I’m coming to you from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM. I wish you all a Happy Hydrogen Day! Hydrogen has the atomic weight of 1.008 hence the special date, October 8th. I imagine if there were a National Hydrogen Day somewhere in Europe it would be on August 10th.
Seeing all these hot air balloons makes me think about hydrogen transportation, more specifically, transporting hydrogen from production to the point of use. I’ve spoken in the past about liquid hydrogen and its benefits, and there is a lot of buzz around hydrogen pipelines. Many are exploring the use of ammonia as a hydrogen carrier for intercontinental transport. There are many other options that I won’t get into today.
As I look into these options I always come back to the same conclusion. The best way to transport hydrogen is to not have to transport it at all. That means making green hydrogen with electrolysis from renewable energy as close to the point of use as possible. That requires plenty of water and reliable, inexpensive renewable energy. When you shorten the distance in the last mile it opens up a lot more options like high pressure gas, and it makes pipelines more realistic. However, making hydrogen locally in the cost-effective manner is not always possible so we will continue to grapple with the transportation issue. And I’ll continue to enjoy these balloons.
Happy Hydrogen Day, everyone!
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