If a hydrogen economy is to become a reality, along with efficient and decarbonized production and adequate transportation infrastructure, deployment of suitable hydrogen storage facilities will be crucial. This is because, due to various technical and economic reasons, there is a serious possibility of an imbalance between hydrogen supply and demand. Hydrogen storage could also be pivotal in promoting renewable energy sources and facilitating the decarbonization process by providing long duration storage options, which other forms of energy storage, such as batteries with capacity limitations or pumped hydro with geographical limitations, cannot meet. However, hydrogen is not the easiest substance to store and handle. Under ambient conditions, the extremely low volumetric energy density of hydrogen does not allow for its efficient and economic storage, which means it needs to be compressed, liquefied, or converted into other substances that are easier to handle and store. Currently,there are different hydrogen storage solutions at varying levels of technology, market, and commercial readiness, with different applications depending on the circumstances. This paper evaluates the relativemerits and techno-economic features of major types of hydrogen storage options: (i) pure hydrogen storage, (ii) synthetic hydrocarbons, (iii) chemical hydrides, (iv) liquid organic hydrogen carriers, (v) metal hydrides, and (vi) porous materials. The paper also discusses the main barriers to investment in hydrogen storage and highlights key features of a viable usiness model, in particular the policy and regulatory framework needed to address the primary risks to which potential hydrogen storage investors are exposed.
如果我们的能源系统向氢能经济转型，氢的储存将是最大的挑战之一。目前所有可用的解决方案在许多不同方面都不令人满意。复杂的氢化物，尤其是丙二酸钠，作为化学储存的替代品，正处于高级发展阶段。在发现和优化催化剂后，再加氢时间可以减少到只有几分钟。催化提高去氢和再氢速率的概念似乎是可推广的，因此有希望发现更多技术上有用的复杂氢化物。
