A new market research study from ABI Research concludes that some $2 billion—whether from government or industry—must be invested in creating a hydrogen fuelling station infrastructure by 2012 if market expectations are to be met.

The study, Hydrogen Infrastructure, also evaluates the production and distribution pathways that will be essential for any major fuel cell vehicle introduction, and reviews potential fuel sources for hydrogen generation.

Natural gas, coal, ethanol and methanol, biomass gasification, electrolysis, solar and wind energy, even nuclear reactions are all potential sources for the hydrogen needed to run fuel cells, and the study analyzes each in detail, with particular emphasis on natural gas, the most likely candidate.