Water Demands Might Hamper Hydrogen Development

Fuel cells promise vehicle power with zero emissions

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are powered by generating electricity from compressed hydrogen, and their only emission is fresh water. As good as that sounds, though, a lot of fresh water is required to manufacture the compressed hydrogen, and supplies are increasingly limited. Is there enough fresh water for a transition to hydrogen?

A Reuters article warns that the failure of a large hydrogen production facility in Australia from lack of water portends trouble for the hydrogen industry. Some 680 large hydrogen projects on the drawing board will require $700 billion to reach 2030 net-zero emissions goals, and some worry these investments will run into the same problem. Some estimate that it takes nine times the water to produce one kilogram of hydrogen.

Powerful global companies are rushing into the green hydrogen business, “green” because its production is fueled with renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. The downplaying of water problems is raising concerns that companies are not taking water needs seriously