• zurohki@aussie.zone
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    9 months ago

    You can’t just pour hydrogen into the underground tanks, you know? You aren’t really reusing anything but the land, and you could do something else with it if the gas station wasn’t there.

    You might as well claim that EVs let you reuse gas stations as charging stations. All you need to do is install completely new charging stations.

    • Hypx@kbin.social
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      9 months ago

      You store hydrogen in underground salt caverns on the large scale. Similar to how natural gas works. Above-ground tanks for local storage, and move via pipelines for the most part. It is not a perfect replacement for gasoline, but it is close enough.

      The reason why you reuse gas stations because that’s what’s actually happening. Hydrogen stations are just converted gas stations in most cases.

      • zurohki@aussie.zone
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        9 months ago

        Where on earth do you think your local 7-11 is going to come up with underground salt caverns?

        We don’t even have pipes for gasoline and it doesn’t soak through steel. Nobody’s paying to dig up all the roads and footpaths necessary to build hydrogen pipelines across town and replace them when the hydrogen turns them brittle.

        • Hypx@kbin.social
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          9 months ago

          Local hydrogen stations will probably use above-ground tanks.

          Hydrogen pipelines are 10x cheaper than wires. It’s not some inconceivably huge cost.

          It should be added that environmentalist have been screaming for massive investment in green energy, and that cost is of secondary importance. We shouldn’t suddenly become hard-right conservatives here. As long as costs are reasonable, it is fine.

          • zurohki@aussie.zone
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            9 months ago

            Wasting 2/3 of the energy we generate by turning it into hydrogen and back isn’t a green solution. It means we need to triple our electricity generation and keep coal and gas plants running for a lot longer.

            • Hypx@kbin.social
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              9 months ago

              Funny how the 20% efficiency of photovoltaic panels never bothered you.