TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred apparatus: The hydrogen infrastructure system has a power generation subsystem (31) and a hydrogen generation subsystem (32) which uses power from subsystem (31) to produce hydrogen. A hydrogen purification and compression subsystem (33) purifies and compresses the hydrogen produced by the subsystem (32). The purified and compressed hydrogen is stored in the metal hydride storage tanks of a hydrogen storage subsystem (34). The stored hydrogen is transported by a hydrogen transportation subsystem (35) and distributed to the end user by a subsystem (36). The end-use subsystem (37) receives the distributed hydrogen and consumes the hydrogen.Preferred Composition: The metal hydride storage tanks contains magnesium based hydrogen storage alloy powder comprising at least 90 weight percent (wt.%) of magnesium. The alloy powder has hydrogen storage capacity of at least 6 wt.%, preferably 6.9 wt.%, and has particle size of less than 70 microns. The alloy powder absorbs 80% of total capacity within 5 minutes, preferably 1.5 minutes at 300 degreesC. The alloy powder comprises 0.5-2.5 wt.% of nickel, 1.0-4.0 wt.% of misch metal, is 3-7 wt.% of aluminum, 0.1-1.5 wt.% of yttrium, 0.3-1.5 wt.% of silicon and optionally 1% of carbon and/or boron. The misch metal is cerium, lanthanum, praseodymium or neodymium. The alloy comprises 91 wt.% of magnesium, 0.9 wt.% of nickel, 5.6 wt.% of aluminum, 0.5 wt.% of yttrium and 2.0 wt.% of misch metal. The alloy comprises 95.6 wt.% of magnesium, 1.6 wt.% of nickel, 0.8 wt.% of silicon and 2.0 wt.% of misch metal. The alloy comprises 95 wt.% of magnesium, 2.0 wt.% of nickel, and 3.0 wt.% of misch metal. The support is mesh, grid, matte, foil, foam or plate and is made of metal of nickel, aluminum, copper, iron and/or alloys. The hydrogen storage alloy powder is physically bonded to a support by compaction and/or sintering, to form a hydrogen storage material and spirally wound into a coil or stacked as disks or plates. The hydrogen storage, distribution, transportation subsystems and end-use subsystem each has separate hydrogen storage tank using hydrogen storage alloy powder. The energy generation subsystem employs one or more energy generation techniques chosen from solar, wind, waves, tides, geothermal, hydroelectric, ocean thermal energy conservation, nuclear, coal, fossil fuel, or natural gas. Energy generation subsystem has economical, light weight, triple-junction amorphous silicon solar cells which collects solar energy. Electrolysis of water is carried out in subsystem (32) followed by reforming of hydrocarbon to generate hydrogen. Subsystem (33) has palladium or metal hydride hydrogen filters and oxygen and/or water scavengers to purify the hydrogen. The subsystem (33) has mechanical metal hydride based compressors to compress the hydrogen. The system (35) uses either one of trucks, trains, boats or barges to transport tanks of hydrogen stored in metal hydride. The subsystem (36) is one of vehicle refueling stations, home use or industrial use distribution facilities. The subsystem (37) includes at least one of vehicles, homes, industries or businesses. The waste heat is recovered from subsystem (33) for use in power and/or subsystem (32). Alternately, the waste heat recovered from subsystem (34) is used in subsystem (33), or subsystem (31,32). Alternately, the waste heat recovered from subsystem (35) is used in subsystem (34). Alternately, the waste heat recovered from subsystem (36) is used in subsystem (35). Alternately, the waste heat recovered from subsystem (37) is used in subsystem (36). The waste heat is recovered via heat exchange with high-flow-rate hydrogen. The support is formed from a graphitic foam with thermal conductivity of 50-150 W/m-K and density of 0.27-0.57g/cm3. The hydrogen storage alloy is in the form of compressed pellets or rods which are inserted into the pre-drilled holes in graphitic firm. Hydrogen storage bed has at least one heater for heating said hydrogen storage alloy material during the release of hydrogen and at least one heater positioned within pre-drilled holes in graphitic foam. Heater is an electrical heater or catalytic hydrogen combustor. Hydrogen flow channels pre-drilled into graphitic foam transports hydrogen into and out of hydrogen storage bed and carries thermal energy into or out of bed via heat exchange with high flow rate hydrogen. The thermal insulation material surrounds the storage bed to prevent thermal losses during the release of hydrogen. The material consists of particles with size of 100 microns or less preferably 30-70 microns. The particles has crystallites with the size of less than 100 Angstrom. The material is multi-element magnesium based thermal hydrogen storage material.