Drawbacks of fuel cell technology
Hydrogen fuel cells face market barriers due to their early stage of development and high costs owing to dependence on expensive catalysts. Other concerns are that leakage from stored hydrogen affects the earth's stratospheric ozone layer and the hazard of explosions from stored hydrogen.
Fuels cells are not necessarily greenhouse gas free over their lifecycle. For example, hydrogen is currently made from reforming natural gas, the by-product of which is CO2. So whilst the fuel only produces water, heat and electricity, CO2 is produced elsewhere. For zero CO2 hydrogen power, no fossil fuels can be used at any point.
Related Links
Challenges for the commercialisation of fuel cells
A technology validation by the US Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy on the challenges to be addressed for the commercialisation of hydrogen fuel cells
Expensive catalysts
World Renewable Energy Association considers the design problems of fuel cells including the cost of catalysts
Pros and cons of hydrogen power
A BBC World Service page weighing up the pros and cons of hydrogen power including the dangers of storage
Effects on the ozone layer
The Science and Development Network discusses how the ozone layer would be affected by hydrogen fuel
Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Production via Natural Gas Steam Reforming
A summary of the net emissions of greenhouse gases, as well as other major environmental consequences of producing hydrogen from natural gas from NREL the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the of the U.S. Department of Energy
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