The hydrogen technology in the storage system - Minh Nguyen Duc

Description:

Since electricity was invented, energy storage has become an integral part of the energy system. Energy storage is even more important when it comes to green and renewable energy owning to the unstable supply (which is dependent of the seasonal factors). According to energystorage.com, the energy storage formats and innovations can be classified into five groups: batteries, thermal, mechanical storage, hydrogen, pumped hydropower. Among those, hydrogen ("excess electricity generation can be converted into hydrogen via electrolysis and stored") is arguably most potential to foster a big change in the energy storage system.

Enablers:

1. Electrolysis - "Carbon-free, clean hydrogen is made by electrolysis – using electricity from renewable energy sources to split hydrogen molecules from oxygen molecules in water"

2. Various investments, such as US$7 billion investment into green hydrogen energy by 2025 by Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.

3. The rising awareness of green and renewable energy, resulting in the increasing need for energy storage

4. The rise of impact investment

Inhibitors:

1. The high production cost of hydrogen from low-carbon sources

2. The infrastructure development takes time and requires high investments

3. Distribution methods

4. Adoption of technology

5. Explosive

6. Concentration of energy per kg is low

Paradigms:

If we are to scale up this technology fast (especially pure hydrogen from electrolysis), it is possible to foster energy creation and storage at the location, making buildings self-sufficient and removing the barriers in energy transportation. "According to IEA analysis, however, if hydrogen production can be scaled up, and taking into account a predicted reduction in the cost of renewables, the cost of producing hydrogen from renewable electricity could fall 30% by 2030." (energy-storage.news)