Re:Photocatalyst splits water into H and O2 at quantum effic...
by bumbada on Saturday December 26, 2020 @06:34PM
(#25547355)
Everything has gotten subsidies in the past. Coal got it in Germany, Spain, Rusia,Poland, Norway and of course England. Places like current Bangladesh supported coal mines in England.
Certainly oil got it later, but few places in Europe had it compared to coal. Refineries grew costing lots of billions.
Then natural gas got it with the investment of big gasoducts.
Then it was renewables. Hydrogen is just the next step, because it is the cornerstone of the chemical synthesis process, not just transportation.
Hydrogen and electricity are just "vectors". They let you use coal,gas,nuclear, hydro or Eolic power to power your cars and trucks with much less dependency on US controlled oil for industry and transportation.
What's "small"?
20% hydrogen on existing grid in place now: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/24/hydrogen...
100% hydrogen trial over next few years: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/scottish-homes-wil...
Hydrogen has suddenly skyrocketed up the agenda in Europe this year. There is a pressure group called Hydrogen Europe (which oddly doesn't even have a wikipedia page) which comprises companies like BP, Shell, Total, Equinor, Repsol, Engie, OMV, PKN Orlen, Hellenic Petroleum, and many more. At the same time almost 100% of hydrogen used in europe comes from oil.
It concerns me how much government subsidy (both cash and regulations) is being pushed into hydrogen.
https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-8970377/...
"Hydrogen companies were given a boost this week after the Prime Minister vowed to inject £500million to 'turn water into energy' as part of a 10-point plan for Britain's green recovery.
However, critics say the targets are nowhere near enough compared to Germany's and France's respective plans to invest €9billion and €7billion in hydrogen."