After water and food, perhaps the next most wanted commodity is energy. Most
of our energy requirements are met through fossil fuel and nuclear energy.
Recently there has been an increase in the amount in so-called renewable
energies such as wind and wave power.

An area that has been around for a long time now is solar energy. Some of its
early promise didn’t come to pass with a requirement for expensive
materials and high maintenance costs; and solar panels relied on sunshine which
is not available at night and is in limited supply in many areas of the world.

Fear not! Technology has not stood still and things are on the move. I
predict for 2006 and over the next few years that there will be a series of
breakthroughs in the field of energy cells that use hydrogen as a fuel. This is
the beginning of the so-called Hydrogen Economy. Some, including the U.S.
President, welcome this as the future of energy production while others
throw cold water on the idea.

Hydrogen can be extracted from many substances, including water. The advantage of hydrogen is its
unusual atomic structure. The great difference in distance and size between the
proton and the electron produces great energy potential. Unfortunately this
attribute gives rise to a great problem: hydrogen tends to stick to other
elements as the wayward electrons become paired with foreign atoms. Extracting
hydrogen from these other elements has hitherto required a great deal of
energy, making the prospect pointless, or at least inefficient - and, if fossil
fuels are used to provide the required energy, the CO2 will still be emitted. There are two ways around this: first to
build large plants that will extract hydrogen on a large scale. The energy
efficiency of large plants would be far greater than cars, for example, which
are like mini mobile power stations.

The second method is to use of Aqueous Phase Reforming. This is where
hydrocarbons such as sugar, can be converted from a liquid into Hydrogen in one
process. The energy required is at a lower proportion than more conventional
hydrogen production methods. There is also no need to store or ship vast
quantities of hydrogen.

If we accept that fuel cell technology - in one form or another - will happen
in the near future (well, it’s happening now, so why not?), the question we
surely need to answer is:

How far should the production of hydrogen be from the point where it is used?

There is much talk of using renewable energy or biomass to provide the
considerable power required to produce hydrogen (to separate it from other
elements, such as with water). Possible examples of this would be vast offshore
wind farms and offshore solar panel farms combined with thousands of acres of
maze or other crop being grown as a bio fuel source. This solution would
involve a network of distributing the hydrogen similar to the one already
employed to distribute petrol - but much bigger and/or much more expensive
- since the lighter hydrogen requires more space - or more force to compress it
- than gas or diesel. It could be cooled down to its liquid form to aid
distribution, but this would require a great deal of extra energy.

The Aqueous Phase Reforming solution - pioneered by the University of
Massachusetts - may allow much more local production of hydrogen and
reduce the need for a large and expensive distribution solution. It can also be
scaled up or down to meet the needs of varying communities and circumstances.

Yes, I am convinced that there will be breakthroughs in this area. I am sure
that the debate about the efficiency and feasibility of hydrogen fuel will
gradually dissolve and a new debate will emerge - about how best to distribute
that energy. Distribution costs money and is a cost to our environment. The
greater the distance between the production and the consumption points, whether
this be hydrogen or anything else, the greater the energy, environmental and
financial cost. If we cut down these distances, we will probably need to settle
for more - and smaller - production plants with a reduction in efficiency,
leading to the same energy, environmental and financial problems. In the case of
hydrogen production, the question is, which method is right? Aqueous Phase Reforming
may provide a solution. Whichever way, the debate rages on…

Vernon Stent is the marketing consultant for 5es.
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