Providing reliable and affordable power to remote parts of the world has long been a challenge.
For much of Australia, Solar panels provide the lowest cost power, while wind turbines are also low cost, but they are both intermittent and therefore unreliable, so the problem in both cases is how to reliably supply electricity when needed.
Increasingly, as a result of improvements in technology, research and development, Hydrogen can be produced on-site to provide energy when the sun is not shining /wind not blowing and is therefore emerging as the new fuel source to power remote locations, leveraging its potential as a clean, abundant and versatile energy source.
The process of harnessing hydrogen power involves a number of technologies including fuel cells and hydrogen production methods.
Understanding the economics and practicalities of how hydrogen can be used for powering remote locations is essential when making investment decisions.
Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Hydrogen fuel cells can be used in standalone power systems providing electricity for remote locations. These systems store excess energy and deliver power as needed.
Hydrogen Production Methods
Electrolysis uses electricity to split water (H2O) into hydrogen and oxygen molecules. When renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, are used to generate electricity for electrolysis, the produced hydrogen is considered “green hydrogen”.
Steam Methane Reforming is another method to produce hydrogen, primarily from natural gas. Though it is not strictly a green method, it is still utilized in various locations.
Integration with Renewable Energies
In remote locations with renewable energy installations, hydrogen can serve as an energy storage medium. Surplus power from wind or solar installations can be used to produce hydrogen, which can be stored and used later to generate electricity when needed.
Hydrogen can also be used to help stabilize electrical grids in remote areas, working alongside other energy sources, including renewables, to ensure a steady power supply.
Transportation and Distribution
In remote locations, hydrogen can be used as a fuel for vehicles, with hydrogen fuelling stations providing the necessary infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered transportation.
Hydrogen can be transported to remote locations through pipelines or in tanks as a compressed or liquefied gas, providing a ready and convenient way to distribute clean energy to places that are far from traditional power grids.
Hydrogen is expensive, on an energy unit basis, to transport due to its very low energy density per unit of volume, which means it is usually highly compressed, which needs very heavy containers.
Hydrogen can be used as a community-level energy solution, with localized hydrogen production and storage facilities providing power to individual buildings or groups of buildings, such as mine camps in remote areas.
Off-grid Hydrogen applications like remote monitoring stations, telecommunications infrastructure, and other critical facilities, provide a reliable, clean power source where traditional energy infrastructure is not available or is too expensive to install.
The ongoing research and development is continuing to advance and optimize hydrogen production, storage and utilization technologies to better serve remote locations.
It is essential to mention that hydrogen energy solutions face several challenges including production costs, transportation logistics, and the need for specialized infrastructure and technologies.
Through continuous innovation and development, hydrogen has the potential to play a significant role in powering remote locations sustainably and effectively in the near future.
PrimaryMarkets provides investors with access to companies that are shaping the future of hydrogen and standing at the forefront of the clean energy revolution. We provide access to opportunities previously only accessible to institutional investors.
We have seen and currently have on the PrimaryMarkets Platform a number of Hydrogen opportunities, both via hydrogen companies raising capital and share trading opportunities.
PrimaryMarkets has raised capital for companies developing some of the most important advances in hydrogen power, including Hydrogenus Energy, whose hydrogen fuelled gensets can also be utilized as backup power sources, providing power during outages or supplementing intermittent renewable energy sources. Australian developed, the Hydrogenus internal combustion engine/generator operates safely, effectively and efficiently using low pressure Hydrogen injection as its only fuel and emits zero carbon and no other dangerous pollutants.
PrimaryMarkets exemplifies how innovation can transform the way we invest, trade and raise capital by breaking down traditional barriers, providing liquidity solutions and promoting transparency.
As the Platform continues to grow and evolve it promises to unlock even more opportunities for investors and the companies shaping the future of economies.