Experts are discussing the possibilities of using hydrogen to replace diesel as the baseload fuel on remote mining sites.
But according to the president of the International Association for Hydrogen Safety, Stuart Hawksworth, in order for that goal to become a reality, hydrogen needs to be seen as safe.
Hydrogen is seen as a fuel with export potential as many cities seek to increase renewables in their total energy mix
Talking at the International Conference on Hydrogen Safety taking place in Adelaide, South Australia, Hawksworth said that it is essential that the lessons learned from safety incidents are shared collaboratively and on an open international stage.
These types of discussions -he said- have allowed for hydrogen technologies and hydrogen fuel applications to emerge in the past two years as a source of clean energy.
“It has so many wide-ranging applications, and in a country like Australia, offers such game-changing scenarios as potentially replacing diesel as the baseload fuel on remote mining sites,” the executive said. “It is also being eyed for its future use in fueling defence and space breakthroughs – two sectors close to Australia and South Australia’s technological and industrial heart.”
The year 2019, in particular, has seen increased interest in the development of mechanisms to amplify the use of hydrogen as an energy source, with researchers developing different kinds of sensors capable of detecting leaks in seconds and avoiding the risk of fires.