Abstract

Hydrogen is a flexible and environmentally friendly energy carrier that can be produced from a variety of feedstock. It offers the possibility to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve urban air quality, and enhance security of energy supply. It can be used to power public and dedicated transportation vehicles such as buses and delivery vehicles in the relatively short term, and automobiles on a longer horizon. Through micro-fuel cells, hydrogen can power portable applications such as laptops and cell phones, offering the possibility of better energy density, faster recharging, and longer and more reliable operations compared to current batteries. Finally, hydrogen has promising applications in stationary power production (such as emergency power units) through fuel cells, turbines, and internal combustion engines.