Last January, we caught up with Tom Mutchler, then General Manager for Worldwide Equipment at Air Products to discuss the possible dawn of a hydrogen driven economy. But more than a year later we re-convened with Air Products to assess just how much of this promise has been actualised.
By way of a refresher, Ian Williamson, President of the European Hydrogen Association and Director of Hydrogen Energy Systems for Europe, India and Africa at Air Products, outlined the benefits of hydrogen fuelling technology.
“A hydrogen car is effectively an electric car with a different energy storage medium. Unlike pure electric powered cars, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles compete with conventional vehicles in terms of range, performance, refuelling times and give off no emissions at the point of use; water being the only substance emitted from their exhaust pipes. Also, it is possible to create hydrogen renewably, through for example, waste to energy technologies,” explained Williamson.
Indeed the benefits of hydrogen are not going unnoticed. Many nations are already investing in hydrogen transport infrastructure, with countries such as Germany spending €1.4bn on the alternative fuel source. Equally encouraging is recent research produced by McKinskey which indicates that fuel cell vehicles will be the cheapest option, when compared with conventional and other low-carbon alternatives, for medium to large cars in the next 10-15 years.
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