{"id":10280134,"date":"2025-09-30T15:31:51","date_gmt":"2025-09-30T10:01:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/?post_type=article&p=10280134"},"modified":"2025-10-03T12:11:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T06:41:10","slug":"hydrogen-revolution-how-the-clean-fuel-could-power-our-future-10280134","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/technology\/science\/hydrogen-revolution-how-the-clean-fuel-could-power-our-future-10280134\/","title":{"rendered":"From sun to steel: How hydrogen could fuel our next energy revolution"},"content":{"rendered":"

For millennia, humans looked up to the Sun in awe, worshipping it as the giver of light and life. Ancient cultures built temples, calendars, and stories around its steady rise and fall. Only in the 20th century did physicists discover its true engine: a vast furnace of hydrogen, fusing atomic nuclei at extreme pressures and temperatures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sun behaves like a giant nuclear-fusion reactor, Hans Bethe described in his Nobel presentation, converting mass into energy at its core. Now, humanity is attempting a mirror trick \u2014 not to fuse hydrogen under stellar pressures, but to use it as fuel here on Earth. We\u2019re trying to take what powers stars and turn it into something that can power cars, homes, and industries.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Hydrogen as fuel?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Hydrogen is appealing because it burns cleanly: when combined with oxygen in a fuel cell, it produces electricity and releases only water vapor as exhaust. Unlike batteries, which must be recharged, hydrogen can be refueled quickly \u2014 much like petrol or diesel \u2014 making it attractive for long-haul trucks, buses, ships, and potentially even planes.<\/span><\/p><\/ev-engagement><\/ev-engagement>

\n
Also Read<\/span> | How a kite in a lightning storm led to the science behind Wi-Fi and MRI machines<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

And hydrogen isn\u2019t just about cars. Properly harnessed, it could power homes, balance electricity grids, and store renewable energy from solar and wind farms for months at a time, smoothing out supply when the sun isn\u2019t shining and the wind isn\u2019t blowing. In principle, it could provide a backbone for a carbon-free society.<\/span><\/p>\n

Practical problems: Storing and transporting<\/b><\/h3>\n

For all its promise, hydrogen comes with headaches. The biggest is its <\/span>low density<\/b>. At room temperature, one kilogram of hydrogen would fill about 11 cubic meters \u2014 the size of a small bedroom. Petrol, by contrast, packs the same mass into just over a liter. This means hydrogen must be:<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd88Compressed<\/b> to high pressures (up to 700 bar),<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd88Liquefied<\/b> at cryogenic temperatures (\u2013253 \u00b0C),<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd88Or <\/span>absorbed onto advanced nano-materials<\/b> like metal hydrides or porous carbons that act like sponges.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\nCompressed gas tanks are what current hydrogen vehicles use, but future trucks and buses may adopt nano-surface storage systems, which could make hydrogen easier and safer to handle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Energy Content: Hydrogen vs Petrol<\/b><\/h3>\n

Hydrogen stands out because, when it reacts \u2014 either by burning in oxygen or through fuel cells \u2014 it releases far more energy per kilogram than petrol or diesel. In fact, these reactions yield almost three times as much usable energy per unit of weight compared to conventional fuels. That\u2019s why hydrogen was so valuable for rockets like Saturn V, where every kilogram mattered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd88Hydrogen (H\u2082):<\/b> ~120 MJ\/kg<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd88Petrol:<\/b> ~44 MJ\/kg<\/span><\/p>\n

That means hydrogen carries nearly <\/span>three times more energy by mass<\/b>. The drawback is that hydrogen is the lightest element, so while it packs great energy for its weight, it takes up a lot of space. By <\/span>volume<\/b>, hydrogen poses a challenge: a kilogram (uncompressed) occupies 11 cubic meters, while petrol fits in just over a liter. So, compared to petrol, it is energy-rich by mass and energy-sparse by volume.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Also Read<\/span> | Gravity’s secrets: From Newton’s apple to black holes, it is still a mystery<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

This tension is central to hydrogen\u2019s engineering problems. To make it practical, it must be stored at high pressures, at extremely low temperatures as liquid hydrogen, or absorbed onto special materials.<\/span><\/p>\n

Weight: Hydrogen vs EV battery<\/b><\/h3>\n

One subtle but important difference between hydrogen fuel and electric batteries is how vehicle weight changes during a trip. A lithium-ion EV battery weighs the same whether fully charged or nearly empty \u2014 the car always carries that heavy load, increasing rolling resistance and reducing efficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n

