For the last few decades, mankind, or at least the proportion that believes in climate change, have searched for more sustainable, renewable, non-carbon based energy sources to prevent the approaching climate apocalypse. Nuclear, solar, wind, and hydro-electric power sources have been developed and are now being integrated into our society to further depart from a carbon dependent economy. However, this is not enough. We need a more reliable energy source that will cast away all our doubts about these new energy sources and kill our centuries-long attachment to carbon. The answer? Hydrogen, a slowly growing renewable energy source that deserves more attention than it is getting now.

Using the most common element in our universe, hydrogen fuel can replace carbon reliant sectors that are hard to electrify and provide clean renewable sources of electricity through fuel cells. Some nations have realized this potential hydrogen holds and aims to transform the current carbon economy into a much more sustainable hydrogen economy, using this new fuel as the primary energy source. Korea, for instance, released its Hydrogen Economy Roadmap 2040 in January 2019. The plan replaces all transportation reliant on gasoline, such as buses and cars, to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles while producing hydrogen in Korea instead of the current state of importing fuel — gaining both environmental and economic success through this transformation. 

The reason to use hydrogen is clear. Hydrogen is highly efficient, being able to generate more energy per kilogram than any other fuel source, and its fuel cells require less time to recharge compared to conventional batteries — an issue that plagues electric vehicles from fully replacing internal combustion vehicles. Furthermore, unlike other sources of renewable energy that currently need time to construct necessary infrastructure for production, hydrogen can easily be produced as a side product from heat from nuclear or processing petrochemicals, making it the perfect energy source for a steady, less expensive transition into a zero-carbon economy.

However, the greatest advantage hydrogen fuel has is its accessibility. Hydrogen fuel cells are not limited by location and climate, which other energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear depend on. If our world is to turn net zero as soon as possible, we need all nations, no matter their location, to strive towards a carbon-free society. Solar energy is not reliable enough in the extreme North and South. Nuclear demands highly advanced technology not accessible by developing nations. Wind and hydro also require specific geographic conditions which may not be widely available in some locations. Many nations choose to remain dependent on carbon fuels because of its cost and accessibility. Moreover, some may even argue that it’s unfair for more developed countries to force costlier, infrastructure-heavy energy sources onto less developed countries in the name of environmental protection, when most of the damage has already been done by the developed countries. A more realistic approach for zero-carbon economies is to replace carbon fuel with an alternative which can be easily used by everyone everywhere: hydrogen.

Despite its advantages, hydrogen as a fuel still faces many technical challenges yet to be solved. It is still difficult to produce hydrogen without emitting some greenhouse gases during its production. There are not enough long-term storage mechanisms and safety controls yet. However, all of these obstacles are solvable with more research, only further proving the need for more attention and investment in hydrogen fuel technology. Recent research has already disproved an old belief that there are no natural reserves of hydrogen, and new carbon capture and storage technology can lower carbon emission during production. They may be baby steps, but each step takes mankind closer to a future where humanity can truly co-exist with our planet.