Hydrogen Fuel: Hydrogen Production and Fuel Cells

Hydrogen Fuel: Hydrogen Production and Fuel Cells

Hydrogen Production
Hydrogen can be produced using diverse, domestic resources including fossil fuels, such as natural gas and coal (with carbon sequestration); nuclear; and biomass and other renewable energy technologies, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro-electric power.

The overall challenge to hydrogen production is cost reduction. For transportation, a key driver for energy independence and therefore the hydrogen economy, hydrogen must be cost-competitive with conventional fuels and technologies on a per-mile basis in order to succeed in the commercial marketplace.

Fuel Cells
Fuel cells are an important enabling technology for the hydrogen economy and have the potential to revolutionize the way we power our nation, offering cleaner, more-efficient alternatives to the combustion of gasoline and other fossil fuels. Fuel cells have the potential to replace the internal combustion engine in vehicles and provide power in stationary and portable power applications because they are energy-efficient, clean, and fuel-flexible. Hydrogen or any hydrogen-rich fuel can be used by this emerging technology.