Hydrogen Fuel. Uses

A new ecosystem is emerging around the hydrogen energy vector, thanks to its versatility (electrolyzer, fuel cell, transport and storage, mobility, new uses). Referring to the maxim "Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed" attributed to Lavoisier, hydrogen could indeed be very accurately and quite simply described as a vector of transformation, the need for transformation stemming from the imminent depletion of fossil resources and the harmful effect of their use on health, the environment and the climate. Against the backdrop of Europe's energy crisis and climate change, the urgency of such a transformation has become clear. Launched in 2019, the Green Pact for Europe commits EU member states to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, with an interim target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. This pact implies, in particular, the mass production and use of decarbonated or low-carbon hydrogen, with regulations adapted to a coherent hydrogen deployment strategy in terms of production and use currently being drawn up.

Hydrogen's highly energetic combustion, with a mass more than twice that of natural gas, makes it a fuel of choice for supplying heat and mechanical energy, with no residue other than water. But it can also combine electrochemically with oxygen to produce electricity and heat, again with only water emissions. In France, hydrogen is already widely used in the petroleum and chemical industries, for a total consumption of around 900,000 tonnes per year, but most of this is carbon-based hydrogen, which generates around 9 million tonnes of CO ₂ per year, and we need to develop our production in this area. Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can be produced and used in a wide variety of applications, the best-known of which is mobility, where a growing number of hydrogen-powered vehicles are being marketed. In synergy with the future mass production of carbon-free hydrogen, we need to increase its use.

In addition to the article [BE 8 565] which deals with its production, this article looks at its energy conversion, supply and safety issues, as well as the possible economic and societal consequences of its widespread use. It also concludes with an analysis of what still needs to be done before this energy carrier can become the norm.