FAQ - Frequently asked questions and answers at a glance
We have collected the most common questions from our discussions and meetings with people interested in the project and answered them from our perspective. If you don’t find the information you are looking for here, try the expert forum or just submit your own question to us.
Where does hydrogen actually come from?
Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe. It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas and has an atomic weight of 1, which puts it right at the beginning of our periodic table. Hydrogen consists of a proton and an electron. The most common form of hydrogen consists of diatomic molecules (H2).
Hydrogen is available in almost unlimited quantities, but on Earth is found only in compound form with other elements, such as water (H2O), in a variety of hydrocarbons (oil, gas, coal, biomass, etc.) or other organic compounds. However, it can be separated using energy, which then turns it into a chemical store of energy – an energy carrier.
Click here to learn how hydrogen is produced. :: more
Why hydrogen?
Hydrogen offers a sustainable answer to three major challenges: reduced emissions, the desire for diversification, and ending our dependence on just a few, finite sources of energy.
Even if the great volume of hydrogen is a challenge, its high energy density is a compelling argument. For comparison: one kilogram of H2 contains approximately three times the energy of a kilo of oil. But the crucial factor in avoiding climate change is the source of the energy used to produce the hydrogen. Produced in a regenerative way, hydrogen is a clean energy carrier that makes it possible, for instance, to use renewable energies in the transport sector.
Hydrogen as an alternative fuel enhances Germany's leading international position in the field of future-oriented fuel and propulsion concepts.
How is hydrogen liquefied?
To store hydrogen in liquid form after it is produced, it needs to be cooled to -253 °C (= 20 K). This is the temperature at which hydrogen turns into a liquid. Modern liquefaction plants supply about 10 to 15 tons of hydrogen per day. The CEP partner Linde’s production facility in Leuna has a capacity of 4.5 t/day.
Approximately 1/3 of the energy stored in the hydrogen is needed for the liquefaction process.
What does hydrogen cost?
Mobile hydrogen technology is still at the developmental stage. So on the costs side, hydrogen cannot yet be compared with conventional fuels. The CEP believes in a future for hydrogen where there will be no price difference between petrol/gasoline and hydrogen. At present, the price is pegged at between 7 and 8 EUR per kg of hydrogen, and production costs still exceed this. A fuel-cell car can drive 100 km on 1 kg of hydrogen
When will we have hydrogen-powered cars?
The Clean Energy Partnership demonstration project already has close-to-production vehicles from its automotive partners, which are being used on the road. A number of CEP partners have signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to produce high numbers of fuel-cell cars starting in 2015.
How many hydrogen refueling stations are there?
There are 175 hydrogen filling stations worldwide; 21 are currently registered in Germany. The Clean Energy Partnership is planning five new filling stations by 2016.
In the H2 Mobility initiative, CEP partners have pledged to take further steps to build a hydrogen infrastructure in Europe, with Germany as its starting point.
How do you refuel a hydrogen car?
Customers fill up at the hydrogen fuel stations in much the same way as they would with conventional fuel, by manually putting the nozzle of the fuel pump into the filler neck. The differences result from the high volatility of hydrogen, its low temperatures, and the high filling pressures. As a result the nozzle and tank stub are connected using a coupling that is pressure, gas and temperature tight.
For further information click :: here
What is the connection between hydrogen cars and electric cars?
Fuel cell-vehicles – colloquially also known as hydrogen cars - have an electric motor, which gets electricity from a fuel cell. Inside the fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen react in a chemical process, releasing the energy stored in the hydrogen as electricity to drive the engine. The by-product of this electrochemical process is water, which is discharged through the exhaust.
A vehicle fuel cell is made up of many individual cells which, when connected in series in a stack, generate sufficient power to drive an electric motor.
For further information click :: here
Apart from testing fuel cell vehicles, the CEP also uses cars and buses with combustion engines.
Is hydrogen safe?
Hydrogen is an energy carrier comparable to natural gas. However, as the lightest element of all, hydrogen evaporates much more quickly when discharged– at speeds of over 30 km/h. Unlike mineral oils, hydrogen does not contaminate the soil. Hydrogen is nontoxic, odourless and noncorrosive. When properly handled, hydrogen is not a dangerous gas. The CEP uses only state-of-the-art technology.
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