By contrast, hydrogen is consumed during the journey, so the vehicle\u2019s weight gradually decreases. Combine this with hydrogen\u2019s superior energy density by mass, and hydrogen-powered heavy transport (trucks, buses) may enjoy lower frictional losses and longer ranges in some contexts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other uses of hydrogen<\/b><\/h3>\n

Hydrogen could do much more than power vehicles. Some of its potential uses:<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude80Heating and cooking:<\/b> Hydrogen can be blended into natural gas pipelines or used directly in boilers and stoves designed for it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude80Backup and off-grid power:<\/b> Fuel cells can deliver reliable electricity to hospitals, data centers, remote communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude80Seasonal energy storage:<\/b> Hydrogen produced from surplus solar or wind energy in summer can be stored and used in winter.<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83d\ude80Industrial processes:<\/b> Steel production, cement, ammonia\/fertilizer synthesis \u2014 all heavy-carbon industries that currently burn coal\/natural gas \u2014 can be decarbonised by switching to hydrogen.<\/span><\/p>\n

This broader scope shows why hydrogen is seen not just as an alternative to EVs, but as a pillar in the broader clean-energy economy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Hydrogen as fuel: The long journey<\/b><\/h3>\n

\u00a0Hydrogen\u2019s story as a fuel is long and dramatic.\u00a0 Its first widespread use was not in cars or rockets but in the skies, as a lifting gas for the airships of the 19th and early 20th-century. Hydrogen\u2019s low density made it perfect for buoyancy, but it was also dangerously flammable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The most infamous reminder came in 1937, when the German airship Hindenburg burst into flames while docking in New Jersey. Although later studies suggested the airship\u2019s skin coating contributed more to the fire than the hydrogen itself, the disaster seared hydrogen into the public imagination as something risky.<\/span><\/p>\n

After the Hindenburg, hydrogen\u2019s use as a transport fuel largely disappeared, surviving mainly in industrial applications like fertilizer production and refining. It would take decades before it re-emerged as an energy carrier of global importance. The Cold War space race provided the stage: engineers searching for fuels with the highest energy-to-weight ratio turned again to liquid hydrogen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also Read<\/span> | Speed of light: Why nothing in our universe can go faster<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n

During the Apollo missions, NASA relied on hydrogen both to power the mighty Saturn V rockets and to run the spacecraft\u2019s fuel cells. Astronauts even drank the water those fuel cells produced.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0If hydrogen could take us to the Moon, its advocates argue, it can also help us build a sustainable energy future back home.<\/span><\/p>\n

How the world uses hydrogen<\/b><\/h3>\n

\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5Japan<\/b> has made hydrogen a national priority. It runs hydrogen buses and is pushing hydrogen supply chains and \u201chydrogen towns.\u201d
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddfaEurope<\/b> is rolling out hydrogen strategies across countries like Germany, France, and the Netherlands. The European Union has declared hydrogen central to decarbonization.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddf3China<\/b> is investing heavily in hydrogen production, fuel-cell vehicles, and pilot projects to integrate hydrogen with its renewables.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8United States<\/b> is boosting funding for hydrogen hubs, green hydrogen research, and deploying hydrogen infrastructure in California, Texas, and other energy states.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3India<\/b> has launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission, aiming to scale up hydrogen production, create demand, and build storage\/fueling systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each region is at a different stage: some are deploying networks, others are still in pilot phases. But everywhere, the energy transition is driving hydrogen from laboratory curiosity toward infrastructure ambition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where do we go from here?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Hydrogen has the potential to beat EVs in specific niches \u2014 heavy transport, shipping, industrial energy storage \u2014 while EVs will likely dominate personal cars. The future energy mix may not be batteries <\/span>or<\/b> hydrogen, but batteries <\/span>and<\/b> hydrogen, each serving its best use.<\/span><\/p>\n

But hydrogen still needs three major breakthroughs:<\/span><\/p>\n

\ud83e\udeb4Lower-cost green hydrogen<\/b> produced via renewable-powered electrolysis
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\ud83e\udeb4Scalable hydrogen infrastructure<\/b>, with pipelines, fueling stations, and storage
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\ud83e\udeb4Public and regulatory support<\/b>, to reduce barriers and reassure about safety<\/span><\/p>\n

The hydrogen revolution is still young.\u00a0 But once key pieces fall into place,hydrogen could do more than fuel cars; it could power the grids, heat our homes, support industries, and redefine how society runs on energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Shravan Hanasoge is an astrophysicist at the\u00a0Tata<\/a> Institute of Fundamental Research.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hydrogen, the element that powers stars, could also fuel our cars, homes, and industries. Clean, energy-dense, and versatile, it may be key to a carbon-free 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