Hydrogen society: from present to future

Abstract

Hydrogen energy is an important cornerstone for realizing net-zero and sustainable development plans. The successful construction of a hydrogen society requires advancements in technology and the rational design of hydrogen production, storage, delivery, and usage. Herein, we provide systematic insights into the recent attainments, limitations, and future directions of the abovementioned aspects. With the development of renewable energy sources, sustainable green hydrogen production should replace the modes of traditional grey hydrogen and transitional blue hydrogen. Our techno-economic calculations reveal that high electricity consumption accounts for most of the costs of green hydrogen production, where different regional electricity prices induce hydrogen flows to bridge gaps in supply and demand. Fundamental rules and methodologies for catalyst morphologies, physiochemical properties, structural features, and screening pathways are provided to rationally exploit optimal electrocatalysts with low electricity consumption levels. Moreover, existing physical-based hydrogen storage systems with high acceptance and limited energy density can be replaced by promising material-based hydrogen storage systems for certain applications; these applications still face kinetic, thermodynamic, and engineering challenges. Ideal hydrogen delivery routes via trailers, pipelines, hydrogen carriers, and stationary hydrogen production systems strongly rely on specific scenarios. Our original calculation scenarios provide a good example for meeting the DOE cost target. We believe that this perspective will offer critical guidance for the future establishment of a hydrogen society.