| Hydrogen is generally considered as the potential energy carrier of the future, replacing traditional hydrocarbon-based energy sources by renewable ones in the long term.
Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas. It is the simplest, lightest element in the universe, made up of a single proton with one electron. Because of its simplicity, it is believed by some to be the root of all elements. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, making up more than 90% of all matter.
It is the third most abundant element in the earth's surface, found in water and all organic matter. Hydrogen has the highest energy density of all fuels: a given weight of hydrogen has three times the energy content as the same weight of petrol. When hydrogen is burnt, it releases considerable energy as heat. The only residual product is water. The combustion process is so clean, in fact, you could drink the water from your exhaust pipe.
But even today under special niche-conditions, hydrogen produced for instance by electrolysis already can be economical and thus make hydrogen attractive as fuel for mobile applications. New hydrogen applications for fuel cells will gain an additional share in the hydrogen market which is presently dominated by the chemical and refining industry.
Linde has both the capabilities for designing and constructing hydrogen plants as well as operating them with its own staff, thus supplying customers with hydrogen and also other industrial gases in all desired capacity ranges. |
