United States
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Global Energy Majors in the Hydrogen Space
Jul 2022
Publication
On today’s episode of Everything About Hydrogen we are speaking with Paul Bogers Vice President for Hydrogen at Shell. As a company Shell needs no introduction but the company’s work and investments in the hydrogen space make it a global leader in the energy transition especially when it comes to the hydrogen component. Paul is amongst the executives at Shell that are working to bring their hydrogen vision to fruition and it is great to have him with us on the show today.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
A Study into Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Power and Voltage Prediction using Artificial Neural Network
Sep 2022
Publication
Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) uses hydrogen as fuel to generate electricity and by-product water at relatively low operating temperatures which is environmentally friendly. Since PEMFC performance characteristics are inherently nonlinear and related predicting the best performance for the different operating conditions is essential to improve the system’s efficiency. Thus modeling using artificial neural networks (ANN) to predict its performance can significantly improve the capabilities of handling multi-variable nonlinear performance of the PEMFC. This paper predicts the electrical performance of a PEMFC stack under various operating conditions. The four input terms for the 5 W PEMFC include anode and cathode pressures and flow rates. The model performances are based on ANN using two different learning algorithms to estimate the stack voltage and power. The models have shown consistently to be comparable to the experimental data. All models with at least five hidden neurons have coefficients of determination of 0.95 or higher. Meanwhile the PEMFC voltage and power models have mean squared errors of less than 1 × 10−3 V and 1 × 10−3 W respectively. Therefore the model results demonstrate the potential use of ANN into the implementation of such models to predict the steady state behavior of the PEMFC system (not limited to polarization curves) for different operating conditions and help in the optimization process for achieving the best performance of the system.
Evaluation of Selectivity and Resistance to Poisons of Commercial Hydrogen Sensors
Sep 2013
Publication
The development of reliable hydrogen sensors is crucial for the safe use of hydrogen. One of the main concerns of end-users is sensor reliability in the presence of species other than the target gas which can lead to false alarms or undetected harmful situations. In order to assess the selectivity of commercial of the shelf (COTS) hydrogen sensors a number of sensors of different technology types were exposed to various interferent gas species. Cross-sensitivity tests were performed in accordance to the recommendations of ISO 26142:2010 using the hydrogen sensor testing facilities of NREL and JRC-IET. The results and conclusions arising from this study are presented.
Transition to a Hydrogen-Based Economy: Possibilities and Challenges
Nov 2022
Publication
Across the globe energy production and usage cause the greatest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which are the key driver of climate change. Therefore countries around the world are aggressively striving to convert to a clean energy regime by altering the ways and means of energy production. Hydrogen is a frontrunner in the race to net-zero carbon because it can be produced using a diversity of feedstocks has versatile use cases and can help ensure energy security. While most current hydrogen production is highly carbon-intensive advances in carbon capture renewable energy generation and electrolysis technologies could help drive the production of low-carbon hydrogen. However significant challenges such as the high cost of production a relatively small market size and inadequate infrastructure need to be addressed before the transition to a hydrogen-based economy can be made. This review presents the state of hydrogen demand challenges in scaling up low-carbon hydrogen possible solutions for a speedy transition and a potential course of action for nations.
Catalytic Hydrogen Production from Methane: A Review on Recent Progress and Prospect
Aug 2020
Publication
Natural gas (Methane) is currently the primary source of catalytic hydrogen production accounting for three quarters of the annual global dedicated hydrogen production (about 70 M tons). Steam–methane reforming (SMR) is the currently used industrial process for hydrogen production. However the SMR process suffers with insufficient catalytic activity low long-term stability and excessive energy input mostly due to the handling of large amount of CO2 coproduced. With the demand for anticipated hydrogen production to reach 122.5 M tons in 2024 novel and upgraded catalytic processes are desired for more effective utilization of precious natural resources. In this review we summarized the major descriptors of catalyst and reaction engineering of the SMR process and compared the SMR process with its derivative technologies such as dry reforming with CO2 (DRM) partial oxidation with O2 autothermal reforming with H2O and O2. Finally we discussed the new progresses of methane conversion: direct decomposition to hydrogen and solid carbon and selective oxidation in mild conditions to hydrogen containing liquid organics (i.e. methanol formic acid and acetic acid) which serve as alternative hydrogen carriers. We hope this review will help to achieve a whole picture of catalytic hydrogen production from methane.
Nuclear-Renewables Energy System for Hydrogen and Electricity Production
May 2011
Publication
In the future the world may have large stranded resources of low-cost wind and solar electricity. Renewable electricity production does not match demand and production is far from major cities. The coupling of nuclear energy with renewables may enable full utilization of nuclear and renewable facilities to meet local electricity demands and export pipeline hydrogen for liquid fuels fertilizer and metals production. Renewables would produce electricity at full capacity in large quantities. The base-load nuclear plants would match electricity production with demand by varying the steam used for electricity versus hydrogen production. High-temperature electrolysis (HTE) would produce hydrogen from water using (a) steam from nuclear plants and (b) electricity from nuclear plants and renewables. During times of peak electricity demand the HTE cells would operate in reverse fuel cell mode to produce power substituting for gas turbines that are used for very few hours per year and that thus have very high electricity costs. The important net hydrogen production would be shipped by pipeline to customers. Local hydrogen storage would enable full utilization of long-distance pipeline capacity with variable production. The electricity and hydrogen production were simulated with real load and wind data to understand under what conditions such systems are economic. The parametric case study uses a wind-nuclear system in North Dakota with hydrogen exported to the Chicago refinery market. North Dakota has some of the best wind conditions in the United States and thus potentially low-cost wind. The methodology allows assessments with different economic and technical assumptions - including what electrolyzer characteristics are most important for economic viability.
Hydrogen Component Leak Rate Quantification for System Risk and Reliability Assessment through QRA and PHM Frameworks
Sep 2021
Publication
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Hydrogen Safety Research and Development (HSR&D) program in collaboration with the University of Maryland’s Systems Risk and Reliability Analysis Laboratory (SyRRA) are working to improve reliability and reduce risk in hydrogen systems. This approach strives to use quantitative data on component leaks and failures together with Prognosis and Health Management (PHM) and Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) to identify atrisk components reduce component failures and downtime and predict when components require maintenance. Hydrogen component failures increase facility maintenance cost facility downtime and reduce public acceptance of hydrogen technologies ultimately increasing facility size and cost because of conservative design requirements. Leaks are a predominant failure mode for hydrogen components. However uncertainties in the amount of hydrogen emitted from leaking components and the frequency of those failure events limit the understanding of the risks that they present under real-world operational conditions. NREL has deployed a test fixture the Leak Rate Quantification Apparatus (LRQA) to quantify the mass flow rate of leaking gases from medium and high-pressure components that have failed while in service. Quantitative hydrogen leak rate data from this system could ultimately be used to better inform risk assessment and Regulation Codes and Standards (RCS). Parallel activity explores the use of PHM and QRA techniques to assess and reduce risk thereby improving safety and reliability of hydrogen systems. The results of QRAs could further provide a systematic and science-based foundation for the design and implementation of RCS as in the latest versions of the NFPA 2 code for gaseous hydrogen stations. Alternatively data-driven techniques of PHM could provide new damage diagnosis and health-state prognosis tools. This research will help end users station owners and operators and regulatory bodies move towards risk-informed preventative maintenance versus emergency corrective maintenance reducing cost and improving reliability. Predictive modelling of failures could improve safety and affect RCS requirements such as setback distances at liquid hydrogen fueling sites. The combination of leak rate quantification research PHM and QRA can lead to better informed models enabling data-based decision to be made for hydrogen system safety improvements.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Financing the Hydrogen Revolution
Aug 2020
Publication
On this week's episode of Everything About Hydrogen the team are catching up with Astrid Behaghel the Energy Transition expert on hydrogen for BNP Paribas. On the show the team discuss how BNP Paribas see the emerging role of hydrogen in the energy transition how the financing of hydrogen projects differs for newer hydrogen initiatives and why BNP Paribas joined the Hydrogen Council. We also dive into the question of what role can (or even should) Banks play in the evolution and development of the emerging hydrogen market and BNPs plans to expand its activities in this sector. All this and more!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
From Renewable Energy to Sustainable Protein Sources: Advancement, Challenges, and Future Roadmaps
Jan 2022
Publication
The concerns over food security and protein scarcity driven by population increase and higher standards of living have pushed scientists toward finding new protein sources. A considerable proportion of resources and agricultural lands are currently dedicated to proteinaceous feed production to raise livestock and poultry for human consumption. The 1st generation of microbial protein (MP) came into the market as land-independent proteinaceous feed for livestock and aquaculture. However MP may be a less sustainable alternative to conventional feeds such as soybean meal and fishmeal because this technology currently requires natural gas and synthetic chemicals. These challenges have directed researchers toward the production of 2nd generation MP by integrating renewable energies anaerobic digestion nutrient recovery biogas cleaning and upgrading carbon-capture technologies and fermentation. The fermentation of methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) and hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria (HOB) i.e. two protein rich microorganisms has shown a great potential on the one hand to upcycle effluents from anaerobic digestion into protein rich biomass and on the other hand to be coupled to renewable energy systems under the concept of Power-to-X. This work compares various production routes for 2nd generation MP by reviewing the latest studies conducted in this context and introducing the state-of-the-art technologies hoping that the findings can accelerate and facilitate upscaling of MP production. The results show that 2nd generation MP depends on the expansion of renewable energies. In countries with high penetration of renewable electricity such as Nordic countries off-peak surplus electricity can be used within MP-industry by supplying electrolytic H2 which is the driving factor for both MOB and HOB-based MP production. However nutrient recovery technologies are the heart of the 2nd generation MP industry as they determine the process costs and quality of the final product. Although huge attempts have been made to date in this context some bottlenecks such as immature nutrient recovery technologies less efficient fermenters with insufficient gas-to-liquid transfer and costly electrolytic hydrogen production and storage have hindered the scale up of MP production. Furthermore further research into techno-economic feasibility and life cycle assessment (LCA) of coupled technologies is still needed to identify key points for improvement and thereby secure a sustainable production system.
Solar Hydrogen Production via a Samarium Oxide-Based Thermochemical Water Splitting Cycle
Apr 2016
Publication
The computational thermodynamic analysis of a samarium oxide-based two-step solar thermochemical water splitting cycle is reported. The analysis is performed using HSC chemistry software and databases. The first (solar-based) step drives the thermal reduction of Sm2O3 into Sm and O2. The second (non-solar) step corresponds to the production of H2 via a water splitting reaction and the oxidation of Sm to Sm2O3. The equilibrium thermodynamic compositions related to the thermal reduction and water splitting steps are determined. The effect of oxygen partial pressure in the inert flushing gas on the thermal reduction temperature (TH) is examined. An analysis based on the second law of thermodynamics is performed to determine the cycle efficiency (ηcycle) and solar-to-fuel energy conversion efficiency (ηsolar´to´fuel) attainable with and without heat recuperation. The results indicate that ηcycle and ηsolar´to´fuel both increase with decreasing TH due to the reduction in oxygen partial pressure in the inert flushing gas. Furthermore the recuperation of heat for the operation of the cycle significantly improves the solar reactor efficiency. For instance in the case where TH = 2280 K ηcycle = 24.4% and ηsolar´to´fuel = 29.5% (without heat recuperation) while ηcycle = 31.3% and ηsolar´to´fuel = 37.8% (with 40% heat recuperation).
