Hydrogen Economy (cont)
Critics of a hydrogen economy argue that for many planned applications of hydrogen, direct distribution and use of energy in the form of electricity, or alternate means of storage such as chemical batteries, fuel plus fuel cells, or production of liquid synthetic fuels from CO2 (see methanol economy), might accomplish many of the same net goals of a hydrogen economy,[citation needed] while requiring only a small fraction of the investment in new infrastructure. Hydrogen has been called the least efficient and most expensive possible replacement for gasoline (petrol). A comprehensive study of hydrogen in transportation applications has found that "there are major hurdles on the path to achieving the vision of the hydrogen economy; the path will not be simple or straightforward".
Rationale
A hydrogen economy is proposed to solve the ill effects of using hydrocarbon fuels in transportation, and other end-use applications where the carbon is released to the atmosphere.
In the current economy, the transportation of people and goods (so-called mobile applications) is fueled primarily by petroleum, refined into gasoline and diesel, and natural gas. However, the burning of these hydrocarbon fuels causes the emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. Furthermore, the supply of hydrocarbon resources in the world is limited, and the demand for hydrocarbon fuels is increasing, particularly in China, India and other developing countries.
