Is Hydrogen Indispensable for a Sustainable World? A Review of H2 Applications and Perspectives for the Next Years

Abstract

Hydrogen (H2) was one of the first molecules discovered by our society, being the most abundant element in the whole universe. Thus, H2 has gained a lot of attention throughout the years, and it has lots of applications in different areas, especially since it offers ways to decarbonize a lot of sectors, mainly the ones where it has been proved to be very difficult to meaningfully reduce those carbon emissions. Herein, the main aspects of the hydrogen economy and its main applications for energy, transportation and industries are described. These main areas outline how important is H2 for our society highlighting how H2 can make those well-known processes more sustainable and greener. By the end, a brief discussion on these applications with future perspectives is presented.