Charting a Course for Decarbonizing Maritime Transport
Apr 2021
Publication
As the backbone of global trade international maritime transport connects the world and facilitates economic growth and development especially in developing countries. However producing around three percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and emitting around 15 percent of some of the world’s major air pollutants shipping is a major contributor to climate change and air pollution. To mitigate its negative environmental impact shipping needs to abandon fossil-based bunker fuels and turn to zero-carbon alternatives. This report the “Summary for Policymakers and Industry” summarizes recent World Bank research on decarbonizing the maritime sector. The analysis identifies green ammonia and hydrogen as the most promising zero-carbon bunker fuels within the maritime industry at present. These fuels strike the most advantageous balance of favorable features relating to their lifecycle GHG emissions broader environmental factors scalability economics and technical and safety implications. The analysis also identifies that LNG will likely only play a limited role in shipping’s energy transition due to concerns over methane slip and stranded assets. Crucially the research reveals that decarbonizing maritime transport offers unique business and development opportunities for developing countries. Developing countries with large renewable energy resources could take advantage of the new and emerging future zero-carbon bunker fuel market estimated at over $1 trillion to establish new export markets while also modernizing their own domestic energy and industrial infrastructure. However strategic policy interventions are needed to hasten the sector’s energy transition.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Producing Hydrogen with Wind Energy
Sep 2022
Publication
On this episode of Everything About Hydrogen we are speaking with David Wellard Regulatory Affairs Manager at Orsted. Orsted is a global leader in renewable energy generation projects particularly when it comes to the rapidly expanding wind energy sector. Headquartered in Denmark the company has a global reach across multiple continents and technologies. David helps lead Orsted’s policy and regulatory engagement in the United Kingdom and beyond. We are excited to have him with us to discuss how Orsted is looking at and deploying hydrogen technologies and how they expect to utilized hydrogen in a decarbonized energy future.
The podcast can be found on their website.
The podcast can be found on their website.
Seasonal Hydrogen Storage for Sustainable Renewable Energy Integration in the Electricity Sector: A Case Study of Finland
Nov 2021
Publication
Wind power is rapidly growing in the Finnish grid and Finland’s electricity consumption is low in the summer compared to the winter. Hence there is a need for storage that can absorb a large amount of energy during summer and discharge it during winter. This study examines one such storage technology geological hydrogen storage which has the potential to store energy on a GWh scale and also over longer periods of time. Finland’s electricity generation system was modelled with and without hydrogen storage using the LEAP-NEMO modeling toolkit. The results showed about 69% decline in carbon dioxide emissions as well as a decline in the fossil fuel-based power accompanied with a higher capability to meet demand with less imports in both scenarios. Finally a critical analysis of the Finnish electricity mix with and without hydrogen storage is presented.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: A Green Future for Oman
Feb 2023
Publication
On this episode of Everything About Hydrogen we are speaking with Nashwa Al Rawahy Director of HMR Environmental Consultants based in Muscat Oman with regional offices in the United Arab Emirates.
We are excited to have an expert like Nashwa join us to discuss environmental and social impact studies their value to the communities and projects and the importance of building long term In Country Value (ICV).
The podcast can be found on their website.
We are excited to have an expert like Nashwa join us to discuss environmental and social impact studies their value to the communities and projects and the importance of building long term In Country Value (ICV).
The podcast can be found on their website.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Using the Law and Regulation to Facilitate Hydrogen Development
Jun 2022
Publication
Burges Salmon’s energy lawyers are known for ground-breaking work in the energy power and utilities sector. They understand the opportunities the technologies and the challenges which the sector presents. Their reputation has been built upon first-of-a-kind projects and deals and an intimate knowledge of energy regulation. Burges Salmon specialists provide expert advice throughout the project/plant life cycle. Over the years this has in turn led to investors and funders requesting their services in the knowledge that they understand the key issues technologies face. They have a team of over 80 lawyers who focus on helping developers investors and funders achieve their aims in the sector. The team has won or been shortlisted for all the key industry awards in energy over the last decade.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Building an Integrated Clean Hydrogen Infrastructure from the Ground Up
Nov 2021
Publication
On this episode of EAH we are joined by Andrew Clennett Co-Founder and CEO of Hiringa Energy. Hiringa is headquartered in New Zealand where they are building clean hydrogen production projects using renewable energy to displace the use of fossil fuels for transport and industrial feedstock across New Zealand. We are delighted to have Andrew with us today to speak about how Hiringa are using hydrogen to change the energy and carbon landscape of New Zealand.
This podcast can be found on their website
This podcast can be found on their website
Ex Situ Thermo-catalytic Upgrading of Biomass Pyrolysis Vapors Using a Traveling Wave Microwave Reactor
Sep 2016
Publication
Microwave heating offers a number of advantages over conventional heating methods such as rapid and volumetric heating precise temperature control energy efficiency and lower temperature gradient. In this article we demonstrate the use of 2450 MHz microwave traveling wave reactor to heat the catalyst bed for thermo-catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis vapors. HZSM-5 catalyst was tested at three different temperatures (290 330 and 370°C) at a catalyst to biomass ratio of 2. Results were compared with conventional heating and induction heating method of catalyst bed. The yields of aromatic compounds and coke deposition were dependent on temperature and method of heating. Microwave heating yielded higher aromatic compounds and lower coke deposition. Microwave heating was also energy efficient compared to conventional reactors. The rate of catalyst deterioration was lower for catalyst heated in microwave system.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Changing the Game in Hydrogen Compression
Oct 2021
Publication
In the second episode of EAH's Season 3 Patrick Andrew and Chris sit down with Maria Fennis CEO of HyET. HyET Hydrogen is a leading SME in the field of electrochemical hydrogen compression founded in 2008. HyET has introduced the first commercially viable Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor (EHPC) the HCS 100 in 2017. HyET enters partnerships with key stakeholders to develop products with a focus on application. Maria is a leading voice in the compression arena and it is a pleasure to have her on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Storable Energy Production from Wind over Water
Apr 2020
Publication
The current status of a project is described which aims to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of converting the vast wind energy available over the globe’s oceans and lakes into storable energy. To this end autonomous high-performance sailing ships are equipped with hydrokinetic turbines whose output is stored either in electric batteries or is fed into electrolysers to produce hydrogen which then is compressed and stored in tanks. In the present paper the previous analytical studies which showed the potential of this “energy ship concept” are summarized and progress on its hardware demonstration is reported involving the conversion of a model sailboat to autonomous operation. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential of this concept to achieve the IPCC-mandated requirement of reducing the global CO2 emissions by about 45% by 2030 reaching net zero by 2050.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Envisioning the Hydrogen Revolution
May 2021
Publication
For our 40th episode of the Everything About Hydrogen podcast the gang are joined by hydrogen luminary Marco Alverà the CEO of Snam. Founded in 1941 and listed on the Italian stock exchange since 2001 Snam is a leader in the European gas market and operator of over 41000km of transport networks. Hailed as a visionary who has led the pivot of the world’s 2nd largest gas distribution company towards a clean gas trajectory Marco is widely recognized as a thought leader and a key figure driving the transition towards hydrogen. On the show the team discuss why Marco decided to lead Snam's pivot towards hydrogen what he sees as the role of hydrogen in the energy transition and how blue hydrogen can sit alongside green hydrogen as part of the solution to a decarbonized gas network.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Building Hydrogen Infrastructure with Black & Veatch
Feb 2020
Publication
On this weeks episode the team are talking all things hydrogen with Maryline Daviaud Lewett Director of Business Development for Transformative Technologies at Black & Veatch (B&V). On the show we discuss the role that Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) firms are playing in developing hydrogen and fuel cell infrastructure as well as discussing the unique aspects of developing projects in North America. As the leading EPC for hydrogen refuelling stations in North America and a wealth of experience across electric vehicle charging and hydrogen Maryline brings a uniquely well rounded perspective to the discussion and shares a wealth of insights for how the market may evolve. All this and more on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Carbon Capture from Biogas by Deep Eutectic Solvents A COSMO Study to Evaluate the Effect of Impurities on Solubility and Selectivity
Jun 2021
Publication
Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are compounds of a hydrogen bond donor (HBD) and a hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) that contain a depressed melting point compared to their individual constituents. DES have been studied for their use as carbon capture media and biogas upgrading. However contaminants’ presence in biogas might affect the carbon capture by DES. In this study conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) was used to determine the effect of temperature pressure and selective contaminants on five DES’ namely choline chloride-urea choline chloride-ethylene glycol tetra butyl ammonium chloride-ethylene glycol tetra butyl ammonium bromide-decanoic acid and tetra octyl ammonium chloride-decanoic acid. Impurities studied in this paper are hydrogen sulfide ammonia water nitrogen octamethyltrisiloxane and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane. At infinite dilution CO2 solubility dependence upon temperature in each DES was examined by means of Henry’s Law constants. Next the systems were modeled from infinite dilution to equilibrium using the modified Raoults’ Law where CO2 solubility dependence upon pressure was examined. Finally solubility of CO2 and CH4 in the various DES were explored with the presence of varying mole percent of selective contaminants. Among the parameters studied it was found that the HBD of the solvent is the most determinant factor for the effectiveness of CO2 solubility. Other factors affecting the solubility are alkyl chain length of the HBA the associated halogen and the resulting polarity of the DES. It was also found that choline chloride-urea is the most selective to CO2 but has the lowest CO2 solubility and is the most polar among other solvents. On the other hand tetraoctylammonium chloride-decanoic acid is the least selective has the highest maximum CO2 solubility is the least polar and is the least affected by its environment.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Hydrogen 101
Aug 2019
Publication
A 10-minute tour of hydrogen industry technology and terminology for those who are new to the sector or who would simply like a quick review of the basics behind this burgeoning energy source.
