Hydrogen Facts, Myths, and More

A Hydrogen tank on a Honda FCX platform

There is nothing new under the sun.  Most do not realize that Japan and Germany´s industrial sectors manage their manufacturing based on World War II legacy hydrogen pipeline systems. Hydrogen is used as the fundamental cracking fuel by all major U.S. refineries in order to comply with U.S. emission standards. 

Hydrogen is also being developed as an electrical power storage medium. Hydrogen is not a primary energy source, but a portable energy storage method, because it must first be manufactured by other energy sources in order to be used. However, as a storage medium, it may be a significant factor in using renewable energies. See hydrogen storage.

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Underground hydrogen storage is the practice of hydrogen storage in underground caverns, salt domes and depleted oil and gas fields. Large quantities of gaseous hydrogen are stored in underground caverns for many years without any difficulties.[10] The storage of large quantities of hydrogen underground can function as grid energy storage which is essential for the hydrogen economy. By using a turboexpander, the electricity needs for compressed storage at 200 bars amounts to 2.1% of the energy content.[11]

The ConocoPhillips Clemens Terminal in Texas has stored hydrogen since the 1980s in a solution-mined salt cavern. The cavern roof is about 2,800 feet (850 m) underground. The cavern is a cylinder with a diameter of 160 feet (49 m), a height of 1,000 feet (300 m) and a usable hydrogen capacity of 1,066 million cubic feet (30.2×106 m3), or 2,520 metric tons (2,480 long tons; 2,780 short tons).[10]