Sustainability

Energy

Hydrogen

The 21st century challenge

The continuous growth of the world population and the developing countries’ desire to reach the same living conditions as industrialized countries are the main reasons for the constant growth of energy demand and increase in greenhouse gas emissions, mainly carbon dioxide. Satisfying this demand, keeping gases at levels that are not dangerous for the environment (as well as guaranteeing energy supply) represents the technological challenge of the new century. This challenge can only be won by:
• increasing system efficiency and reducing hydrocarbon consumption
• increasing the use of low or zero content of carbon like natural gas, renewable resources, nuclear resources
• separating and isolating the CO2 produced through fossil fuel conversion
• increasing the ecosystem potential of CO2 absorption
In order to reach this situation, the energy carrier should have the following characteristics:
• it should produce no environmental impact, both at global and local level
• it should be produced from several primary energy sources, that could be interchanged and available on a wide scale, also in the future
• it should be distributed mainly through a network.