Publications

The hydrogen energy industry is rapidly developing positioning hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) as critical infrastructure for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Within these stations hydrogen compressors serve as the core equipment whose performance and reliability directly determine the overall system’s economy and safety. This article systematically reviews the working principles structural features and application status of mechanical hydrogen compressors with a focus on three prominent types based on reciprocating motion principles: the diaphragm compressor the hydraulically driven piston compressor and the ionic liquid compressor. The study provides a detailed analysis of performance bottlenecks material challenges thermal management issues and volumetric efficiency loss mechanisms for each compressor type. Furthermore it summarizes recent technical optimizations and innovations. Finally the paper identifies current research gaps particularly in reliability hydrogen embrittlement and intelligent control under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. It also proposes future technology development pathways and standardization recommendations aiming to serve as a reference for further R&D and the industrialization of hydrogen compression technology.

The gradual exhaustion of fossil fuel reserves along with the adverse effects of their consumption on global climate drives the need for research into alternative energy sources that can meet the growing demand in a sustainable and eco-friendly way. Among these hydrogen stands out as one of the most promising options for the automotive sector being the cleanest available fuel and capable of being produced from renewable resources. This paper reviews the existing literature on compression ignition engines operating in a dualfuel configuration where diesel serves as the ignition source and hydrogen is used to enhance the combustion process. The reviewed studies focus on engine systems with hydrogen injection into the intake manifold. The investigations analyzed the influence of hydrogen energy fraction on combustion characteristics engine performance combustion stability and exhaust emissions in diesel/hydrogen dual-fuel engines operating under full or near-full-load conditions. The paper identifies the main challenges hindering the widespread and commercial application of hydrogen in diesel/hydrogen dual-fuel engines and discusses potential methods to overcome the existing barriers in this area.

Fuel cells are highly efficient electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy of fuel directly into electrical energy while generating minimal pollutant emissions. In recent decades they have established themselves as a key technology for sustainable energy supply in the transport sector stationary systems and portable applications. In order to assess their real contribution to environmental protection and energy efficiency a comprehensive analysis of their life cycle Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is necessary covering all stages from the extraction of raw materials and the production of components through operation and maintenance to decommissioning and recycling. Particular attention is paid to the environmental challenges associated with the extraction of platinum catalysts the production of membranes and waste management. Economic aspects such as capital costs the price of hydrogen and maintenance costs also have a significant impact on their widespread implementation. This manuscript presents detailed mathematical models that describe the electrochemical characteristics energy and mass balances degradation dynamics and cost structures over the life cycle of fuel cells. The models focus on proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) with possible extensions to other types. LCA is applied to quantify environmental impacts such as global warming potential (GWP) while the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is used to assess economic viability. Particular attention is paid to the sustainability challenges of platinum catalyst extraction membrane production and end-of-life material recovery. By integrating technical environmental and economic modeling the paper provides a systematic perspective for optimizing fuel cell deployment within a circular economy.

Integrated Energy Systems (IESs) which leverage the synergistic coordination of electricity heat and gas networks serve as crucial enablers for a low-carbon transition. Current research predominantly treats energy storage as a subordinate resource in dispatch schemes failing to simultaneously optimise IES economic efficiency and storage operators’ profit maximisation thereby overlooking their potential value as independent market entities. To address these limitations this study establishes an operator-autonomous management framework incorporating electrical thermal and hydrogen storage in IESs. We propose a joint optimal dispatch model for hybrid energy storage systems in low-carbon IES operation. The upper-level model minimises total system operation costs for IES operators while the lower-level model maximises net profits for independent storage operators managing various storage assets. These two levels are interconnected through power price and carbon signals. The effectiveness of the proposed model is verified by setting up multiple scenarios for example analysis.

The effect of tempering temperature and tempering time on the density of hydrogen traps hydrogen diffusivity and microhardness in a vanadium-modified AISI 4140 martensitic steel was determined. Tempering parameters were selected to activate the second third and fourth tempering stages. These conditions were intended to promote specific microstructural transformations. Permeability tests were performed using the electrochemical method developed by Devanathan and Stachurski and microhardness was measured before and after these tests. It was observed that hydrogen diffusivity is inversely proportional to microhardness while the density of hydrogen traps is directly proportional to microhardness. The lowest hydrogen diffusivity the highest trap density and the highest microhardness were obtained in the as-quenched condition and the tempering at 286 ◦C for 0.25 h. In contrast tempering at a temperature corresponding to the fourth tempering stage increases hydrogen diffusivity and decreases the density of hydrogen traps and microhardness. However as the tempering time or temperature increases the opposite occurs which is attributed to the formation of alloy carbides. Finally hydrogen has a softening effect for tempering temperatures corresponding to the fourth tempering stage tempering times of 0.25 h and in the as-quenched condition. However with increasing tempering time hydrogen has a hardening effect.

