The traditional applications of hydrogen are in ammonia production, oil refining, float glass manufacture and the electronics sector, in the semiconductor production process.
But there has been a major shift in the application of hydrogen in the past three decades, with this key energy enabler held aloft as the fuel of the future due to its non-polluting ‘green’ credentials and perceived abundance.
The concept of a ‘hydrogen economy’ has been proposed for decades, based on the adoption of hydrogen gas as a universal energy vector to replace the depleting – and environmentally harmful – fuels that we are so accustomed to today. Hydrogen is certainly making waves in the energy sector, with companies like Plug Power using hydrogen fuel to power forklift trucks and almost anything else that was formerly powered by electrical batteries. The company has notably secured multi-million dollar deals with household names such as WalMart and BMW.
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