Hydrogen from sodium borohydride and fossil source: An energetic and economical comparison

In this paper, sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is examined as a method of hydrogen storage and transport, and compared with hydrogen obtained from fossil sources. This chemical hydride has a very high storage density capability due to its large hydrogen content. Hydrogen is released as the main product of the reaction of NaBH4 with water, with sodium metaborate (NaBO2) as a by-product. The main disadvantage of the process is the production cost of the borohydride.In this paper, an economic analysis is carried out of the production, storage and transport of hydrogen from NaBH4 and from fossil fuels.Finally, a comparison is presented between various vehicles fuelled by petrol, hydrogen and sodium borohydride.