Hydrogen revolution in Nepal: A vision for sustainable future

Prime Minister (PM) Pushpa Kamal Dahal's intriguing aspiration to experience a hydrogen-powered car really caught my attention. It made me question the legitimacy of his remarks. Did he really mean it or just said it to boost his popularity? It also shed some light on how unbeknown Nepali population is in regards to hydrogen. Even though hydrogen has a storied history as an energy source dating back to 1804, Nepal has seldom used it. So, it is common for most Nepali to view hydrogen as new source of energy. So let me shed dome light on how hydrogen is produced, what are its application, how population around the world are using hydrogen as a source of energy and how we as a nation can capitalize on its potential.

There are numerous ways of producing hydrogen. The most common process to produce hydrogen is through a process called steam methane reforming (SMR), which involves the reaction of natural gas with steam to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2). The CO2 produced is typically released into the atmosphere, making this process environmentally unfriendly. The hydrogen produced in this process are called gray or blue hydrogen.