Hydrogen is high on the political and innovation agendas of many countries, research institutions and companies. It is an energy medium with great potential for contributing to a transition towards carbon-neutral energy, however, hydrogen sources are dominated by fossil fuels, and the technical and economic challenges remain considerable. This report provides an overview of current hydrogen and fuel cell technology trends internationally, and with a specific focus on developments and implementation in China.

The United States and China are the world's top two energy consumers and, as of 2010, the two largest economies. Consequently, they have a decisive role to play in the world's clean energy future. Both countries are also motivated by related goals, namely diversified energy portfolios, job creation, energy security, and pollution reduction, making renewable energy development an important strategy with wide-ranging implications. Given the size of their energy markets, any substantial progress the two countries make in advancing use of renewable energy will provide global benefits, in terms of enhanced technological understanding, reduced costs through expanded deployment, and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to conventional generation from fossil fuels. Within this context, the U.S. National Academies, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), reviewed renewable energy development and deployment in the two countries, to highlight prospects for collaboration across the research to deployment chain and to suggest strategies which would promote more rapid and economical attainment of renewable energy goals. Main findings and concerning renewable resource assessments, technology development, environmental impacts, market infrastructure, among others, are presented. Specific recommendations have been limited to those judged to be most likely to accelerate the pace of deployment, increase cost-competitiveness, or shape the future market for renewable energy. The recommendations presented here are also pragmatic and achievable.

Hydrogen and fuel cells are vital technologies to ensure a secure and CO2-free energy future. Their development will take decades of extensive public and private effort to achieve technology breakthroughs and commercial maturity. Government research programs are indispensable for catalyzing the development process. This report maps the IEA countries' current efforts to research, develop and deploy the interlocking elements that constitute a "hydrogen economy", including CO2 capture and storage when hydrogen is produced out of fossil fuels. It provides an overview of what is being done, and by whom, covering an extensive complexity of national government R & D programs. The survey highlights the potential for exploiting the benefits of the international cooperation. This book draws primarily upon information contributed by IEA governments. In virtually all the IEA countries, important R & D and policy efforts on hydrogen and fuel cells are in place and expanding. Some are fully-integrated, government-funded programs, some are a key element in an overall strategy spread among multiple public and private efforts. The large amount of information provided in this publication reflects the vast array of technologies and logistics required to build the "hydrogen economy."--Publisher description.

This book highlights the opportunities and the challenges of introducing hydrogen as alternative transport fuel from an economic, technical and environmental point of view. Through its multi-disciplinary approach the book provides researchers, decision makers and policy makers with a solid and wide-ranging knowledge base concerning the hydrogen economy.

WIPO’s second edition of the Green Technology Book illustrates how innovation, technology and intellectual property are at the forefront of climate change mitigation. This edition focuses on cities, agriculture and land use, and industry showcasing the diversity of developed and emerging technologies and solutions that aim to mitigate climate change.

This book introduces readers to hydrogen as an essential energy carrier for use with renewable sources of primary energy. It provides an overview of the state of the art, while also highlighting the developmental and market potential of hydrogen in the context of energy technologies; mobile, stationary and portable applications; uninterruptible power supplies and in the chemical industry. Written by experienced practitioners, the book addresses the needs of engineers, chemists and business managers, as well as graduate students and researchers.

Aline Leon ́ In the last years, public attention was increasingly shifted by the media and world governmentsto the conceptsof saving energy,reducingpollution,protectingthe - vironment, and developing long-term energy supply solutions. In parallel, research funding relating to alternative fuels and energy carriers is increasing on both - tional and international levels. Why has future energy supply become such a matter of concern? The reasons are the problems created by the world’s current energy supply s- tem which is mainly based on fossil fuels. In fact, the energystored in hydrocarb- based solid, liquid, and gaseous fuels was, is, and will be widely consumed for internal combustion engine-based transportation, for electricity and heat generation in residential and industrial sectors, and for the production of fertilizers in agric- ture, as it is convenient, abundant, and cheap. However, such a widespread use of fossil fuels by a constantly growing world population (from 2. 3 billion in 1939 to 6. 5 billion in 2006) gives rise to the two problems of oil supply and environmental degradation. The problemrelated to oil supply is caused by the fact that fossil fuels are not - newable primary energy sources: This means that since the rst barrel of petroleum has been pumped out from the ground, we have been exhausting a heritage given by nature.

This open access book is an encyclopaedic analysis of the current and future energy system of the world’s most populous country and second biggest economy. What happens in China impacts the planet. In the past 40 years China has achieved one of the most remarkable economic growth rates in history. Its GDP has risen by a factor of 65, enabling 850,000 people to rise out of poverty. Growth on this scale comes with consequences. China is the world’s biggest consumer of primary energy and the world’s biggest emitter of CO2 emissions. Creating a prosperous and harmonious society that delivers economic growth and a high quality of life for all will require radical change in the energy sector, and a rewiring of the economy more widely. In China’s Energy Revolution in the Context of the Global Energy Transition, a team of researchers from the Development Research Center of the State Council of China and Shell International examine how China can revolutionise its supply and use of energy. They examine the entire energy system: coal, oil, gas, nuclear, renewables and new energies in production, conversion, distribution and consumption. They compare China with case studies and lessons learned in other countries. They ask which technology, policy and market mechanisms are required to support the change and they explore how international cooperation can smooth the way to an energy revolution in China and across the world. And, they create and compare scenarios on possible pathways to a future energy system that is low-carbon, affordable, secure and reliable.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy of a reaction (between fuel and oxidant) directly into electricity. Given their efficiency and low emissions, fuel cells provide an important alternative to power produced from fossil fuels. A major challenge in their use is the need for better materials to make fuel cells cost-effective and more durable. This important book reviews developments in materials to fulfil the potential of fuel cells as a major power source.After introductory chapters on the key issues in fuel cell materials research, the book reviews the major types of fuel cell. These include alkaline fuel cells, polymer electrolyte fuel cells, direct methanol fuel cells, phosphoric acid fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells and regenerative fuel cells. The book concludes with reviews of novel fuel cell materials, ways of analysing performance and issues affecting recyclability and life cycle assessment.With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Materials for fuel cells is a valuable reference for all those researching, manufacturing and using fuel cells in such areas as automotive engineering. - Examines the key issues in fuel cell materials research - Reviews the major types of fuel cells such as direct methanol and regenerative fuel cells - Further chapters explore ways of analysing performance and issues affecting recyclability and life cycle assessment