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Because Hydrogen is too expensive. If you calculate the LCOE, you'll find that using wind at night is cheaper than hydrogen. Maybe certain batteries storing so

Because Hydrogen is too expensive. If you calculate the LCOE, you'll find that using wind at night is cheaper than hydrogen. Maybe certain batteries storing solar can beat wind at cost? My point remains, don't guess "why not use my favorite X" but calculate and simulate all alternative systems and the the lowest cost of energy ofve lifetime of systems is the winner you actually build.

dragontamer 4y ago
A pipeline and a steel drum, even built to withstand 700Bar of pressure, is cheaper than 1MW circuits that you propose lining thousands of miles of rail with. Transistors, transformers, and electric wires use an incredible amount of copper.
ephbit 4y ago
I think the reason why hydrogen (or derivatives such as ammonia or methanol) will become a very widespread carrier of energy in the long term is: seasonal storage of energy. There doesn't appear to be a promising solution for seasonal storage of energy other than hydrogen. Pumped hydro power is limited to certain areas and also doesn't scale in the same way that hydrogen does. Compressed air is sometimes mentioned but doesn't appear to make much progress. Since the world is going to need massive amounts of seasonal storage for the sake of the stability of the energy system (which is the backbone of society), as more and more renewables are built, there just has to be a solution. And if there's only one that scales to demand, then that's what will be built. Hydrogen (and derivatives and generally all chemical energy carriers) also have this triple synergy of huge capacity for transmission plus flexibility plus buffering. Transmission capacity of a pipeline is massively larger than any cable. Flexibility is given through the fact that hydrogen can spontaneously be transported to almost any location. Compare that to "spontaneously" building a new power line to an arbitrary location. Buffering is a byproduct. As soon as the hydrogen is produced, it acts like a buffer, whether it's inside a pipeline or some tank. Compare that to electric energy transmitted via cable .. as soon as the power plant is shut down, the lights will go out. A chemical based energy system is inherently more stable and resilient than an electrical grid, IMO.

dragontamer 4y ago

A pipeline and a steel drum, even built to withstand 700Bar of pressure, is cheaper than 1MW circuits that you propose lining thousands of miles of rail with. Transistors, transformers, and electric wires use an incredible amount of copper.

ephbit 4y ago

I think the reason why hydrogen (or derivatives such as ammonia or methanol) will become a very widespread carrier of energy in the long term is: seasonal storage of energy. There doesn't appear to be a promising solution for seasonal storage of energy other than hydrogen. Pumped hydro power is limited to certain areas and also doesn't scale in the same way that hydrogen does. Compressed air is sometimes mentioned but doesn't appear to make much progress. Since the world is going to need massive amounts of seasonal storage for the sake of the stability of the energy system (which is the backbone of society), as more and more renewables are built, there just has to be a solution. And if there's only one that scales to demand, then that's what will be built. Hydrogen (and derivatives and generally all chemical energy carriers) also have this triple synergy of huge capacity for transmission plus flexibility plus buffering. Transmission capacity of a pipeline is massively larger than any cable. Flexibility is given through the fact that hydrogen can spontaneously be transported to almost any location. Compare that to "spontaneously" building a new power line to an arbitrary location. Buffering is a byproduct. As soon as the hydrogen is produced, it acts like a buffer, whether it's inside a pipeline or some tank. Compare that to electric energy transmitted via cable .. as soon as the power plant is shut down, the lights will go out. A chemical based energy system is inherently more stable and resilient than an electrical grid, IMO.