Hydrogen from renewable resources - the hundred year commitment

During the last decade interest in a potential 'Hydrogen Economy' has increased and is now discussed in main stream literature and political debates. This is largely due to the promise that fuel cell technology, which uses a hydrogen-rich gas, has shown. Though hydrogen can be produced from a number of sources, it is steam reforming of natural gas that has gained a substantial support base, and is seen as an important bridge to a sustainable hydrogen production from renewable energy. What this paper examines is the synergy that exists now between hydrogen from renewable resources and the inception of the fuel cell market. It argues that although the natural gas pathway will be necessary for the short to medium term, there should not be a complete dominance of the production route. The paper also brings together a number of policy documents from the EU and argues that what is needed from the level of the EU is a long term, binding commitment to ensure that the natural gas pathway does not become locked in. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.