Petrol prices have touched Rs 110 per liter in many parts of the country. Due to this, the prices of other essential consumption items have also started increasing, due to which the budget of the households has started to deteriorate. The solution to this expensive petrol-diesel crisis is not visible in the soon future, but experts predict that with the introduction of hydrogen as an alternative fuel, the fuel crisis can be rid of forever. The biggest reason for this is that hydrogen is available in abundance in nature and we will not have to import it like petrol. This can help solve India’s acute energy crisis, as well as provide universal and affordable fuel. However, this may take up to eight to ten years.

Energy expert Narendra Taneja told Amar Ujala that hydrogen is being seen as the most promising alternative to ‘future fuel’. If India can properly utilize the potential of hydrogen, then we can get a proper and permanent solution to our big energy problem. For this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established the ‘National Hydrogen Mission’. But there are many serious challenges in this path which the world community has yet to overcome.

There are several ways to obtain hydrogen. Of these, the most popular method right now is to extract hydrogen from fossil fuels and use it as a fuel. This is by far the easiest and most convenient way. Since fossil fuels are ultimately being used to extract hydrogen in this way, this method is not going to eliminate dependence on fossil fuels, which is why it is not viewed very well.

Hydrogen also exists as a component in water. Obtaining hydrogen by artificially separating it from water may appear to be an easy option, but so far the method of separating hydrogen from water has been extremely expensive. The amount of natural gas or other fuel used to obtain hydrogen by this method is not economical in terms of hydrogen extracted. That is, the cost of obtaining hydrogen is very high, while the hydrogen obtained is of relatively little value. Therefore, this method is not economically useful even though it is technically suitable. If it can be made affordable by improving its method, then it can prove to be very effective. For now, that’s not likely.

The most suitable hydrogen is considered to be green hydrogen, which can be obtained by recycling biowaste waste. Hydrogen obtained from this point of view has zero carbon emissions, so it is considered best for the environment. The government is trying to bring all these options to a practical level.

Issues
The potential for hydrogen fuel is enormous. One liter of hydrogen generates three times more energy than one liter of diesel, so it is very useful in this respect. But to hold one liter of hydrogen, a tank of 11 thousand liters is needed, because it is very light and its volume is very large. For this, it has to be converted into liquid form. But the process of converting hydrogen into liquid form is also very expensive, so it is still not very practical. Scientists are working to develop a process for the cheap transportation of hydrogen.

Reliance will invest
Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh Ambani has said that India is continuously working to reduce the prices of hydrogen. India’s target is that these prices should come down to one dollar per kilogram. It may take six years to do this, but as soon as this happens, new opportunities for hydrogen may open up. Reliance has also tied up with a European company to do this, in which the said company will provide technical support to Reliance.

As far as the use of hydrogen in vehicles is concerned, for this hydrogen will have to be brought to a very safe level like petrol-diesel or CNG. Some vehicles are being run on a pilot project, but a lot of research and investment is still needed to make it successful on a practical level. But it is believed that these technical obstacles will soon be overcome and after that, a big energy crisis will end forever.