Materials-based hydrogen storage: Attributes for near-term, early market PEM fuel cells

Although hydrogen is widely recognized as a promising energy carrier for the transportation sector, widespread adoption of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies depends critically on the ability to store hydrogen at adequate densities, as well as release hydrogen at sufficient rates (among other requirements) to meet PEM fuel cell power plant requirements. At present, no known material or storage means exists that satisfies all requirements to enable high-volume automotive application, however materials do exist that would satisfy requirements for near-term non-vehicular PEM fuel cell applications. The US DOE recognizes that non-vehicular early market applications are the most likely paths for the successful demonstration and application of material-based hydrogen storage technology. In this review, we provide a practical overview of the most probable near-term PEM fuel cell markets as identified through market reviews with an emphasis on the attributes of the relevant materials-based hydrogen storage for those near-term markets.