IMO, h2 storage is not yet sufficiently dense for some purposes. you cite the interesting example of a boat. It might be dense enough for that, but then again maybe one could do better.
Making something like Methanol or Ethanol or what-have-you out of it, rather than storing it as pure h2 only, might seem a bit far-fetched, but could arguably be regarded as a storage solution alongside other if-you-look-at-them-they're-also-a-bit-strained storage solutions such as conventional-pressurized, liquified H2, carbon nanotubes, etc. I don't know precisely how, if at all, there is a way presently to make Hydrocarbons and alcohols from electricity and ingredients such as hydrogen and ambient air, but I think some slight progress has been made, and more will be going forward, whether the OIl Co's like it or not. jl On Tue, 27 Aug 2002 08:43:46 -0700, you wrote: >EVs yes, but there is no way they are going to waste ballast on a fishing >boat to make room for enough batteries to power it, not when hydrogen >storage is so dense. Every ton of batteries represents a ton of fish they >can't catch. > >If you can make hydrogen cheap enough, who cares if some of it leaks out? >Ditto for the efficiency, if you can get abundant electricity virtually >free. > >As for exporting electricity to Europe, Iceland is separated from the rest >of Europe by ...what?...1,000 - 1,5000 miles of ocean? That's an awfully >long extension cord. > >This isn't going to happen over night, I'm guessing they are planning on >putting a lot of time and money into FC and other hydrogen research and they >hope to have solutions to the major problems by the time they get the >infrastructure in place. > >Just out of curiosity, how would they make methane? Last I checked you >can't make that out of electricity and water (the two things they have an >over abundance of in Iceland). > >>This would be good except that EV's powered by >>the hydro would be a lot more eff than H2. >>Then there is the little problem of storing it >>as H2 seeps through steel! Pipelines are the only way >>to use it now. Not good for transport, worse than an >>extension cord!! ;-)) >>To use it in an ICE usually melts the engine >>after a while. Never heard of a high time H2 engine. >>There best bet is to export the electricity to >>europe or make methane from it. >>The only EV they mention is a Fuel cell unit >>with the same problems above besides, FC are >>unattainable.. >
