As we all know, the planet Earth has been long exposed to the likelihood of a lack of air for its inhabitants and the generations to come. The environment continues to deteriorate daily due to pollution and human actions. Thanks to recent discoveries, however, hydrogen is believed to be present in the world in a non-polluting way. It is currently known as an inexhaustible source of energy that scientists claim will save the planet. Thus, action plans for the exploitation of hydrogen have been launched from the year 2020 to finally reduce carbon dioxide emissions. But what exactly is the situation? Is hydrogen likely to be inexhaustible? What about its storage?
Hydrogen: a great source of energy!
Hydrogen is now considered a renewable energy source that can compensate for those already in use. It is a light element that is widespread in the universe, but as it is not present in its pure state on Earth, it cannot be directly exploited but must be produced. The production of this element is done by the electrolysis of water. As water occupies a large part of the Earth's surface, it can be said that there is enough of it to be exploited. Hydrogen is therefore a potential energy revolution for the whole world!
Is hydrogen really inexhaustible?
Thanks to the studies carried out by scientists, hydrogen is not only found in water but all liquid and solid media. This research has prompted governments and industries to invest in this new energy to meet some of the world's needs. Saying it's completely inexhaustible would be an exaggeration, but what is true is that the water we have will be used as fuel. Combined with oxygen, it will gradually become a source of heat and intense light.
How can hydrogen be produced to save the planet?
It is said that this energy source will save the planet because it will meet at least a quarter of our needs. However, it is not completely environmentally friendly as it still emits gases during its production. Thus, hydrogen is called not only "green energy", but sometimes also grey or blue energy. To achieve this mission, it will be necessary to manufacture at least 520 million tonnes per year of green hydrogen. This energy is created from hydrocarbons. But the process still emits too much carbon dioxide. Note that electrolysis also breaks down water into hydrogen and oxygen. Finally, when the hydrogen is extracted, it is contained in storage tanks and transferred to truck tanks as compressed gas.