Hydrogen Storage

Hydrogen storage covers the several methods that exist for storing hydrogen, including mechanical approaches using high pressure and low temperature, and chemical compounds that release hydrogen gas on demand. Although industries produce large amounts of hydrogen, most of it is consumed at the site of production, notably for the synthesis of ammonia. For many years hydrogen has been stored as a compressed gas or a cryogenic liquid, and transported that way in cylinders, tubes and cryogenic tanks for industrial use or as a rocket propellant in space programs. The overarching challenge is hydrogen's very low boiling point, around 20.3 kelvin, or about minus 253 degrees Celsius, so achieving and maintaining such low temperatures requires expending significant energy.