hydrogen economy

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a proposed energy system in which hydrogen gas serves as a universal energy carrier, produced from renewable electricity via electrolysis (green hydrogen), stored and transported at scale, and used in fuel cells, industrial processes, and combustion applications to replace fossil fuels; the hydrogen economy vision encompasses production, distribution, storage, and end-use across power generation, heavy transport (shipping, aviation, trucking), steel and cement manufacturing, and residential heating; challenges include the high cost of green hydrogen production, the energy losses inherent in conversion between electricity and hydrogen, the need for new infrastructure, and safety considerations around hydrogen's low ignition energy and wide flammability range; hydrogen is considered most promising for hard-to-decarbonise sectors where direct electrification is impractical