Why hydrogen?
Hydrogen is the most common element, making up 75% of the mass of the entire universe.
If you use this versatile fuel, the only by-products are electricity, heat and water.
Hydrogen fuel can be generated in a carbon-neutral way using renewable power, and it is a fuel source with many advantages for us and for our planet.
It is colourless, odourless and non-toxic, so using it doesn’t contribute to harmful emissions, acid rain or ozone depletion. Hydrogen also offers 2-3 times more energy than other common fuels and is the lightest of all elements and gases. This means that, unlike oil, if there is a hydrogen leak, it will simply disperse safely into the air.
Why hydrogen fuel cells?
Fuel cells produce electricity through a chemical reaction without combustion.
They convert hydrogen and oxygen into water, and this process generates electricity. The electrochemical conversion, which takes place in electrolysers, produces water, electricity and heat.
Fuel cells are an efficient and clean solution to generating electricity for a variety of situations.
Inside a fuel cell are two electrodes: a positively charged anode and a negatively charged cathode. These electrodes sit within an electrolyte that has a synthetic polymer membrane. This membrane keeps hydrogen and oxygen separate, only allowing certain ions through.
Hydrogen atoms are introduced at the anode side. Here, they are stripped of their negatively charged electrons. They can then pass through the anode and travel around an electrical circuit to produce electricity.
The hydrogen (which is now positively charged) now travels through the centre of the electrolyte membrane to the cathode side. At this point, it is joined by remaining oxygen atoms and electrons to form the water that is one of the by-products of fuel cells, along with electricity and heat.