The growing demand for green hydrogen is driving the expansion of water electrolysis. The resulting oxygen byproduct offers potential added value when used in sectors with high oxygen demand such as wastewater treatment. This study investigates the techno-economic viability of using electrolysis oxygen to supplement conventional air blowers in the aeration process of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to reduce aeration costs and thereby improve the overall economics of hydrogen production. A comprehensive system model is developed incorporating renewable electricity supply water electrolysis hydrogen compression storage and transport as well as WWTP aeration via conventional air blowers and electrolysis oxygen. Results show that electrolysis oxygen can reduce WWTP aeration costs by up to 68%. If these cost reductions are attributed as a benefit to the hydrogen system they correspond to hydrogen supply cost savings of up to 0.39 EUR/kgH2. However the analysis indicates that economic viability is substantially influenced by factors such as the distance of hydrogen transport from the WWTP to the European Hydrogen Backbone feed-in point which should not exceed 25 km and the alignment between the scale of hydrogen production and the size of the WWTP with cost-effective integration being particularly feasible for larger WWTPs (≥500000 PE).

Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) are an effective tool for addressing the challenges of rural electrification in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However their viability is limited by the lifespan environmental impacts high costs and inefficiency of conventional energy storage technologies (battery and pumped-hydro). This study examines a hydrogen-based energy storage system combined with photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy for the electrification of Dargalla a village in northern Cameroon. The goal is to meet community and agricultural electricity needs while optimizing the system. The analysis utilized HOMER software to simulate model and optimize the system. The optimal architecture consisted of a 50-kW photovoltaic (PV) array a 10-kW wind turbine a 10-kW fuel cell a 30-kW electrolyser a 25-kg hydrogen tank and a 10-kW converter. The optimised system’s net present cost and cost of energy were assessed at USD 138202 and USD 0.443/kWh respectively. Sensitivity analysis results showed that areas with high wind speeds would be mainly suitable for the proposed system. Moreover with the upcoming decrease in the costs of fuel cells and PV components such systems are expected to become more economically viable in the future leading to the conclusion that integration of hydrogen-based energy storage technology in HRESs in SSA can effectively address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) and the historic Paris Climate Agreement (HCA).

In order to assess the decarbonization potential and overall environmental benefits of new reduction pathways in the ironmaking industry using hydrogen to produce Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) a coupled approach combining process simulation for rigorous technical and energy evaluation of iron ore conversion and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for environmental assessment was developed and extended to two alternative renewable heating strategies: (i) electric gas heating and (ii) solar reactor heating. The entire hydrogen-based ironmaking process including conversion in a shaft reactor gas and solid heating gas recycling and electrolysis was therefore simulated. The hydrogen-based reduction of iron ores in the shaft reactor was modeled using a rigorous reactor model describing the reduction of multi-layer iron ore pellets in countercurrent gas–solid moving beds with the particularity of representing the dual influence of particle size and temperature on conversion. The remainder of the process including gas recycling and hydrogen production was simulated using ProSim software. The hydrogen-based green ironmaking scenarios were then compared to MIDREX NG a leading natural gas-based reduction technology. Hydrogen-based scenarios powered by the French electricity mix reduce carbon footprints by 53 % for electric gas heating and 57 % for solar reactor heating potentially reaching 82 % (− 0.79 kgCO2-eq/kgDRI) with low-carbon electricity (hydro nuclear). Compared to MIDREX NG the energy requirements of both hydrogen-based scenarios are primarily determined by the use of electricity for hydrogen production illustrating the importance of hydrogen production for the assessment of future hydrogen-based green ironmaking.

Developing green hydrogen energy can alleviate the problem of CO2 emissions caused by excessive use of fossil fuels. In-situ capture of CO2 for enhanced H2 production in zero-carbon energy biomass-H2O gasification can achieve the dual effects of green H2 production and negative carbon. The study used red mud (RM) to modify CaO and prepare dual-functional materials (DFMs). And the in-situ CO2 capture enhanced H2 production and regeneration cycle performance of DFMs in biomass-H2O gasification were studied and the influence of biomass ash on the H2 production and low-temperature (650 ◦C) regeneration performance of DFMs in the cycle was analyzed. The results are as follows: In DFMs catalyzed biomass-H2O gasification due to the continuous deposition of alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) in biomass ash with increasing cycle times its catalytic effect increased H2 production by 27 % after twenty cycles and the pore structure degradation and cycle stability of DFMs decreased by 44.71 %. DFMs have demonstrated excellent catalytic performance and cycling stability in the catalytic removal of ash from biomass. After twenty cycles the production of H2 only decreased by 20.59 % and the performance of CaO decreased by 26.67 % demonstrating the enormous potential of DFMs for in-situ CO2 capture and enhanced H2 production.

