In recent years, the energy sector has been characterized by numerous changes and transformations.
Renewable energy sources (such as natural gas) have been subject to a sharp increase in demand, while demand for oil has stabilized.
Demand for the latter has been mainly linked to gasoline, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas, while natural gas has seen an increase of approximately 5%.
Despite what was predicted for the past decades, the latest projections suggest that hydrocarbons will continue to play a leading role in the future, accounting for about 75% of global demand, but with an ever-increasing consumption of natural gas for low carbon emissions, which will reach its peak in 2030. This means that for companies operating in the Oil & Gas sector, there will be a strong increase in investment opportunities, especially in natural gas.
Hydrogen is one of these – being rich in useful properties, it is well-suited for energy use: it can be stored and transported in both liquid and gaseous forms, it has a high yield, and its combustion produces no emissions. Unfortunately, it does not exist on Earth in its pure form, but rather must be produced through a splitting process: this is where renewable energy comes into play, as it can be used without producing harmful emissions for the environment.
Furthermore, hydrogen represents a viable alternative to electric power for use in the automotive sector, as it is better suited for long-distance travel. Hydrogen vehicles store the gas in high-pressure cylinders and feed it into a fuel cell. This is the heart of hydrogen vehicles because an electrochemical reaction takes place within it that generates electricity and, at the exhaust, simply water.
Hydrogen vehicles are, for all intents and purposes, electric, considering that it is electricity that powers the motor connected to the wheels. These also have a high-voltage battery (fuel cell) that stores the energy produced by the motor during braking, just as hybrid and conventional electric vehicles do.
Hydrogen is a potentially highly versatile alternative fuel that can be used for transport, heating, long-term energy storage, and also serves as a raw material for ammonia and methanol.