Many experts refer to hydrogen as 'the fuel of the future.' It is expected to help decarbonize the global economy in two main ways: burning it or feeding it into a fuel cell produces storable energy with no carbon emissions, just water. And it can be used in place of fossil fuels or as a chemical feedstock in hard-to-decarbonize industrial processes such as steel and cement production. But for hydrogen to realize its potential, two challenges must be overcome. Researchers worldwide are now working to address the first: finding a method of producing pure hydrogen that's both cheap and low in carbon emissions. Just as critical is finding a good means of transporting and storing hydrogen. A team led by researchers at the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) has been tackling that less-discussed but important challenge. The location where the pure hydrogen is produced is likely to be far away from where it will be used, so moving it will be critical ' and difficult. The problem stems from two...
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