Podcast can be found on their website
Podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Ending on a Hy Note
Jul 2021
Publication
This week's show is the last episode of Season 2! To celebrate we invited our friend and colleague Markus Wilthaner partner at McKinsey & Company to come speak with us. Markus has been a leader in the hydrogen space for the past ten years and has drafted a number of the Hydrogen Council's reports since its founding including the newly released - and highly anticipated - Hydrogen Insights 2021 (link below). In this episode we speak with Markus about the state of the market and the innovation he has seen in the last couple of years that make hydrogen a critical part of the energy transition. We had a lot of fun recording this interview and it was the perfect way to end a fantastic EAH season!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Masters of Scale: How to Build the Hydrogen Infrastructure of the Future
Oct 2020
Publication
On this week's episode the EAH team speaks with Prof. Armin Schnettler CEO of New Energy Business at Siemens Energy to talk about where green hydrogen solutions fit into the path to decarbonisation how companies like Siemens are looking at those solutions and working to scale them to meet future demand timelines for deployment in different markets how governments can help the private sector and much much more.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
US-UK Scientific Forum on Sustainable Energy: Electrical Storage in Support of the Grid, Forum Report
Sep 2022
Publication
The effort to meet the ambitious targets of the Paris agreement is challenging many governments. The US and UK governments might have different approaches to achieving the targets but both will rely heavily on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar to power their economies. However these sources of power are unpredictable and ways will have to be developed to store renewable energy for hours days weeks seasons and maybe even years before it is used. As the disruptive and increasingly deadly impacts of climate change are being felt across the world the need to move to more sustainable sources of energy and to identify viable ways to store that energy has never been more important.<br/>This was the subject of the US–UK Science Forum on electrical storage in support of the grid which was held online from 17 – 18 March 2021. Co-organised by the Royal Society and the National Academy of Sciences it brought together a diverse group of 60 scientists policy makers industry leaders regulators and other key stakeholders for a wide-ranging discussion on all aspects of energy storage from the latest research in the field to the current status of deployment. It also considered the current national and international economic and policy contexts in which these developments are taking place. A number of key points emerged from the discussion. First it is clear that renewable energy will play an increasingly important role in the US and UK energy systems of the future and energy storage at a multi-terawatt hour scale has a vital role to play. Of course this will evolve differently to some extent in both countries and elsewhere according to the various geographical technological economic political social and regulatory environments. Second international collaboration is critical – no single nation will solve this problem alone. As two of the world’s leading scientific nations largest economies and per capita CO2 emitters with a long track record of collaboration the US and UK are well placed to play a vital role in addressing this critical challenge. As the discussion highlighted a wide range of energy storage technologies are now emerging and becoming increasingly available many of which have the potential to be critical components of a future net-zero energy system. A crucial next phase is in ensuring that these are technically developed as well as economically and political viable. This will require the support of a wide range of these potential solutions to ensure that their benefits remain widely available and to avoid costly ‘lock-in’. Scientists and science academies have a critical role to play in analysing technology options their combinations and their potential roles in future sustainable energy systems and in working with policymakers to incentivise investment and deployment.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Improving PEM Efficiency
Jan 2023
Publication
On this episode of EAH we sat down with Alejandro Oyarce Barnett Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder at Hystar. Hystar is a technology-focused company specializing in PEM electrolysers for hydrogen production using renewable energy. The company got its start as a spin-off from SINTEF one of Europe’s largest independent research organizations and has raised private funding so the company can focus on production of its high-efficiency PEM units and keep pace with demand for hydrogen generation capacity. Hystar announced on January 11 2023 that the company has closed a Series B funding round of USD 26mn to rapidly scale-up to full commercial operations with an automated GW-capacity production line by 2025. Alejandro joined us to discuss in more detail the origins of Hystar its technology and the mission at the core of the company.
The podcast can be found on their website.
The podcast can be found on their website.
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells for Simultaneous CO2 Capture, Power Generation, and H2 Generation
Mar 2022
Publication
This article presents a new technology for the generation of power and steam or other process heat with very low CO2 emissions. It is well known that cogeneration of electricity and steam is highly efficient and that amine units can be used to remove CO2 from combustion flue gas but that the amine unit consumes a significant amount of steam and power reducing the overall system efficiency. In this report the use of molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) to capture CO2 from cogen units is investigated and shown to be highly efficient due to the additional power that they produce while capturing the CO2. Furthermore the MCFCs are capable of reforming methane to hydrogen simultaneous to the power production and CO2 capture. This hydrogen can either be recycled as fuel for consumption by the cogen or MCFCs or exported to an independent combustion unit as low carbon fuel thereby decarbonizing that unit as well. The efficiency of MCFCs for CO2 capture is higher than use of amines in all cases studied often by a substantial margin while at the same time the MCFCs avoid more CO2 than the amine technology. As one example the use of amines on a cogeneration unit can avoid 87.6% of CO2 but requires 4.91 MJ/kg of additional primary energy to do so. In contrast the MCFCs avoid 89.4% of CO2 but require only 1.37 MJ/kg of additional primary energy. The high thermal efficiency and hydrogen export option demonstrate the potential of this technology for widespread deployment in a low carbon energy economy.
Advances in Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide, and Hydrocarbon Gas Sensor Technology Using GaN and ZnO-Based Devices
Jun 2009
Publication
In this paper we review our recent results in developing gas sensors for hydrogen using various device structures including ZnO nanowires and GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs). ZnO nanowires are particularly interesting because they have a large surface area to volume ratio which will improve sensitivity and because they operate at low current levels will have low power requirements in a sensor module. GaN-based devices offer the advantage of the HEMT structure high temperature operation and simple integration with existing fabrication technology and sensing systems. Improvements in sensitivity recoverability and reliability are presented. Also reported are demonstrations of detection of other gases including CO2 and C2H4 using functionalized GaN HEMTs. This is critical for the development of lab-on-a-chip type systems and can provide a significant advance towards a market-ready sensor application.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: 'Having Hydrogen for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner'
Apr 2023
Publication
On today’s show Chris Patrick and Alicia speak with Petra Schwager from UNIDO about her work promoting global green hydrogen development with particular emphasis on the Global South.
The podcast can be found on their website.
The podcast can be found on their website.
Comparative Levelized Cost Analysis of Transmitting Renewable Solar Energy
Feb 2023
Publication
A bottom-up cost analysis for delivering utility-scale PV-generated electricity as hydrogen through pipelines and as electricity through power is undertaken. Techno-economic generation and demand data for California are used to calculate the levelized cost of transmitting (LCOT) energy and the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) prior to distribution. High-voltage levels of 230 kV and 500 kV and 24-inch and 36-inch pipelines for 100 to 700 miles of transmission are considered. At 100 miles of transmission the cost of transmission between each medium is comparable. At longer distances the pipeline scenarios become increasingly cheaper at low utilization levels. The all-electric pathways utilizing battery energy storage systems can meet 95% of the load for as low as 356 USD/MWh whereas when meeting 100% of load with the hydrogen gas turbine and fuel cell pathways the costs are 278 and 322 USD/MWh respectively.
A Review of Ni Based Powder Catalyst for Urea Oxidation in Assisting Water Splitting Reaction
Jan 2022
Publication
Water splitting has been regarded as a sustainable and environmentally-friendly technique to realize green hydrogen generation while more energy is consumed due to the high overpotentials required for the anode oxygen evolution reaction. Urea electrooxidation an ideal substitute is thus received increasing attention in assisting water-splitting reactions. Note that highly efficient catalysts are still required to drive urea oxidation and the facile generation of high valence state species is significant in the reaction based on the electrochemical-chemical mechanisms. The high cost and rareness make the noble metal catalysts impossible for further consideration in large-scale application. Ni-based catalysts are very promising due to their cheap price facile structure tuning good compatibility and easy active phase formation. In the light of the significant advances made recently herein we reviewed the recent advances of Ni-based powder catalysts for urea oxidation in assisting water-splitting reaction. The fundamental of urea oxidation is firstly presented to clarify the mechanism of urea-assisted water splitting and then the prevailing evaluation indicators are briefly expressed based on the electrochemical measurements. The catalyst design principle including synergistic effect electronic effect defect construction and surface reconstruction as well as the main fabrication approaches are presented and the advances of various Ni-based powder catalysts for urea assisted water splitting are summarized and discussed. The problems and challenges are also concluded for the Ni-based powder catalysts fabrication the performance evaluation and their application. Considering the key influence factors for catalytic process and their application attention should be given to structure-property relationship deciphering novel Ni-based powder catalysts development and their construction in the real device; specifically the effort should be directed to the Ni-based powder catalyst with multi-functions to simultaneously promote the fundamental steps and high anti-corrosion ability by revealing the local structure reconstruction as well as the integration in the practical application. We believe the current summarization will be instructive and helpful for the Ni-based powder catalysts development and understanding their catalytic action for urea-assisted hydrogen generation via water splitting technique.
Direct Numerical Simulation of Hydrogen Combustion at Auto-ignitive Conditions Ignition, Stability and Turbulent Reaction-front Velocity
Mar 2021
Publication
Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) are performed to investigate the process of spontaneous ignition of hydrogen flames at laminar turbulent adiabatic and non-adiabatic conditions. Mixtures of hydrogen and vitiated air at temperatures representing gas-turbine reheat combustion are considered. Adiabatic spontaneous ignition processes are investigated first providing a quantitative characterization of stable and unstable flames. Results indicate that in hydrogen reheat combustion compressibility effects play a key role in flame stability and that unstable ignition and combustion are consistently encountered for reactant temperatures close to the mixture’s characteristic crossover temperature. Furthermore it is also found that the characterization of the adiabatic processes is also valid in the presence of non-adiabaticity due to wall heat-loss. Finally a quantitative characterization of the instantaneous fuel consumption rate within the reaction front is obtained and of its ability at auto-ignitive conditions to advance against the approaching turbulent flow of the reactants for a range of different turbulence intensities temperatures and pressure levels.
Green Synthesis of Olefin-linked Covalent Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Applications
Mar 2021
Publication
Green synthesis of crystalline porous materials for energy-related applications is of great significance but very challenging. Here we create a green strategy to fabricate a highly crystalline olefin-linked pyrazine-based covalent organic framework (COF) with high robustness and porosity under solvent-free conditions. The abundant nitrogen sites high hydrophilicity and well-defined one-dimensional nanochannels make the resulting COF an ideal platform to confine and stabilize the H3PO4 network in the pores through hydrogen-bonding interactions. The resulting material exhibits low activation energy (Ea) of 0.06 eV and ultrahigh proton conductivity across a wide relative humidity (10–90 %) and temperature range (25–80 °C). A realistic proton exchange membrane fuel cell using the olefin-linked COF as the solid electrolyte achieve a maximum power of 135 mW cm−2 and a current density of 676 mA cm−2 which exceeds all reported COF materials.
Sector Coupling via Hydrogen to Lower the Cost of Energy System Decarbonization
Aug 2021
Publication
There is growing interest in using hydrogen (H2) as a long-duration energy storage resource in a future electric grid dominated by variable renewable energy (VRE) generation. Modeling H2 use exclusively for grid-scale energy storage often referred to as ‘‘power-to-gas-to-power (P2G2P)’’ overlooks the cost-sharing and CO2 emission benefits from using the deployed H2 assets to decarbonize other end-use sectors where direct electrification is challenging. Here we develop a generalized framework for co-optimizing infrastructure investments across the electricity and H2 supply chains accounting for the spatio-temporal variations in energy demand and supply. We apply this sector-coupling framework to the U.S. Northeast under a range of technology cost and carbon price scenarios and find greater value of power-to-H2 (P2G) vs. P2G2P routes. Specifically P2G provides grid flexibility to support VRE integration without the round-trip efficiency penalty and additional cost incurred by P2G2P routes. This form of sector coupling leads to: (a) VRE generation increase by 13–56% and (b) total system cost (and levelized costs of energy) reduction by 7–16% under deep decarbonization scenarios. Both effects increase as H2 demand for other end-uses increases more than doubling for a 97% decarbonization scenario as H2 demand quadruples. We also find that the grid flexibility enabled by sector coupling makes deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) for power generation less cost-effective than its use for low-carbon H2 production. These findings highlight the importance of using an integrated energy system framework with multiple energy vectors in planning cost-effective energy system decarbonization
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Can CUTRIC Clean Canada?
Mar 2021
Publication
When the pandemic recedes lockdowns and restrictions are relaxed and eventually eliminated and millions of residents in cities across the world begin to return to their offices and workplaces public transit systems will once again be at the core of billions of commuters' daily activities. Urban transit systems are designed to move huge volumes of people through cities and communities quickly reliably and cost-efficiently (some systems accomplish these goals better than others!). The energy needed to run these networks of cars trains and buses is enormous and today most of it comes from fossil fuels. How can communities - both large and small - redesign their transit systems to eliminate operational carbon emissions in the future?
