An electrolysis-based pathway towards hydrogen fueling

Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis systems have been utilized in industrial gas and military applications for decades and these systems are now being implemented to serve new emerging fuel and energy markets, including markets for hydrogen vehicle refueling. These systems produce hydrogen fuel from water and electricity; oxygen gas is the only byproduct from the electrolyzer. When combined with renewable sources of electricity, these systems offer a potential pathway to zero pollution fueling. The hydrogen fuel can be placed directly into the tank onboard the hydrogen vehicle or it can be stored at the fueling station and used to fuel vehicles at a later time. The oxygen is simply vented or it can be used in any other process where it can be utilized. Significant opportunities exist for developing PEM electrolysis-based fueling systems that deliver cost competitive, high purity hydrogen fuel. For cases where electricity prices are low and gasoline prices are high, hydrogen fuel generated from PEM electrolysis can be cost competitive with gasoline prices today. Simplified economic analysis results will be compared with the updated 2005 cost and performance goals established by the U.S. Department of Energy for future hydrogen fuel.