In the midst of a moment of change and great advances to fight against the already known carbon footprint, hydrogen takes positions in the race to establish itself as a primary fuel or value against the traditional ones. We cannot forget the enormous impact created by the emissions of traditional vehicles today, and such a change in mobility would be a great step forward on our way to net zero, thanks to a much more sustainable mobility.
Hydrogen cars produce zero emissions with their mobility, as they emit only water vapor. Another of their great advantages is that hydrogen fuel cell cars are also incredibly efficient. Their operation is based on converting hydrogen into electricity through a process called electrolysis, which we have already mentioned in this blog on several occasions. This process is much more efficient than the combustion process used in traditional gasoline cars and makes these vehicles a much more environmentally friendly option and a crucial step in reducing our carbon footprint.
This alternative could enable us to achieve the current target set by the EU of reducing CO2 emissions from new cars by 55% and from vans and large vehicles by 50% by 2030. However, the EU intends to increase this target to 100% by 2035 and adjust it if necessary to achieve its climate objectives.
The use of hydrogen as a vehicle fuel offers refueling times similar to traditional vehicles, between 3 and 5 minutes, while electric vehicles take from 30 minutes onwards to complete their charge, thus facilitating hydrogens cars adoption for long-distance travel.
It is important to keep in mind that the hydrogen refueling infrastructure is still under development and is not as widespread as traditional gas stations. In Spain there are currently only six hydrogen refueling stations located in Madrid, Seville, Zaragoza, Albacete, Puertollano and Huesca, although they are expected to grow in the coming years. Companies such as Naturgy are betting heavily on this technology and have announced plans to build up to 120 hydrogen plants, of which 38 could be operational by 2025.