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Decarbonising the Gas Grid with Cadent
Mar 2020
Publication
On this weeks episode the team are talking all things hydrogen with Lorna Millington Future Networks Manager in the Safety and Network Strategy team at Cadent. On the show we discuss the role that Cadent and other gas distribution network operators (GDNOs) are playing in supporting the transition towards a low (and eventually zero) carbon gas grid through the use of hydrogen. The potential for hydrogen to support decarbonisation of heat through the gas network is one of the most exciting emerging themes for countries that have large existing gas networks and who are looking to repurpose those assets towards national net zero objectives. As a leader on hydrogen into the gas grid projects Cadent offer a wealth of knowledge around the potential opportunities and considerations for displacing natural gas with hydrogen over time. And given the chance to reduce up to 6 million tonnes of CO2 a year through using more hydrogen in the gas grid this is a show you won’t want to miss! All this and more on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: ITM Power
Sep 2019
Publication
On this weeks show we discuss with Graham Cooley the CEO of ITM Power how his company has expanded from a research company on AIM in the early 2000’s to one of the largest electrolyser manufacturers in the world. On the show we also ask Graham to talk about how the hydrogen market has evolved where he sees the potential growth trajectory for the industry and how ITM sees its role within this space.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Giga-watt it Takes to Scale Green Hydrogen (and Ammonia)
Feb 2021
Publication
How do we get green hydrogen (and green ammonia) production to scale and make it cost competitive? It's a great question and we ask it all the time on the show. Well Alicia Eastman Co-founder & Managing Director of InterContinental Energy (ICE) may be one of the best authorities in the world on this topic and she joins us on this episode of EAH to tell the team all about her and ICE's work developing the Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH). Located in Western Australia the AREH when completed will be the largest renewable energy project by total generation capacity on the planet. At 26 GW it surpasses even the likes of the Three Gorges Dam and will act as a central production and distribution point for huge quantities of clean hydrogen and ammonia for offtakers and customers across APAC and beyond. The AREH is a truly massive project that has global implications for the global energy landscape of the future.
The podcast can be found on their website.
The podcast can be found on their website.
Ignition of Hydrogen-air Mixtures Under Volumetric Expansion Conditions
Sep 2017
Publication
A better understanding of chemical kinetics under volumetric expansion is important for a number of situations relevant to industrial safety including detonation diffraction and direct initiation reflected shock-ignition at obstacles ignition behind a decaying shock among others. The ignition of stoichiometric hydrogen-air mixtures was studied using 0D numerical simulations with time-dependent specific volume variations. The competition between chemical energy release and expansion-induced cooling was characterized for different cooling rates and mathematical forms describing the shock decay rate. The critical conditions for reaction quenching were systematically determined and the thermo-chemistry dynamics were analyzed near the critical conditions.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Hydrogen: The Next Generation
May 2021
Publication
This is the inaugural episode of the EAH: Deep Dive podcast mini-series! Our first episode features the co-founders of Enapter Vaitea Cowan and Jan Justus-Schmidt. Enapter is a young company that has made a big splash in the hydrogen space with their modular scalable AEM electrolyzer technology. Last year they made headlines with their successful public offering on the DAX and the company is expected to be a the forefront of the hydrogen sector again in 2021 as they begin construction of their mass production facility in Germany and announce the upcoming Generation Hydrogen event on May 19 2021.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: A New Hope for Hydrogen?
Apr 2020
Publication
On this weeks episode the team discuss the Hydrogen Council the global stakeholder forum that has been at the forefront of efforts to advance the role of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies globally. We are excited to have as our guests Pierre-Etienne Franc Vice President for the Hydrogen Energy World Business Unit at Air Liquide and Stephan Herbst General Manager at Toyota Motor Europe. On the show we discuss why Air Liquide and Toyota decided to engage with the Council its strategy vision and perspective on the role that hydrogen can play in the energy transition and how companies can work with policymakers to enable this process. All this and more on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Development of Liquid Hydrogen Leak Frequencies Using a Bayesian Update Process
Sep 2021
Publication
To quantify the risk of an accident in a liquid hydrogen system it is necessary to determine how often a leak may occur. To do this representative component leakage frequencies specific to liquid hydrogen can be determined as a function of the normalized leak size. Subsequently the system characteristics (e.g. system pressure) can be used to calculate accident consequences. Operating data (such as leak frequencies) for liquid hydrogen systems are very limited; rather than selecting a single leak frequency value from a literature source data from different sources can be combined using a Bayesian model. This approach provides leakage rates for different amounts of leakage distributions for leakage rates to propagate through risk assessment models to establish risk result uncertainty and a means for incorporating liquid hydrogen-specific leakage data with leakage frequencies from other fuels. Specifically other cryogenic fluids like liquefied natural gas are used as a baseline for the Bayesian analysis. This Bayesian update process is used to develop leak frequency distributions for different system component types and leak sizes. These leak frequencies can be refined as liquid hydrogen data becomes available and may then inform safety code requirements based on the likelihood of liquid hydrogen release for different systems.
Toward Design of Synergistically Active Carbon-Based Catalysts for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Apr 2014
Publication
Replacement of precious catalyst with cost-effective alternatives would be significantly beneficial for hydrogen production via electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). All candidates thus far are exclusively metallic catalysts which suffer inherent corrosion and oxidation susceptibility during acidic proton-exchange membrane electrolysis. Herein based on theoretical predictions we designed and synthesized nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) dual-doped graphene as a non-metallic electrocatalyst for sustainable and efficient hydrogen production. The N and Phetero-atoms could coactivate the adjacent C atom in the graphene matrix by affecting its valence orbital energy levels to induce a synergistically enhanced reactivity toward HER. As a result the dual-doped graphene showed higher electrocatalytic HER activity than single-doped ones and comparable performance to some of the traditional metallic catalysts.
Finding Synergy Between Renewables and Coal: Flexible Power and Hydrogen Production from Advanced IGCC Plants with Integrated CO2 Capture
Feb 2021
Publication
Variable renewable energy (VRE) has seen rapid growth in recent years. However VRE deployment requires a fleet of dispatchable power plants to supply electricity during periods with limited wind and sunlight. These plants will operate at reduced utilization rates that pose serious economic challenges. To address this challenge this paper presents the techno-economic assessment of flexible power and hydrogen production from integrated gasification combined cycles (IGCC) employing the gas switching combustion (GSC) technology for CO2 capture and membrane assisted water gas shift (MAWGS) reactors for hydrogen production. Three GSC-MAWGS-IGCC plants are evaluated based on different gasification technologies: Shell High Temperature Winkler and GE. These advanced plants are compared to two benchmark IGCC plants one without and one with CO2 capture. All plants utilize state-of-the-art H-class gas turbines and hot gas clean-up for maximum efficiency. Under baseload operation the GSC plants returned CO2 avoidance costs in the range of 24.9–36.9 €/ton compared to 44.3 €/ton for the benchmark. However the major advantage of these plants is evident in the more realistic mid-load scenario. Due to the ability to keep operating and sell hydrogen to the market during times of abundant wind and sun the best GSC plants offer a 6–11%-point higher annual rate of return than the benchmark plant with CO2 capture. This large economic advantage shows that the flexible GSC plants are a promising option for balancing VRE provided a market for the generated clean hydrogen exists.
On the Climate Impacts of Blue Hydrogen Production
Nov 2021
Publication
Natural gas based hydrogen production with carbon capture and storage is referred to as blue hydrogen. If substantial amounts of CO2 from natural gas reforming are captured and permanently stored such hydrogen could be a low-carbon energy carrier. However recent research raises questions about the effective climate impacts of blue hydrogen from a life cycle perspective. Our analysis sheds light on the relevant issues and provides a balanced perspective on the impacts on climate change associated with blue hydrogen. We show that such impacts may indeed vary over large ranges and depend on only a few key parameters: the methane emission rate of the natural gas supply chain the CO2 removal rate at the hydrogen production plant and the global warming metric applied. State-of-the-art reforming with high CO2 capture rates combined with natural gas supply featuring low methane emissions does indeed allow for substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to both conventional natural gas reforming and direct combustion of natural gas. Under such conditions blue hydrogen is compatible with low-carbon economies and exhibits climate change impacts at the upper end of the range of those caused by hydrogen production from renewable-based electricity. However neither current blue nor green hydrogen production pathways render fully “net-zero” hydrogen without additional CO2 removal.
