A look into the challenges faced in hydrogen transport, an important aspect to consider especially where supply and demand points are far.
Here’s a post by Energy.gov covering the aspects:
- Building a national hydrogen delivery infrastructure is a significant challenge.
- The infrastructure will involve combinations of various technologies and will vary by region and market type (urban, interstate, or rural).
- It includes pipelines, liquefaction plants, trucks, storage facilities, compressors, and dispensers.
- Growth in hydrogen demand will require regional expansion of the infrastructure and development of new technologies.
Addressing the challenges in hydrogen delivery infrastructure is crucial for its widespread adoption. Here are some strategies:
1. Pipeline Upgrades and Expansion: Existing natural gas pipelines are not optimized for hydrogen transport, posing a challenge for integrating hydrogen into existing infrastructure. To address this, we can either upgrade the existing pipelines to accommodate higher hydrogen shares or build dedicated hydrogen pipelines. However, this decision involves balancing costs, risks, and environmental impact.
2. Chemical Carriers: Efficiently transporting hydrogen at high density is essential for large-scale applications, such as export markets. One solution is to explore chemical carriers like ammonia (e.g., in barges) that can safely transport hydrogen. However, trade-offs related to safety, cost, and scalability must be carefully evaluated.
Our specialty focus areas include 
3. High-Throughput Fueling Technologies: Dispensing hydrogen for heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles requires high-throughput fueling technologies. Developing systems that compress hydrogen to 350–700 bar pressure and allow rapid dispensing is crucial. Yet, achieving this balance between performance, energy efficiency, and infrastructure costs remains a challenge.
Interestingly, we have some other posts related to this content:
Green Hydrogen In Transportation Challenges: This post by McKinsey & Company explores the use of hydrogen in transportation and its associated challenges. Challenges in the Hydrogen Economy and Solutions: Imeche’s article discusses the main challenges facing the hydrogen economy, including energy security, economic opportunity, and meeting net-zero targets. Green Hydrogen Production Water Challenges: AECOM’s article highlights the significant water resources required for green hydrogen production. Large-Scale Hydrogen Production Risks, Threats: This Azo Clean Tech article addresses the risks and threats associated with large-scale hydrogen production, including the use of fossil fuels.
