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Maleus_ t1_iwq6t0v wrote

Reply to comment by Kaionacho in Overhyping hydrogen as a fuel risks endangering net-zero goals by filosoful

But a lot of current renewable energy sources lack any meaningful way to store the produced energy. Why not use the excess electricity wind and solar can create, which can not be stored, to produce hydrogen instead?

It is probably way easier to do, and doesn't need as much rare earths as giant lithium batteries would need. Also, hydrogen can be used for many things, including just electricity production if need be.

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My_Soul_to_Squeeze t1_iwq96w4 wrote

Just replacing one storage problem with another.

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AngryRedGummyBear t1_iwqdlaf wrote

Hydrogen + Co gives hydrocarbons.

We already know how to store hydrocarbons.

Issue is most hydrogen comes from natural gas right now, so using renewable excess or nuclear for hydrogen to Fischer Tropsch into hydrocarbons is just a workable idea, but natural gas -hydrogen-hydrocarbon would be a really inefficient circle.

Also, they're really, really pure hydrocarbons.

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