The Hydrogen Economy and Jobs of the Future
Nov 2018
Publication
Growth in the hydrogen and fuel cell industries will lead to vast new employment opportunities and these will be created in a wide variety of industries skills tasks and earnings. Many of these jobs do not currently exist and do not have occupational titles defined in official classifications. In addition many of these jobs require different skills and education than current jobs and training requirements must be assessed so that this rapidly growing part of the economy has a sufficient supply of trained and qualified workers. We discuss the current hydrogen economy and technologies. We then identify by occupational titles the new jobs that will be created in the expanding hydrogen/fuel cell economy estimate the average US salary for each job identify the minimum educational attainment required to gain entry into that occupation and specify the recommended university degree for the advanced educational requirements. We provide recommendations for further research.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Why the Fuel Cell World is Different This Time
Aug 2019
Publication
The fuel cell game is not new and for many it is has been a long time coming. Few know this better than Ballard Power Systems the third ever founded Fuel Cell company that has operated since the 1970s. On the show we ask Nicolas Pocard about Ballards history and why this time the market is different for fuel cell companies.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
The Role of Hydrogen in Achieving Long Term Japanese Energy System Goals
Sep 2020
Publication
This research qualitatively reviews literature regarding energy system modeling in Japan specific to the future hydrogen economy leveraging quantitative model outcomes to establish the potential future deployment of hydrogen in Japan. The analysis focuses on the four key sectors of storage supplementing the gas grid power generation and transportation detailing the potential range of hydrogen technologies which are expected to penetrate Japanese energy markets up to 2050 and beyond. Alongside key model outcomes the appropriate policy settings governance and market mechanisms are described which underpin the potential hydrogen economy future for Japan. We find that transportation gas grid supplementation and storage end-uses may emerge in significant quantities due to policies which encourage ambitious implementation targets investment in technologies and research and development and the emergence of a future carbon pricing regime. On the other hand for Japan which will initially be dependent on imported hydrogen the cost of imports appears critical to the emergence of broad hydrogen usage particularly in the power generation sector. Further the consideration of demographics in Japan recognizing the aging shrinking population and peoples’ energy use preferences will likely be instrumental in realizing a smooth transition toward a hydrogen economy.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Championing a Clean Energy Future
Nov 2021
Publication
With COP starting this week we discuss with the HLC team the role of hydrogen in decarbonization and the critical need for hydrogen to scale quickly. Andrew and Patrick sit down with Kieran Coleman Energy & Industry Lead for the United Nations COP High Level Champions to chat about the work being done in advance of COP with partners and the level of ambition we’ve seen across various sectors about the future of hydrogen and a lot more!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Why Generate Capital is Excited About the Prospects of Hydrogen
Dec 2019
Publication
On this weeks episode the team are talking all things hydrogen with Jigar Shah the President of Generate Capital and Co-host of the Energy Gang podcast. Jigar Shah has a well earned reputation as one of the most influential voices in the US clean energy market having pioneered no-money down solar with SunEdison and led the not for profit climate group the Carbon War Room. Since its founding in 2014 Generate Capital the company has provided $130 million of funds to a leading fuel cell provide Plug Power meanwhile in October 2019 Jigar declared hydrogen to be the ultimate clean electricity enabler. On the show we ask Jigar why he thinks Hydrogen is becoming interesting for investors today what business models he feels are exciting and offer the most attractive niches for hydrogen technology businesses whilst getting his side of the story on that time he met Chris at a conference…..All this and more on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Life Cycle Assessment of Hydrogen Transportation Pathways via Pipelines and Truck Trailers: Implications as a Low Carbon Fuel
Sep 2022
Publication
Hydrogen fuel cells have the potential to play a significant role in the decarbonization of the transportation sector globally and especially in California given the strong regulatory and policy focus. Nevertheless numerous questions arise regarding the environmental impact of the hydrogen supply chain. Hydrogen is usually delivered on trucks in gaseous form but can also be transported via pipelines as gas or via trucks in liquid form. This study is a comparative attributional life cycle analysis of three hydrogen production methods alongside truck and pipeline transportation in gaseous form. Impacts assessed include global warming potential (GWP) nitrogen oxide volatile organic compounds and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5). In terms of GWP the truck transportation pathway is more energy and ecologically intensive than pipeline transportation despite gaseous truck transport being more economical. A sensitivity analysis of pipeline transportation and life cycle inventories (LCI) attribution is included. Results are compared across multiple scenarios of the production and transportation pathways to discover the strongest candidates for minimizing the environmental footprint of hydrogen production and transportation. The results indicate the less ecologically intensive pathway is solar electrolysis through pipelines. For 1 percent pipeline attribution the total CO2eq produced per consuming 1 MJ of hydrogen in a fuel cell pickup truck along this pathway is 50.29 g.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Scaling Clean Hydrogen Production
Dec 2021
Publication
Today we are joined by our good friends from Enapter. The company is a leader in the clean hydrogen sector focused on AEM electrolyzer technology and innovative software solutions that make it possible to rapidly deploy and scale hydrogen production assets. For those who follow the hydrogen sector regularly it’s been hard not to hear Enapter-related news in 2021 and its impressive trajectory as they have gone public announced the plans for a brand new production facility in Germany (on which they have now begun construction) and most recently the announcement that Enapter was selected as the winner of the prestigious Earthshot prize. To do that we are absolutely delighted to have with us all the way from his home base in Thailand Thomas Chrometzka Chief Strategy Officer at Enapter and one of the people that we enjoy having on the show so much that we have brought him back again to fill us in on what he and Enapter are up to and what they have planned for the future of hydrogen.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
1921–2021: A Century of Renewable Ammonia Synthesis
Apr 2022
Publication
Synthetic ammonia manufactured by the Haber–Bosch process and its variants is the key to securing global food security. Hydrogen is the most important feedstock for all synthetic ammonia processes. Renewable ammonia production relies on hydrogen generated by water electrolysis using electricity generated from hydropower. This was used commercially as early as 1921. In the present work we discuss how renewable ammonia production subsequently emerged in those countries endowed with abundant hydropower and in particular in regions with limited or no oil gas and coal deposits. Thus renewable ammonia played an important role in national food security for countries without fossil fuel resources until after the mid-20th century. For economic reasons renewable ammonia production declined from the 1960s onward in favor of fossil-based ammonia production. However renewable ammonia has recently gained traction again as an energy vector. It is an important component of the rapidly emerging hydrogen economy. Renewable ammonia will probably play a significant role in maintaining national and global energy and food security during the 21st century.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Commercial Trucking at the Speed of Hydrogen
Jun 2021
Publication
The transportation and mobility sector is vast complex unwieldy and most excitingly an obvious area of focus for hydrogen fuel cell technology applications. Hydrogen FCEVs allow vehicles to run in a wide range of environments with zero tailpipe emissions and can do so without the need for extremely heavy battery cells and can be refueled in the same amount of time as a modern ICE vehicle. This makes hydrogen FCEVs an ideal fit for the heavy commercial transportation industry and is why Hyzon Motors has jumped at the opportunity to revolutionize the industry. The company has grabbed headlines all over the world with its ambitious plans for rolling out its trucks in the United States and other major markets. It has also made news with its recent announcement that the company is going public and has attracted significant investor interest. The EAH team is joined on this episode by Hyzon's CEO Craig Knight to talk about how the company is tackling some of the most significant challenges in decarbonizing transport and how it can make trucking a zero-emission operation.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Could Electrolysers Replicate Moore's Law?
Apr 2020
Publication
On this weeks episode the team are talking all things hydrogen with Sebastian-Justus Schmidt Chairman of Enapter and Thomas Chrometzka Head of Strategy at Enapter. On the show we discuss Enapter’s Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyser and why Enapter believe that their modular electrolyser approach will revolutionise the cost of green hydrogen. We also discuss the wide array of use cases and sectors that Enapter are already working with to provide their solution as well as their view on where the current barriers exist for the hydrogen market. All this and more on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Hydrogen Production in the Swedish Power Sector: Considering Operational Volatilities and Long-term Uncertainties
Nov 2020
Publication
With more renewables on the Swedish electricity market while decommissioning nuclear power plants electricity supply increasingly fluctuates and electricity prices are more volatile. There is hence a need for securing the electricity supply before energy storage solutions become widespread. Electricity price fluctuations moreover affect operating income of nuclear power plants due to their inherent operational inflexibility. Since the anticipated new applications of hydrogen in fuel cell vehicles and steel production producing hydrogen has become a potential source of income particularly when there is a surplus supply of electricity at low prices. The feasibility of investing in hydrogen production was investigated in a nuclear power plant applying Swedish energy policy as background. The analysis applies a system dynamics approach incorporating the stochastic feature of electricity supply and prices. The study revealed that hydrogen production brings alternative opportunities for large-scale electricity production facilities in Sweden. Factors such as hydrogen price will be influential and require in-depth investigation. This study provides guidelines for power sector policymakers and managers who plan to engage in hydrogen production for industrial applications. Although this study was focused upon nuclear power sources it can be extended to hydrogen production from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Show Me the Money!
Jul 2020
Publication
This week on the show the team catch up with Alena Fargere Principal at SWEN Capital Partners and a former special advisor to the World Energy Council on Hydrogen projects. As one of the few current project finance funds in Europe with a green gas mandate and a dedicated allocation for investing in hydrogen project finance SWEN Capital Partners provide an invaluable perspective on the challenges and opportunities for hydrogen project investment in Europe and the synergies that exist from Green Gas funds that support biogas and hydrogen opportunities. On the show our hosts discuss the rationale for this fund the profile of projects SWEN are considering and Alena’s broader perspective on the hydrogen market. All this and many more themes this week so don’t miss this episode!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Greening the Maritime Transport Sector
Nov 2021
Publication
We have been talking about the difficulties of decarbonizing the maritime sector since the beginning of the Everything About Hydrogen podcast. For this episode we finally bring on the experts who are looking to make the changes in maritime and marine operations a reality for a zero-carbon shipping future. The EAH Team sits down with Tomas Tronstad Head of Shipping and Technology for the New Energy Division at Wilhelmsen Group. Founded in Norway in 1861 Wilhelmsen is now a comprehensive global maritime group providing essential products and services to the merchant fleet along with supplying crew and technical management to the largest and most complex vessels ever to sail. Committed to shaping the maritime industry the company also seeks to develop new opportunities and collaborations in renewables zero-emission shipping and marine digitalization. Tomas is helping Wilhelmsen achieve its decarbonization ambitions and we are delighted to share our conversation with him with our listerners!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Current Status of Automotive Fuel Cells for Sustainable Transport
May 2019
Publication
Automotive proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have finally reached a state of technological readiness where several major automotive companies are commercially leasing and selling fuel cell electric vehicles including Toyota Honda and Hyundai. These now claim vehicle speed and acceleration refueling time driving range and durability that rival conventional internal combustion engines and in most cases outperform battery electric vehicles. The residual challenges and areas of improvement which remain for PEMFCs are performance at high current density durability and cost. These are expected to be resolved over the coming decade while hydrogen infrastructure needs to become widely available. Here we briefly discuss the status of automotive PEMFCs misconceptions about the barriers that platinum usage creates and the remaining hurdles for the technology to become broadly accepted and implemented.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: High-temperature Fuel Cells at High Altitudes
Jun 2021
Publication
HyPoint led by its CEO and co-founder Alex Ivanenko is at the cutting edge of the industry's efforts to find zero-emissions aircraft propulsion systems that do not sacrifice speed and power in the name of sustainability. HyPoint is a leading producer of high-temperature PEM fuel cells for aviation applications including for logistic drones air taxis electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) and fixed-wing airplanes. On this episode of the EAH podcast the team speaks with Alex about the incredible pace of development and rapid innovation that he and his colleagues are driving in the hydrogen aviation space and how his company is leading the way in a highly complex and competitive race to decarbonize modern air travel.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Hydrogen Compatability of Structural Materials in Natural Gas Networks
Sep 2021
Publication
There is growing interest in utilizing existing infrastructure for storage and distribution of hydrogen. Gaseous hydrogen for example could be added to natural gas in the short-term whereas entire systems can be converted to transmission and distribution networks for hydrogen. Many active programs around the world are exploring the safety and feasibility of adding hydrogen to these networks. Concerns have been raised about the structural integrity of materials in these systems when exposed to hydrogen. In general the effects of hydrogen on these materials are grossly misunderstood. Hydrogen unequivocally degrades fatigue and fracture resistance of structural steels in these systems even for low hydrogen partial pressure (-l bar). In most systems however hydrogen effects will not be apparent because the stresses in these systems remain very low. Another misunderstanding results from the kinetics of the hydrogen effects: hydrogen degrades fatigue and fracture properties immediately upon exposure to gaseous hydrogen and those effects disappear when the hydrogen environment is removed even after prolonged exposure. There is also a misperception that materials selection can mitigate hydrogen effects. While some classes of materials perform better in hydrogen environments than other classes for most practical circumstances the range of response for a given class of material in gaseous hydrogen environments is rather narrow. These observations can be systematically characterized by considering the intersection of materials environmental and mechanical variables associated with the service application. Indeed any safety assessment of a hydrogen pressure system must quantitatively consider these aspects. In this report we quantitatively evaluate the importance of the materials environmental and mechanical variables in the context of hydrogen additions to natural gas piping and pipeline systems with the aim of providing an informed perspective on parameters relevant for assessing structural integrity of natural gas systems in the presence of gaseous hydrogen.
Influences on Hydrogen Production at a Wind Farm
Dec 2022
Publication
If an affordable infrastructure for low-carbon-intensity hydrogen can be developed then hydrogen is expected to become a key factor in decarbonizing the atmosphere. This research focuses on factors an existing wind farm operator would consider when weighing participating in the electricity market the hydrogen market or both. The solutions depend on the state of technology which is changing rapidly the local market structures the local natural resources and the local pre-existing infrastructure. Consequently this investigation used an assessment approach that examined the variation of net present value. The investigation identified profitability conditions under three different scenarios: 1) Make and sell what makes economic sense at the time of production 2) Use electrolyzer and fuel cell to consume power from the grid at times of low net demand and to produce electricity at times of high net demand 3) Same as #2 but also market hydrogen directly when profitable.
