the lack of support coming from some governments around the world.
Power-to-gas is becoming an attractive concept
The report notes that hydrogen is not only becoming popular as a fuel. Hydrogen can be used to power fuel cells and produce electrical power, but it can also be used as a storage medium for other forms of energy. The electricity produced by solar energy systems, for instance, can be used to generate hydrogen, which can be used to produce electrical power or stored for prolonged periods of time until demand for energy rises.