Hydrogen Power Blog

Abhishek Agarwal


The need of having alternative energy sources was felt by us decades ago. University of Florida Statue and Shell Energy have jointly conducted research on trees and biomass by planting Energy Crop Plantation which is the largest in the United States. Over 250,000 native Cottonwoods and the non-invasive eucalyptus together with different row crops like soybeans sprawl over 130 acres of the Energy Crop Plantation area. The University undertook research in collaboration with some agencies and some local groups who are striving to develop future alternative energy sources independent of fossil fuels. These include The Common Purpose Institute, Shell, Department of Energy of US and various individual groups. As an outcome of their ceaseless efforts, this group of super trees got created.

These energy crops which are also called closed loop biomass are fast-growing crops and are good biomass energy supply sources. This research based project is committed to growing crops and biomass energy supplies processing from fast-growing energy crops or closed loop biomass. The research is primarily on the planting of energy crops which are fast-growing crops called closed loop biomass and processing of resultant supplies of biomass energy. The project aims at developing power wood-pulp plants which provide wood-fiber; providing clean biogas to the industries; ethanol development from plants such as sugarcane; and biodiesel fuel production from crops like soybeans.

The petroleum over-dependence of our nation for power has given rise to an urgent need for an alternative energy source to be developed. Penn State University has undertaken special research to develop anl alternative energy source which is practical and which will not cause an increase in the pollution like petroleum products. Such focused research is taking us to a hydrogen-fuelled economy, when the hydrogen power would be a sustainable and clean and endlessly renewable energy resource. This Hydrogen energy can be obtained from crop plants and water and can be continuously renewed. The Penn University seeks to build this sustainable energy resource within the US’ own infrastructure. This assumes great importance in a situation where the world’s supply of oil peaks and ultimately begins to decline. Fuel cells powered by Hydrogen need to be developed commercially to be used as substitutes or together with conventional combustion engines for motor vehicles.

President Bush recently envisaged the concentrated research and development of fivecenters of Sun Grant for this alternative energy initiative. One such center is Oregon State University with government grants of $80 million to be spread over four years span for this special mission. Thus OSU will be the leader in the research for alternate energy sources since it represents Pacific Islands, the US’ Pacific Territories, and the nine Western states. Various teams of leading scientists are doing specific research on alternative energy. One of the projects which deserves a mention here is how to convert straw-like products into an efficient and renewable source of biomass fuel and yet another project is conversion of wood fibers into efficient liquid fuel. According to Edward Ray, OSU President, this pioneering work being done by the their Sun Grant Center is the direct answer to the challenge given by President Bush for achieving energy independence.

Todd Ash


The largest blockade to hydrogen cars is no longer the technology. Sure, it isn’t 100 percent perfect yet, but advancements are being made steadily that should see hydrogen become a perfectly viable alternative to gasoline in the next few years. Rather, the problem is infrastructure, and therefore dollars and cents from a business perspective.

Since a hydrogen car requires hydrogen refueling stations, just like a gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicle does, the introduction of these clean-burning machines much be accompanied by the introduction of hydrogen filling stations; and vice versa. This reality has led to a number of pairings between manufacturers and oil companies, the latest of which is a new strategic partnership between BMW and European petroleum giant TOTAL.

It isn’t exactly a new pairing, as BMW and TOTAL have both been working with one another in Berlin on the practical testing of hydrogen as a source of energy. TOTAL itself opened a public gas station that incorporated both gasoline and hydrogen in March of this year, which takes the place of the pilot test station that had been operating in Berlin since 2002. Before the end of this year, TOTAL will finish construction on another hydrogen station in Munich near the BMW testing grounds, with a third station at an undecided location to come later.

As a leading company in processing and marketing petroleum products in Europe, TOTAL also wishes to play a leading role in the industrial and technical development of hydrogen as a fuel. As a source of energy and from the perspective of environmental care, hydrogen offers clear benefits already proven and substantiated in practice, emphasizes Michel Bzit, TOTALs Director General for Refinery Operations and Marketing.

The other half of this dynamic duo; BMW, isn’t resting on its laurels either. After years of testing a fleet of hydrogen-powered MINIs and 7-Series sedans, Professor Burkhard Gaschel, a board member at BMW AG claims that in less than two years BMW will debut a production-ready hydrogen-powered 7-series. That’s somewhat behind other manufacturers, such as Ford, which introduced a hydrogen-powered Ford Focus last year and has since distributed them in small quantities to municipalities around the USA and Canada.

Even farther ahead is German competitor Mercedes-Benz which recently celebrated its hydrogen test fleet of more than 100 cars passing the cumulative two million kilometer milestone. The vehicles, which are a varied array of hydrogen powered Europe-only A-class passenger cars, buses, and Sprinter cargo vans make up the largest real-life test of hydrogen fueled vehicles in the world, and Mercedes is looking to expand that even further by taking more hydrogen test cars to Japan, Australia, China, America, and Singapore for everyday use.

Our world-wide fleet trial is running at full steam, and after two million kilometers covered, we are gaining valuable results and findings for the further development of the emission-free fuel cell powertrain, said Prof. Dr. Herbert Kohler, Vice President Group Research and Advanced Engineering Vehicle and Powertrain and DaimlerChrysler Chief Environmental Officer.

Conversely, the third German luxury car manufacturer, Audi, seems to be lagging behind, with no news or rumours of a hydrogen test fleet or potential hydrogen cars since showing its A2H2 Fuel Cell Concept car at the World Environment Day in San Francisco during the summer of last year.