Hydrogen Fuel Cells Might Have a Chance After All

Hydrogen fuel might have a chance in becoming the energy source of our vehicles in the future after all. A decade ago, hydrogen fuel cells were being considered as the green power source of choice. As time passed by, the interest shifted towards battery power. But a new study suggests there’ll be a big market for the clean, lightweight gas.

According to Pike Research, hydrogen infrastructure will grow significantly. There will be at least 5,200 hydrogen fueling stations in operation around the globe by 2020, the result of an estimated $8.4 billion investment program. There demand for hydrogen fuel is expected to grow to 418 million kg annually, compared to 775,000 kg today.

“Currently, the major players in hydrogen fueling are large multinationals: the industrial gas companies, and the energy and gas companies, both those that operate retail gas stations and those that provide fuels for the grid. These companies tend to favor large-scale hydrogen infrastructure options,” Pike Reasearch Lisa Jerram was quoted as saying by thedetroitbureau.com.

The study also reveals that forklifts will be “the largest driver of hydrogen fuel demand” by decade’s end. Also worth mentioning is the fact that light duty vehicles, which could include automobiles like BMW Hydrogen 7 and the Honda FCX fuel cell vehicle, will account for 33% of total hydrogen use. Under the Obama administration, a significant amount of founding has been transferred from hydrogen fuel to electric power pack batteries projects. Despite the fact automakers continue to move forward on developing fuel cells.