Chapter 11. Conclusions: Electrolytic Hydrogen Production and Sustainable Routes

Abstract

Although currently the vast majority of hydrogen is produced more cheaply from fossil fuels than any other methods, this production is, longer term, unsustainable as fuel sources become depleted and also as carbon emissions increase worldwide. Consequently other more sustainable routes are in need of development based on sustainable feedstocks and/or sustainable energy sources. Hydrogen fuel has great potential for energy markets, such as transportation, commercial and utility power and the diversity of hydrogen production technologies is an advantage. Electrolysers that produce hydrogen can play a major role in energy supply in several scenarios. This chapter provides an overview of technologies associated with various processes for generation of hydrogen using more sustainable methods. These include methods based on using renewable energy sources of wind and solar to provide the energy directly to power electrolytic or photoelectrochemical decomposition of water to hydrogen (and oxygen). Use of renewable electricity generation using wind and solar are seen as routes to reduce operating costs of electrolysers.