Green Hydrogen in Developing Countries
Aug 2020
Publication
In the future green hydrogen—hydrogen produced with renewable energy resources—could provide developing countries with a zero-carbon energy carrier to support national sustainable energy objectives and it needs further consideration by policy makers and investors. Developing countries with good renewable energy resources could produce green hydrogen locally generating economic opportunities and increasing energy security by reducing exposure to oil price volatility and supply disruptions. Support from development finance institutions and concessional funds could play an important role in deploying first-of-a-kind green hydrogen projects accelerating the uptake of green hydrogen in developing countries and increasing capacity and creating the necessary policy and regulatory enabling environment.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Taking Hydrogen off the Grid
Jun 2022
Publication
On this episode of Everything About Hydrogen we chat with Andrew Cunningham Founder and Director at GeoPura. GeoPura is enabling the production transport and use of zero-emissions fuels with innovative and commercially viable technology to decarbonise the global economy. As the world transitions away from fossils fuels there is an increasing need for reliable clean electricity. If global power demand continues to grow as expected the electricity grid system will need support from renewable energy sources such as hydrogen and fuel cell power generator. GeoPura seeks to address exactly that kind of need.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Safety Compliance Verification of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Exhaust
Sep 2021
Publication
NREL has been developing compliance verification tools for allowable hydrogen levels prescribed by the Global Technical Regulation Number 13 (GTR-13) for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). As per GTR-13 FCEV exhaust is to remain below 4 vol% H2 over a 3-second moving average and shall not at any time exceed 8 vol% H2 and that this requirement is to be verified with an analyzer that has a response time of less than 300 ms. To be enforceable a means to verify regulatory requirements must exist. In response to this need NREL developed a prototype analyzer that meets the GTR metrological requirements for FCEV exhaust analysis. The analyzer was tested on a commercial fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) under simulated driving conditions using a chassis dynamometer at the Emissions Research and Measurement Section of Environment and Climate Change Canada and FCEV exhaust was successfully profiled. Although the prototype FCEV Exhaust Analyzer met the metrological requirements of GTR-13 the stability of the hydrogen sensor was adversely impacted by condensed water in the sample gas. FCEV exhaust is at an elevated temperature and nearly saturated with water vapor. Furthermore condensed water is present in the form of droplets. Condensed water in the sample gas collected from FCEV exhaust can accumulate on the hydrogen sensing element which would not only block access of hydrogen to the sensing element but can also permanently damage the sensor electronics. In the past year the design of the gas sampling system was modified to mitigate against the transport of liquid water to the sensing element. Laboratory testing confirmed the effectiveness of the modified sampling system water removal strategy while maintaining the measurement range and response time required by GTR-13. Testing of the upgraded analyzer design on an FCEV operating on a chassis dynamometer is scheduled for the summer of 2021.
Development of Risk Mitigation Guidance for Hydrogen Sensor Placement Indoors and Outdoors
Sep 2021
Publication
Guidance on Sensor Placement remains one of the top priorities for the safe deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell equipment in the commercial marketplace. Building on the success of Phase l work reported at TCHS20l9 and published in TJHE this paper discusses the consecutive steps to further develop and validate such guidance for mechanically ventilated enclosures. The key step included a more in-depth analysis of sensitivity to variation of physical parameters in a small enclosure. and finally expansion of the developed approach to confined spaces in an outdoor environment.
Protocol for Heavy-duty Hydrogen Refueling: A Modelling Benchmark
Sep 2021
Publication
For the successful deployment of the Heavy Duty (HD) hydrogen vehicles an associated infrastructure in particular hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) should be reliable compliant with regulations and optimized to reduce the related costs. FCH JU project PRHYDE aims to develop a sophisticated protocol dedicated to HD applications. The target of the project is to develop protocol and recommendations for an efficient refueling of 350 500 and 700 bar HD tanks of types III and IV. This protocol is based on modeling results as well as experimental data. Different partners of the PRHYDE European project are closely working together on this target. However modeling approaches and corresponding tools must first be compared and validated to ensure the high level of reliability for the modeling results. The current paper presents the benchmark performed in the frame of the project by Air Liquide Engie Wenger Engineering and NREL. The different models used were compared and calibrated to the configurations proposed by the PRHYDE project. In addition several scenarios were investigated to explore different cases with high ambient temperatures.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Using Hydrogen to Decarbonise Steel Manufacturing
Mar 2022
Publication
Hydrogen could be used in many hard-to-decarbonize sectors. Foremost amongst them is the steel manufacturing industry. On this episode of EAH we speak with Dr. Martin Pei Executive Vice President and CTO of SSAB and the first Chairman of the Board for Hybrit Development AB. SSAB is a global steel company with a leading position in high-strength steels and related services. Together with their partners LKAB and Vattenfall SSAB are making a unique joint effort to change the Swedish iron and steel industry fundamentally. With HYBRIT technology SSAB aims to be the first steel company in the world to bring fossil-free steel to the market already in 2026 and largely eliminate carbon dioxide emissions from the company's own operations as soon as 2030.
The podcast can be found on their website.
The podcast can be found on their website.
“Bigger than Government”: Exploring the Social Construction and Contestation of Net-zero Industrial Megaprojects in England
Jan 2023
Publication
Industry is frequently framed as hard-to-decarbonize given its diversity of requirements technologies and supply chains many of which are unique to particular sectors. Net zero commitments since 2019 have begun to challenge the carbon intensity of these various industries but progress has been slow globally. Against this backdrop the United Kingdom has emerged as a leader in industrial decarbonization efforts. Their approach is based on industrial clusters which cut across engineering spatial and socio-political dimensions. Two of the largest of these clusters in England in terms of industrial emissions are the Humber and Merseyside. In this paper drawn from a rich mixed methods original dataset involving expert interviews (N = 46 respondents) site visits (N = 20) a review of project documents and the academic literature we explore ongoing efforts to decarbonize both the Humber and Merseyside through the lens of spatially expansive and technically complex megaprojects. Both have aggressive implementation plans in place for the deployment of net-zero infrastructure with Zero Carbon Humber seeking billions in investment to build the country’s first large-scale bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) plant alongside a carbon transport network and hydrogen production infrastructure and HyNet seeking billions in investment to build green and blue hydrogen facilities along with a carbon storage network near Manchester and Liverpool. We draw from the social construction of technology (SCOT) literature to examine the relevant social groups interpretive flexibility and patterns of closure associated with Zero Carbon Humber and HyNet. We connect our findings to eight interpretive frames surrounding the collective projects and make connections to problems contestation and closure.
Time-phased Geospatial Siting Analysis for Renewable Hydrogen Production Facilities under a Billion-kilogram-scale Build-out using California as an Example
Jun 2022
Publication
For renewable hydrogen to be a significant part of the future decarbonized energy and transportation sectors a rapid and massive build-out of hydrogen production facilities will be needed. This paper describes a geospatial modeling approach to identifying the optimal locations for renewable hydrogen fuel production throughout the state of California based on least-cost generation and transport. This is accomplished by (1) estimating and projecting California renewable hydrogen demand scenarios through the year 2050 (2) identifying feedstock locations (3) excluding areas not suitable for development and (4) selecting optimal site locations using commercial geospatial modeling software. The findings indicate that there is a need for hundreds of new renewable hydrogen production facilities in the decades preceding the year 2050. In selecting sites for development feedstock availability by technology type is the driving factor."
Techno-economic Analysis of Freight Railway Electrification by Overhead Line, Hydrogen and Batteries: Case Studies in Norway and USA
Aug 2019
Publication
Two non-electrified railway lines one in Norway and the other in the USA are analysed for their potential to be electrified with overhead line equipment batteries hydrogen or hydrogen-battery hybrid powertrains. The energy requirements are established with single-train simulations including the altitude profiles of the lines air and rolling resistances and locomotive tractive-effort curves. The composition of the freight trains in terms of the number of locomotives battery wagons hydrogen wagons etc. is also calculated by the same model. The different technologies are compared by the criteria of equivalent annual costs benefit–cost ratio payback period and up-front investment based on the estimated techno-economic parameters for years 2020 2030 and 2050. The results indicate the potential of batteries and fuel cells to replace diesel on rail lines with low traffic volumes.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Masters of Scale: The World of SOFC & SOE Technologies
Oct 2020
Publication
On this week's episode the EAH team catches up with Mark Selby Chief Technology Officer at Ceres Power to dive into the world of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and solid oxide electrolyzer (SOE) technologies. Ceres Power specializes in the design of SOFCs for applications in a diverse range of energy intensive sectors. Mark takes the time in this episode to walk the team through the details advantages and challenges of deploying SOFCs and low-carbon hydrogen solutions more broadly and discusses how consumer and customer awareness of these technologies varies widely across international markets. We cover a lot of ground this week so be sure not to miss out on our conversation with Mark!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Hydrogen News Roundup and Hydrogen Q&A
Jun 2020
Publication
This week on the show the team take a pause to review the current state of hydrogen and fuel cell affairs globally whilst taking time to go over all the excellent questions that our listeners have kindly shared with us over the last few months. We cover carbon capture the green new deal synthetic fuels hydrogenspiders green hydrogen in Australia and many more themes this week so don’t miss this episode!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Water Photo-Oxidation Reaction on Clean and Doped Two-Dimensional Graphitic C2N
Apr 2020
Publication
In the search for new efficient photo-catalysts for hydrogen production through water splitting the main attention has been paid to tuning the band gap width and its position with respect to vacuum level. However actual electro-catalytic activity for the water oxidation reaction on a catalyst surface is no less important than those quantities. In this work we evaluate from first principles the thermodynamics of the reaction on relatively new candidates for water splitting: two-dimensional C2N and that doped with phosphorus. We find that the 4-step reaction usually expected for water splitting will not proceed on these systems resulting in oxygen atoms left strongly adsorbed to the surface. Another option a 3-step reaction is also found to be unfavorable. We also test an effect of higher oxygen coverage on the reaction thermodynamics as suggested elsewhere. We find that indeed the doubled O-coverage makes the 4-step reaction feasible for the doped C2N. However an unacceptably high anode potential is required to make this reaction proceed. We thus conclude that the materials under consideration may not be efficient electro-catalysts for water splitting.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Back to a Hydrogen Future?
Mar 2020
Publication
On this weeks episode the team are talking all things hydrogen with Mark Neller Director at Arup. On the show we discuss the UK’s Hydrogen4Heat program where Arup has been leading the UK government’s work on the safety and practical considerations that are necessary to examine whether hydrogen could be a serious solutions for decarbonising UK residential commercial and industry heat. We also discuss the Nikola Badger the need for system wide planning when considering decarbonisation pathways for heat. All this and more on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Ammonia Production from Clean Hydrogen and the Implications for Global Natural Gas Demand
Jan 2023
Publication
Non-energy use of natural gas is gaining importance. Gas used for 183 million tons annual ammonia production represents 4% of total global gas supply. 1.5-degree pathways estimate an ammonia demand growth of 3–4-fold until 2050 as new markets in hydrogen transport shipping and power generation emerge. Ammonia production from hydrogen produced via water electrolysis with renewable power (green ammonia) and from natural gas with CO2 storage (blue ammonia) is gaining attention due to the potential role of ammonia in decarbonizing energy value chains and aiding nations in achieving their net-zero targets. This study assesses the technical and economic viability of different routes of ammonia production with an emphasis on a systems level perspective and related process integration. Additional cost reductions may be driven by optimum sizing of renewable power capacity reducing losses in the value chain technology learning and scale-up reducing risk and a lower cost of capital. Developing certification and standards will be necessary to ascertain the extent of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the supply chain as well as improving the enabling conditions including innovative finance and de-risking for facilitating international trade market creation and large-scale project development.
