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Hydrogen, the universe’s most prevalent element, has been a fascination for scientists, thinkers, and visionaries for centuries. Before the modern laboratories were able to purify and comprehend its properties, hydrogen was already being imagined in fantastical forms—possibly most famously in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, where Captain Nemo’s vessel, Nautilus, was powered by “the electricity of water.”. Now, this sci-fi vision looms closer to reality as the world is in a rush to decarbonize and innovate. Hydrogen is no longer a mere theoretical fuel; it is being tapped as a cornerstone of future technologies, particularly in the fields of energy, transportation, aerospace, and even computing.
Hydrogen (H₂) is an odorless and colorless gas that, when utilized as fuel, only releases water vapor as a product. This makes it an extremely attractive option in the fight against climate change. Unlike fossil fuels, it doesn’t emit carbon dioxide when burned or converted into electricity in fuel cells. There are a number of means hydrogen is generated: grey hydrogen, which comes from natural gas with carbon emissions; blue hydrogen, which recovers and stores the CO₂; and green hydrogen, which through electrolyzing water from clean electricity sources such as solar or wind. Green hydrogen is the most environmentally friendly, but also the costliest because of the requirement for clean electricity and state-of-the-art infrastructure.
The problem, though, is in the storage, distribution, and price of green hydrogen. It is a low-density gas that can be compressed at high pressure or liquefied at very low temperatures, both of which are energy-intensive. However, with advancing technology and countries heavily investing, these barriers are being overcome through new storage materials, better electrolyzers, and long-term policy schemes.
Jules Verne’s imagination in the guise of Captain Nemo was visionary. In Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the Nautilus submarine produced its own hydrogen by electrolyzing seawater and then burning that hydrogen as fuel. That is precisely the mechanism of modern hydrogen electrolysis. Today’s prototype hydrogen-powered submarines are actually replicating that same concept, not for science fiction but for actual applications such as deep-sea research and stealth combat missions. Quiet, zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell underwater vehicles will shortly be a norm instead of a novelty.
Hydrogen is also gaining traction as the future of motoring. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have the advantage of refueling much quicker, travelling further, and performing under the most extreme conditions better than battery electric cars. Big auto manufacturers such as Toyota and Hyundai already have hydrogen-powered cars on the market. In Japan and Germany, hydrogen-powered buses, trains, and trucks already operate. For India with its issues of long-distance freight, heat, and enormous public transport requirements, hydrogen-fueled mobility may provide a clean and viable solution in places where batteries won’t do.
But beyond vehicles, hydrogen’s true potential lies in fueling the invisible support system of our civilization—industry. The steel, cement, and chemical industries are among the largest carbon polluters, and substituting their conventional fuel sources with hydrogen can transform building and manufacturing. Steel mills across Europe are already testing “green steel,” produced with hydrogen rather than coal. If India follows this trend, it would be able to reduce emissions while increasing innovation.
Even in data-intensive industries such as cloud computing, hydrogen is starting to find a foothold. Industry behemoths Microsoft and Amazon are piloting hydrogen-based backup systems for their enormous data centers. As digital services and artificial intelligence take off, the need for clean, uninterrupted power becomes paramount. Hydrogen, with its potential to store energy for decades without degrading, could become the default energy buffer stock for digital infrastructure in the future.
Looking upward, hydrogen has a solid legacy in space. NASA has long used liquid hydrogen as rocket fuel due to its high energy density. But the next generation of hydrogen-powered drones and aircraft promises to change aerial mobility too. Silent, high-altitude drones that can stay airborne for days or weeks are now being developed with hydrogen fuel cells. These could transform weather forecasting, military reconnaissance, farm monitoring, and even disaster relief. For India, hydrogen-powered flying platforms might be a low-cost, clean solution to remote-area logistics, particularly in disaster-prone or border areas.
In the energy sector, hydrogen may address one of the largest issues in the renewable energy system: storage. Solar and wind power aren’t always available, and batteries, although getting better, have their own constraints. Hydrogen provides a compelling option—excess daytime solar power can be employed to produce hydrogen, which can be stored and then be converted back into electricity as required. This is referred to as a “power-to-gas” model and may be an essential piece of the next-generation smart grids. Germany and Australia are already incorporating hydrogen into their grid plans. India also can develop village-scale microgrids based on solar-hydrogen loops, making clean energy available in rural areas.
All these future uses notwithstanding, hydrogen has some real-world challenges. The production of green hydrogen is still expensive, particularly for nations that heavily rely on coal and natural gas for electricity. Constructing a whole hydrogen infrastructure—from pipelines and storage tanks to filling stations and safety norms—is a huge task. There is also the issue of public acceptance and awareness. Hydrogen is extremely flammable, and its safety record has to be demonstrated in order to be widely accepted. Moreover, the absence of definite regulatory frameworks and incentives hamper progress in most areas.
All the same, the ball is rolling. India’s National Hydrogen Mission is a bold initiative toward hydrogen becoming a support of the energy transition. Abundant sunshine and engineering expertise make India a prime candidate to be a global green hydrogen leader if it invests correctly. Startups, public sector undertaking, and international collaborations will all have a hand in it. Transport hydrogen corridors, industry pilot projects, and green hydrogen exports to the world could revolutionize India’s energy sector.
We are at a point in history where the world can no longer afford to rely on polluting, finite fuel sources. Hydrogen offers a path that is not only clean and efficient but also deeply versatile. Whether it’s Nemo’s submarine in the ocean, fuel cell cars on highways, or rockets reaching Mars, hydrogen is already proving its value. The future promise of hydrogen will only be realized if we approach it not only as a substitute fuel, but as a fundamental change in the way we energy our existence.
Hydrogen is not the fuel of the future—it is the future. The sooner we adopt it, the purer, more sustainable, and more high-tech our civilization will be.
By: Kevin Shah
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