Fueling a sustainable future with hydrogen energy

Subject: Hydrogen

Hydrogen (H) is the most abundant element in the universe, and the simplest and lightest. The energy industry has been seeking to tap it as source of power since at least 1842 when Welsh scientist William Robert Grove developed the first fuel cell, combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity.

Today, when we talk about hydrogen in energy terms, we refer to different colors; the most common form, grey hydrogen, is produced from natural gas, generating significant carbon emissions. A cleaner version is blue hydrogen, where carbon emissions are captured and stored, or re-used. Cleanest of all is green hydrogen, which is generated by renewable energy sources, without producing carbon emissions.

Masdar has been studying the viability of hydrogen as an energy source since 2008, and today is at the forefront of developing a hydrogen economy in the UAE. Masdar is establishing a demonstrator project at Masdar City to explore the development of green hydrogen, sustainable fuels and e-kerosene production, with the potential to displace 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in its first five years of implementation.