How hydrogen can power the digital revolution

The document argues that while digitization can improve efficiency, it creates massive new energy demands, with ICT electricity consumption in the US already exceeding 50%. It proposes hydrogen as a complementary storage technology to batteries, specifically for heavy or vertical transport and data centers, due to its high energy density and scalability.

• The ICT sector's energy requirements are substantial and growing; in the US, it already accounts for over 50% of electricity consumption, and global ICT energy demand is projected to double by 2050, even when accounting for efficiency improvements.
• Hydrogen and batteries are complementary rather than competitive storage solutions for renewables. Hydrogen is particularly suited for heavy or 'vertical' transport because its on-board storage energy density is approximately ten times higher than that of rechargeable batteries.
• Hydrogen infrastructure offers advantages at scale compared to direct charging, as it does not necessitate the significant grid upgrades required by electricity networks.

APA

Council, H. (2018). How hydrogen can power the digital revolution. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-hydrogen-can-power-the-digital-revolution/

Chicago

Council, Hydrogen. How hydrogen can power the digital revolution. World Economic Forum, 2018. https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-hydrogen-can-power-the-digital-revolution/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Council |first1=Hydrogen |title=How hydrogen can power the digital revolution |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=26 November 2018 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-hydrogen-can-power-the-digital-revolution/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{council2018how, author = {Council, Hydrogen}, title = {{How hydrogen can power the digital revolution}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2018}, month = nov, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/energy-transition/how-hydrogen-can-power-the-digital-revolution/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }