Whats Preventing Wide-Scale Hydrogen Production Today?
Cost is the biggest impediment to using hydrogen more widely as a fuel. Many expensive changes must be made in our nation’s energy infrastructure to accommodate hydrogen. For example, electricity is required by many hydrogen production methods, which makes hydrogen more expensive than the fuels it would replace. Hydrogen Quick Facts Hydrogen has the highest energy content per unit of weight of any known fuel?52,000 British Thermal Units (Btu) per pound (LHV). The U.S. hydrogen industry currently produces 9 million tons of hydrogen per year (enough to power 20-30 million cars or 5-8 million homes) for use in: Chemicals production; Petroleum refining; Metals treating; Electrical applications. Hydrogen is primarily used as a feedstock, intermediate chemical, or specialty chemical. Steam methane reforming accounts for 95% of the hydrogen produced in the U.S. Other methods of hydrogen production are • Gasification of fossil fuels (e.g. coal) • Splitting water using electricity, heat or ligh
