2010 Volume 35 Issue 3 Pages 29-33
Hydrogen is attracting attention as a clean fuel that produces no carbon dioxide emissions at the stage of use. However, CO2 is emitted when hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels. Until the day comes when we can supply sufficient amounts of hydrogen from renewable energy sources, hydrogen could be produced from fossil fuels using existing equipment in oil refineries and other factories. In this paper, the author describes the potential hydrogen distribution capacity of industry in Japan. Studies indicate that sufficient amounts of hydrogen could be supplied for the initial stage of a hydrogen energy economy.
However, this hydrogen must be purified to 99.99% if it is to be used for fuel cell vehicles. When it is purified using current technology, 25-30% of the hydrogen is lost. Thus, new efficient technology for purifying hydrogen is needed.