Numerical Modelling of H2 Storage with Cushion Gas of CO2 in Subsurface Porous Media: Filter Effects of CO2 Solubility
Jun 2022
Publication
The central objective of this study is to improve the understanding of flow behaviour during hydrogen (H2) storage in subsurface porous media with a cushion gas of carbon dioxide (CO2). In this study we investigate the interactions between various factors driving the flow behaviour including the underlying permeability heterogeneity viscous instability and the balance between the viscous and gravity forces. In particular we study the impact of CO2 solubility in water on the level of H2 purity. This effect is demonstrated for the first time in the context of H2 storage. We have performed a range of 2D vertical cross-sectional simulations at the decametre scale with a very fine cell size (0.1 m) to capture the flow behaviour in detail. This is done since it is at this scale that much of the mixing between injected and native fluids occurs in physical porous media. It is found that CO2 solubility may have different (positive and negative) impacts on the H2 recovery performance (i.e. on the purity of the produced H2) depending on the flow regimes in the system. In the viscous dominated regime the less viscous H2 may infiltrate and bypass the cushion gas of CO2 during the period of H2 injection. This leads to a quick and dramatic reduction in the H2 purity when back producing H2 due to the co-production of the previously bypassed CO2. Interestingly the impurity levels in the H2 are much less severe in the case when CO2 solubility in water is considered. This is because the bypassed CO2 will redissolve into the water surrounding the bypassed zones which greatly retards the movement of CO2 towards the producer. In the gravity dominated scenario H2 accumulates at the top of the model and displaces the underlying cushion gas in an almost piston-like fashion. Approximately 58% of H2 can be recovered at a purity level above 98% (combustion requirements by ISO) in this gravity-dominated case. However when CO2 solubility is considered the H2 recovery performance is slightly degraded. This is because the dissolved CO2 is also gradually vaporised during H2 injection which leads to an expansion of mixing zone of CO2 and H2. This in turn reduces the period of high H2 purity level (>98%) during back-production.
Sufficiency, Sustainability, and Circularity of Critical Materials for Clean Hydrogen
Jan 2022
Publication
Effective global decarbonization will require an array of solutions across a portfolio of low-carbon resources. One such solution is developing clean hydrogen. This unique fuel has the potential to minimize climate change impacts helping decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy industry and global transport while also promoting energy security sustainable growth and job creation. The authors estimate suggest that hydrogen needs to grow seven-fold to support the global energy transition eventually accounting for ten percent of total energy consumption by 2050. A scaleup of this magnitude will increase demand for materials such as aluminum copper iridium nickel platinum vanadium and zinc to support hydrogen technologies - renewable electricity technologies and the electrolyzers for renewable hydrogen carbon storage for low-carbon hydrogen or fuel cells using hydrogen to power transport. This report a joint product of the World Bank and the Hydrogen Council examines these three critical areas. Using new data on the material intensities of key technologies the report estimates the amount of critical minerals needed to scale clean hydrogen. In addition it shows how incorporating sustainable practices and policies for mining and processing materials can help minimize environmental impacts. Key among these approaches is the use of recycled materials innovations in design in order to reduce material intensities and adoption of policies from the Climate Smart Mining (CSM) Framework to reduce impacts to greenhouse gas emissions and water footprint.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Hydrogen on a Global Scale
Aug 2022
Publication
On today’s episode of Everything About Hydrogen we are speaking with Dan Sadler Vice President for UK Low Carbon Solutions at Equinor. Equinor is of course a giant in the global energy sector and is taking a prominent role in the development of the international hydrogen economy with high-profile investments in a number of large-scale production projects in major markets such as the UK. Dan has spent the better part of a decade focused on how to leverage hydrogen’s potential as a fuel for the energy transition and we are excited to have him with us to discuss how Equinor is deploying hydrogen technologies and how he and Equinor expect hydrogen to play a role in a decarbonized energy future.
The podcast can be found on their website.
The podcast can be found on their website.
Quantifying the Potential of Renewable Natural Gas to Support a Reformed Energy Landscape: Estimates for New York State
Jun 2021
Publication
Public attention to climate change challenges our locked-in fossil fuel-dependent energy sector. Natural gas is replacing other fossil fuels in our energy mix. One way to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) impact of fossil natural gas is to replace it with renewable natural gas (RNG). The benefits of utilizing RNG are that it has no climate change impact when combusted and utilized in the same applications as fossil natural gas. RNG can be injected into the gas grid used as a transportation fuel or used for heating and electricity generation. Less common applications include utilizing RNG to produce chemicals such as methanol dimethyl ether and ammonia. The GHG impact should be quantified before committing to RNG. This study quantifies the potential production of biogas (i.e. the precursor to RNG) and RNG from agricultural and waste sources in New York State (NYS). It is unique because it is the first study to provide this analysis. The results showed that only about 10% of the state’s resources are used to generate biogas of which a small fraction is processed to RNG on the only two operational RNG facilities in the state. The impact of incorporating a second renewable substitute for fossil natural gas “green” hydrogen is also analyzed. It revealed that injecting RNG and “green” hydrogen gas into the pipeline system can reduce up to 20% of the state’s carbon emissions resulting from fossil natural gas usage which is a significant GHG reduction. Policy analysis for NYS shows that several state and federal policies support RNG production. However the value of RNG can be increased 10-fold by applying a similar incentive policy to California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Venturing into Hydrogen
Apr 2021
Publication
Since 2014 when the firm was founded within Anglo-American AP Ventures has been at the forefront of investment in hydrogen sector technologies. At the time the firm started the concerns around climate change and investment in renewable energy tech was gearing up but interest in hydrogen as part of the path to a decarbonized future was limited. The founders of AP Ventures felt differently and saw significant potential for hydrogen to offer a means for cleaning up highly carbon intensive sectors such as heavy transport industrial manufacturing and mining operations. Today that vision for hydrogen appears rather prescient. We are delighted to have two members from the team at AP Ventures with us on the show today. The team is joined by Kevin Eggers - a founding partner at AP - and Michell Robson - associate on the firm's investment team.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Outlook of Fermentative Hydrogen Production Techniques: An Overview of Dark, Photo and Integrated Dark-photo Fermentative Approach to Biomass
Jan 2019
Publication
Biomass can be a sustainable choice for bioenergy production worldwide. Biohydrogen production using fermentative conversion of biomass has gained great interest during the last decade. Besides being an efficient transportation fuel biohydrogen can also be also be a low-carbon source of heat and electricity. Microbes assisted conversion (bioconversion) can be take place either in presence or absence of light. This is called photofermentation or dark-fermentation respectively. This review provides an overview of approaches of fermentative hydrogen production. This includes: dark photo and integrated fermentative modes of hydrogen production; the molecular basis behind its production and diverse range of its applicability industrially. Mechanistic understanding of the metabolic pathways involved in biomass-based fermentative hydrogen production are also reviewed.
Research Requirements to Move the Bar Forward Using Aqueous Formate Salts as H2 Carriers for Energy Storage Applications
Nov 2020
Publication
In this perspective on hydrogen carriers we focus on the needs for the development of robust active catalysts for the release of H2 from aqueous formate solutions which are non-flammable non-toxic thermally stable and readily available at large scales at reasonable cost. Formate salts can be stockpiled in the solid state or dissolved in water for long term storage and transport using existing infrastructure. Furthermore formate salts are readily regenerated at moderate pressures using the same catalyst as for the H2 release. There have been several studies focused on increasing the activity of catalysts to release H2 at moderate temperatures i.e. < 80 °C below the operating temperature of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. One significant challenge to enable the use of aqueous formate salts as hydrogen carriers is the deactivation of the catalyst under operating conditions. In this work we provide a review of the most efficient heterogeneous catalysts that have been described in the literature their proposed modes of deactivation and the strategies reported to reactivate them. We discuss potential pathways that may lead to deactivation and strategies to mitigate it in a variety of H2 carrier applications. We also provide an example of a potential use case employing formate salts solutions using a fixed bed reactor for seasonal storage of energy for a microgrid application.
Analysis of a Large Balloon Explosion Incident
Sep 2021
Publication
On December 19 2017 a large balloon containing about 22 thousand cubic meters of hydrogen was deliberately torn open to initiate deflation at the completion of a filling test. An inadvertent ignition occurred after about two seconds and caused an explosion that produced extensive light damage to a large building near the balloon test pad. The analysis described here includes an estimate of the buoyancy induced mixing into the torn balloon and the blast wave produced by assumed constant flame speed combustion of the 55% to 65% hydrogen-in-air mixture. Comparisons of calculated blast wave pressures are consistent with estimates of the pressure needed to cause the observed building damage for flame speeds in the range 85 m/s to about 100 m/s.
Challenges Toward Achieving a Successful Hydrogen Economy in the US: Potential End-use and Infrastructure Analysis to the Year 2100
Jul 2022
Publication
Fossil fuels continue to exacerbate climate change due to large carbon emissions resulting from their use across a number of sectors. An energy transition away from fossil fuels seems inevitable and energy sources such as renewables and hydrogen may provide a low carbon alternative for the future energy system particularly in large emitting nations such as the United States. This research quantifies and maps potential hydrogen fuel distribution pathways for the continental US reflecting technological changes barriers to deployment and end-use-cases from 2020 to 2100 clarifying the potential role of hydrogen in the US energy transition. The methodology consists of two parts a linear optimization of the global energy system constrained by carbon reduction targets and system cost followed by a projection of hydrogen infrastructure development. Key findings include the emergence of trade pattern diversification with a greater variety of end-uses associated with imported fuels and greater annual hydrogen consumption over time. Further sensitivity analysis identified the influence of complementary technologies including nuclear power and carbon capture and storage technologies. We conclude that hydrogen penetration into the US energy system is economically viable and can contribute toward achieving Paris Agreement and more aggressive carbon reduction targets in the future.
Influence of Non-equilibrium Conditions on Liquid Hydrogen Storage Tank Behavior
Sep 2021
Publication
In a liquid hydrogen storage tank hydrogen vapor exists above the cryogenic liquid. A common modeling assumption of a liquid hydrogen tank is thermodynamic equilibrium. However this assumption may not hold in all conditions. A non-equilibrium storage tank with a pressure relief valve and a burst disc in parallel was modeled in this work. The model includes different boiling regimes to handle scenarios with high heat transfer. The model was first validated with a scenario where normal boil-off from an unused tank was compared to experimental data. Then four abnormal tank scenarios were explored: a loss of vacuum in the insulation layer a high ambient temperature (to simulate an engulfing fire) a high ambient temperature with a simultaneous loss of vacuum and high conduction through the insulation layer. The burst disc of the tank opened only in the cases with extreme heat transfer to the tank (i.e. fire with a loss of vacuum and high insulation conductivity) quickly releasing the hydrogen. In the cases with only a loss of vacuum or only external heat from fire the pressure relief valve on the tank managed to moderate the pressure below the burst disc activation pressure. The high insulation conductivity case highlights differences between the equilibrium and non-equilibrium tank models. The mass loss from the tank through the burst disc is slower using a non-equilibrium model because mass transfer from the liquid to gas phase within the tank becomes limiting. The implications of this model and how it can be used to help inform safety codes and standards are discussed.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Masters of Scale: Mobilizing the Mobility Sector (Around Hydrogen Fuel Cells)
Nov 2020
Publication
We talk a lot on the EAH podcast series about where hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) fit into the overall zero emission vehicle (ZEV) ecosystem. From personal passenger vehicles and the family car to commercial trucking and public transportation fleets and everything in between. Different vehicles and different use cases call for different capabilities and that is what makes the future of decarbonized transportation co interesting.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Prospects of Fuel Cell Combined Heat and Power Systems
Aug 2020
Publication
Combined heat and power (CHP) in a single and integrated device is concurrent or synchronized production of many sources of usable power typically electric as well as thermal. Integrating combined heat and power systems in today’s energy market will address energy scarcity global warming as well as energy-saving problems. This review highlights the system design for fuel cell CHP technologies. Key among the components discussed was the type of fuel cell stack capable of generating the maximum performance of the entire system. The type of fuel processor used was also noted to influence the systemic performance coupled with its longevity. Other components equally discussed was the power electronics. The thermal and water management was also noted to have an effect on the overall efficiency of the system. Carbon dioxide emission reduction reduction of electricity cost and grid independence were some notable advantages associated with fueling cell combined heat and power systems. Despite these merits the high initial capital cost is a key factor impeding its commercialization. It is therefore imperative that future research activities are geared towards the development of novel and cheap materials for the development of the fuel cell which will transcend into a total reduction of the entire system. Similarly robust systemic designs should equally be an active research direction. Other types of fuel aside hydrogen should equally be explored. Proper risk assessment strategies and documentation will similarly expand and accelerate the commercialization of this novel technology. Finally public sensitization of the technology will also make its acceptance and possible competition with existing forms of energy generation feasible. The work in summary showed that proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEM fuel cell) operated at a lower temperature-oriented cogeneration has good efficiency and is very reliable. The critical issue pertaining to these systems has to do with the complication associated with water treatment. This implies that the balance of the plant would be significantly affected; likewise the purity of the gas is crucial in the performance of the system. An alternative to these systems is the PEM fuel cell systems operated at higher temperatures.
