In a demonstration project located at the AEP Ohio Coal Rose Valley Site in Hopedale, Ohio, this 200 kilowatt fuel cell cleanly generates electricity using coalbed natural gas.

In the past 150 years, the United States has become increasingly dependent on fossil fuel combustion for transportation, power generation, and industrial processes. But combustion of fossil fuels has an environmental price, including air and water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Today, the Nation is laying the foundation for a new energy platform— a platform that uses hydrogen as an energy carrier to power fuel cells and other systems. Unlike traditional combustion systems, hydrogen systems produce energy using a battery-like electrochemical process. When used to power vehicles or generate electricity, fuel cells emit virtually no pollution or greenhouse gases.

However, serious technical challenges must be addressed to achieve the transition to a hydrogen-based economy. In particular, our Nation will need to develop clean systems to produce abundant, affordable supplies of hydrogen; extensive infrastructures for hydrogen storage and distribution; and safe, efficient, and economical systems that utilize hydrogen.

When combined with carbon sequestration, hydrogen production from domestic fossil fuels is one promising avenue for ensuring plentiful, environmentally sound hydrogen supplies. Today, the most abundant U.S. fossil resource – and one of the most affordable from which to make hydrogen – is coal. Coal-based hydrogen production relies on gasification facilities that can be designed to produce pure hydrogen alone or in combination with electricity. Coal-derived gaseous fuels, such as hydrogen and methanol, are promising fuels for use in fuel cell vehicles, and the existing coal infrastructure provides a reliable supply network for coal power and transportation fuel applications.

Energy security, environmental quality, and global competitiveness in energy technology are moving the United States toward a hydrogen economy. President Bush's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative responds to these market and policy drivers, addressing the need for hydrogen as a secure future energy source for the United States.

NETL's Contributions
NETL is engaged in a wide array of research efforts into hydrogen and fuel cells in alignment with the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative. NETL conducts research and technology development efforts related to separating hydrogen from fossil fuels and utilizing this hydrogen for distributed and centralized power generation. Some of these efforts have cross-over relevance to fuel cell technologies for use in transportation.

NETL activities that help to move the United States toward a hydrogen economy include the following:

• Hydrogen from fossil fuels
  NETL manages a portfolio of R&D projects related to the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels. Current research efforts start with coal gasification to produce a synthesis or "syngas." The syngas is subjected to the water gas shift reaction, after which hydrogen is separated from the carbon monoxide (and other minor gas components) using membranes based on palladium-copper alloys, ceramics, or ceramic/metal (cermet) composites. Other research efforts are focusing on reformer technology for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, and the integration of processes from other industries to produce economical hydrogen for use in fuel refining.
• Power generation using hydrogen
  NETL, in partnership with private industry and others, is leading the development and demonstration of high-efficiency solid oxide fuel cells for distributed generation and fuel cell/turbine hybrid power generation systems for highly efficient and clean central power systems.
• Onsite hydrogen research
  NETL has distinguished onsite capabilities in technology research and development related to hydrogen production from fossil fuels. This research addresses coal gasification and hydrogen separation. In addition, NETL is conducting research into new methods for processing waste gases such as those containing hydrogen sulfide into valuable hydrogen and sulfur products.

Other NETL onsite R&D addresses hydrogen utilization. In the area of fuel cells, NETL investigates the fundamental mechanisms of gas combustion and conversion under the dynamic conditions of fuel cells. In addition, NETL test facilities provide new insights into the everyday operation of fuel cells and gas turbine hybrid systems in a hydrogen economy.