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Decarbonizing Steel and Industrial Manufacturing
May 2022
Publication
H2 Green Steel was founded in 2020 with the aim to build a large-scale green steel production in northern Sweden. H2 Green Steel is on a mission to undertake the global steel industry’s greatest ever technological shift. By 2024 H2 Green Steel will be in production at their Boden site and by 2030 will produce five million tonnes of green steel annually. Vargas co-founder and a major shareholder in Northvolt is also H2 Green Steel’s founder and largest shareholder. The EAH team speaks with Kajsa Ryttberg-Wallgren head of the Hydrogen Business Unit at H2 Green Steel.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Hydrogen Technology: The Engineer's Perspective
Sep 2020
Publication
The team are joined by Dr. Jenifer Baxter of the Institution for Mechanical Engineers (IMECHE). Dr. Baxter is based in the UK and is the Chief Engineer at IMECHE. We often focus heavily on the business cases and development models at the heart of the hydrogen economy here at EAH. On this episode we bring the technical discussion to the forefront and speak with Dr. Baxter about the technical advantages and the challenges that hydrogen presents as an essential part of the path to decarbonizing the future. The team's conversation is a can't miss exploration of a wide range of potential applications for hydrogen technologies that brings a new and essential perspective to the podcast. Don't miss out on EAH's newest episode where we get the engineer's perspective on the future of hydrogen!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
How Green is Blue Hydrogen?
Jul 2021
Publication
Hydrogen is often viewed as an important energy carrier in a future decarbonized world. Currently most hydrogen is produced by steam reforming of methane in natural gas (“gray hydrogen”) with high carbon dioxide emissions. Increasingly many propose using carbon capture and storage to reduce these emissions producing so-called “blue hydrogen” frequently promoted as low emissions. We undertake the first effort in a peer-reviewed paper to examine the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of blue hydrogen accounting for emissions of both carbon dioxide and unburned fugitive methane. Far from being low carbon greenhouse gas emissions from the production of blue hydrogen are quite high particularly due to the release of fugitive methane. For our default assumptions (3.5% emission rate of methane from natural gas and a 20-year global warming potential) total carbon dioxide equivalent emissions for blue hydrogen are only 9%-12% less than for gray hydrogen. While carbon dioxide emissions are lower fugitive methane emissions for blue hydrogen are higher than for gray hydrogen because of an increased use of natural gas to power the carbon capture. Perhaps surprisingly the greenhouse gas footprint of blue hydrogen is more than 20% greater than burning natural gas or coal for heat and some 60% greater than burning diesel oil for heat again with our default assumptions. In a sensitivity analysis in which the methane emission rate from natural gas is reduced to a low value of 1.54% greenhouse gas emissions from blue hydrogen are still greater than from simply burning natural gas and are only 18%-25% less than for gray hydrogen. Our analysis assumes that captured carbon dioxide can be stored indefinitely an optimistic and unproven assumption. Even if true though the use of blue hydrogen appears difficult to justify on climate ground
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: FCEV's "Down Under"
Dec 2020
Publication
On today's show the EAH team will be joined by Brendan Norman to talk about deployment of sustainable FCEV technologies across many different segments of the transport sector and utility vehicles. Brendan is the CEO of H2X a new vehicle manufacturing company based in Sydney with a manufacturing facility in Port Kembla will deliver its first hydrogen FCEVs to market beginning in 2022 before expanding its vehicle offerings in subsequent years. Brendan joined the EAH team via SquadCast from Kuala Lumpur to talk fuel cells with us and you don't want to miss the excellent discussion that we had on this week's episode.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Highway to the Hydrogen Zone
May 2020
Publication
On this weeks episode the team discuss hydrogen for aviation with ZeroAvia. Val launched ZeroAvia to provide a genuinely zero emission flight proposition with two aircraft currently undergoing trials in California and the UK. The company is due to complete a 300 mile flight of its six seater aircraft from the Orkney islands to the Scottish mainland this summer 2020 with plans for twenty seat planes flying regional routes as early as 20205. On the show we discuss why Val set up ZeroAvia how the proposition stacks up against conventional alternatives infrastructure and plans for the future. All this and more on the show!
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Geopolitical Factors in Hydrogen Markets
Mar 2022
Publication
The EAH Team takes a break from standard format on this special episode of Everything About Hydrogen to discuss some of the geopolitical factors and considerations driving the evolution of global hydrogen markets.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Everything About Hydrogen Podcast: Going "Green"
May 2021
Publication
Founded in 2007 and based in Denmark Green Hydrogen Systems designs and manufactures efficient standardized and modular electrolysers for the production of green hydrogen with renewable energy. Niels-Arne Baden has led the company to the upper echelons of the electrolysis sector and he now leads the company's strategy and and public-facing initiatives as the Vice President for Strategy and Public Affairs. On this episode of the Everything About Hydrogen podcast the EAH team sits down with Niels to talk about the journey of the clean hydrogen sector over the recent decades and its rise to prominence in the transition to a decarbonized energy future and how modular electrolysis fits into that picture.
The podcast can be found on their website
The podcast can be found on their website
Improvement of Temperature and Humidity Control of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Sep 2021
Publication
Temperature and humidity are two important interconnected factors in the performance of PEMFCs (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells). The fuel and oxidant humidity and stack temperature in a fuel cell were analyzed in this study. There are many factors that affect the temperature and humidity of the stack. We adopt the fuzzy control method of multi-input and multi-output to control the temperature and humidity of the stack. A model including a driver vehicle transmission motor air feeding electrical network stack hydrogen supply and cooling system was established to study the fuel cell performance. A fuzzy controller is proven to be better in improving the output power of fuel cells. The three control objectives are the fan speed control for regulating temperature the solenoid valve on/off control of the bubble humidifier for humidity variation and the speed of the pump for regulating temperature difference. In addition the results from the PID controller stack model and the fuzzy controller stack model are compared in this research. The fuel cell bench test has been built to validate the effectiveness of the proposed fuzzy control. The maximum temperature of the stack can be reduced by 5 ◦C with the fuzzy control in this paper so the fuel cell output voltage (power) increases by an average of approximately 5.8%.
A Combined Chemical-Electrochemical Process to Capture CO2 and Produce Hydrogen and Electricity
Sep 2021
Publication
Several carbon sequestration technologies have been proposed to utilize carbon dioxide (CO2 ) to produce energy and chemical compounds. However feasible technologies have not been adopted due to the low efficiency conversion rate and high-energy requirements. Process intensification increases the process productivity and efficiency by combining chemical reactions and separation operations. In this work we present a model of a chemical-electrochemical cyclical process that can capture carbon dioxide as a bicarbonate salt. The proposed process also produces hydrogen and electrical energy. Carbon capture is enhanced by the reaction at the cathode that displaces the equilibrium into bicarbonate production. Literature data show that the cyclic process can produce stable operation for long times by preserving ionic balance using a suitable ionic membrane that regulates ionic flows between the two half-cells. Numerical simulations have validated the proof of concept. The proposed process could serve as a novel CO2 sequestration technology while producing electrical energy and hydrogen.
Hydrogen Storage Assessment in Depleted Oil Reservoir and Saline Aquifer
Oct 2022
Publication
Hydrogen (H2 ) is an attractive energy carrier to move store and deliver energy in a form that can be easily used. Field proven technology for underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is essential for a successful hydrogen economy. Options for this are manmade caverns salt domes/caverns saline aquifers and depleted oil/gas fields where large quantities of gaseous hydrogen have been stored in caverns for many years. The key requirements intrinsic of a porous rock formation for seasonal storage of hydrogen are: adequate capacity ability to contain H2 capability to inject/extract high volumes of H2 and a reliable caprock to prevent leakage. We have carefully evaluated a commercial non-isothermal compositional gas reservoir simulator and its suitability for hydrogen storage and withdrawal from saline aquifers and depleted oil/gas reservoirs. We have successfully calibrated the gas equation of state model against published laboratory H2 density and viscosity data as a function of pressure and temperature. Comparisons between the H2 natural gas and CO2 storage in real field models were also performed. Our numerical models demonstrated more lateral spread of the H2 when compared to CO2 and natural gas with a need for special containment in H2 projects. It was also observed that the experience with CO2 and natural gas storage cannot be simply replicated with H2 .
Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV): Policy Advances to Enhance Commercial Success
May 2021
Publication
Many initiatives and policies attempt to make our air cleaner by reducing the carbon foot imprint on our planet. Most of the existing and planned initiatives have as their objectives the reduction of carbon dependency and the enhancement of newer or better technologies in the near future. However numerous policies exist for electric vehicles (EVs) and only some policies address specific issues related to fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). The lack of a distinction between the policies for EVs and FCEVs provides obstacles for the advancement of FCEV-related technologies that may otherwise be successful and competitive in the attempt to create a cleaner planet. Unfortunately the lack of this distinction is not always based on intellectual or scientific evidence. Therefore governments may need to introduce clearer policy distinctions in order to directly address FCEV-related challenges that may not pertain to other EVs. Unfortunately lobbyism continues to exist that supports the maintenance of the status quo as new technologies may threaten traditional less sustainable approaches to provide opportunities for a better environment. This lobbyism has partially succeeded in hindering the advancement of new technologies partially because the development of new technologies may reduce profit and business opportunities for traditionalists. However these challenges are slowly overcome as the demand for cleaner air and lower carbon emissions has increased and a stronger movement toward newer and cleaner technologies has gained momentum. This paper will look at policies that have been either implemented or are in the process of being implemented to address the challenge of overcoming traditional obstacles with respect to the automobile industry. The paper reviewed synthesized and discussed policies in the USA Japan and the European Union that helped implement new technologies with a focus on FCEVs for larger mass markets. These regions were the focus of this paper because of their particular challenges. South Korea and China were not included in this discussion as these countries already have equal or even more advanced policies and initiatives in place.
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