Climate-change mitigation in North America demands rapid deep cuts in carbon-dioxide emissions from hard-toabate industrial power-generation and transport sectors. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of the few technological routes that can decouple continued use of fossil-derived energy and materials from their climate externalities. Yet deployment across the US and Canada still trails the scale implied by regional net-zero pledges. This review addresses that gap by synthesizing technical economic policy and social dimensions of CCS and complements global syntheses with a granular assessment of North America’s unique emission profile infrastructure advantages and regulatory frameworks. Methodologically the review disaggregates the CCS chain into six pillars: (i) current emission baselines; (ii) capture systems icluding post- pre- and oxy-combustion chemical-looping combustion (CLC) and direct air capture (DAC); (iii) capture technologies (e.g. absorption adsorption membrane cryogenic and hybrid processes); (iv) storage pathways (geological oceanic and emerging biological or mineral options); (v) cross-cutting economic policy and social factors; and (vi) deployment status plus future outlook. Post-combustion capture remains the most retrofit-ready option for the region’s ageing coal and gas fleet yet solvent regeneration still imposes energy penalties of 8–10 percentagepoints. Pre-combustion and oxy-fuel routes offer thermodynamic advantages for new-build plants but require high-capex gasifiers or cryogenic air separation units slowing adoption. Emerging CLC and DAC concepts could unlock low-carbon fuels and negative emissions respectively but remain costly and pre-commercial. No single technology meets all performance criteria making hybrid configurations—such as membrane–cryogenic or membrane–amine schemes—particularly promising. North America’s subsurface offers multi-teratonne theoretical storage capacity in saline formations depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs and CO2-EOR sites suggesting physical room is not the bottleneck. Instead economics dominate: levelized capture costs today range from around $15/tCO2 in natural-gas processing to over $120/t in power and cement and long-distance pipeline networks are sparse outside existing enhanced oil recovery (EOR) corridors. Recent federal incentives can shift project economics decisively yet policy volatility and permitting hurdles still threaten investment certainty. Societal acceptance emerges as another critical lever. Surveys reveal generally favorable attitudes toward CCS in principle but heightened opposition to local storage projects. Transparent monitoring–verification frameworks benefit-sharing mechanisms and durable bipartisan policies are therefore essential to secure a “social licence” for large-scale CO2 injection. This review concludes that widescale CCS in North America is technically feasible and increasingly cost-competitive when paired with robust incentives abundant storage capacity and existing pipeline know-how. Realizing its full mitigation potential will hinge on coordinated build-out of transport networks harmonized federal–provincial regulations continued R&D into low-energy capture materials and integrated assessments that weigh CCS alongside renewables efficiency and negative-emission strategies. The roadmap presented herein provides stakeholders with actionable insights to accelerate that transition positioning North America as both a proving ground and a global exemplar for scalable responsibly governed CCS.

The management of sewage sludge presents a pressing environmental and economic challenge due to its increasing global production and complex hazardous composition. Gasification offers a viable method for converting this waste into valuable energy resources. This study investigates whether integrating experimental and computational techniques can enhance the understanding and optimization of sludge gasification. Two types of sewage sludge SSG from Rethymno and SSD from Dubai were evaluated using an entrained flow gasifier under controlled thermal and flow conditions. The methodology combines equilibrium modeling computational fluid dynamics (CFD) drop tube reactor (DTR) experiments and artificial neural network (ANN) modeling. The ANN was combined with Kissinger analysis to obtain kinetics from the ANN outputs and derive thermodynamic parameters used to enhance CFD fidelity. Gas composition analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that SSD decomposes more easily with a lower activation energy (42.29–138.31 kJ/mol) and a lower Gibbs free energy. In contrast SSG demonstrated greater thermal stability and reactivity. SSG achieved consistently higher cold gas efficiency (CGE) reaching 53.66 % in equilibrium modeling 45.50 % in CFD and 38.90 % in experiments compared to SSD’s 48.86 % 37.81 % and 31.19 % respectively. SEM imaging confirmed an increase in porosity and surface area for SSG after gasification. These results indicate that the type of sludge has a significant impact on energy recovery and that ANN-calibrated thermokinetics and CFD enhance process predictability. This integrated method scales hydrogen generation and promotes sustainable waste-toenergy technology.

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) represents a large-scale energy storage system aiming to ensure a consistent supply by storing hydrogen generated from surplus energy. In the practice of UHS cushion gas is typically injected into the formation to maintain reservoir pressure for efficient hydrogen withdrawal. This paper reviews the impact of cushion gas on the performance of UHS from both experimental and numerical simulation perspectives. The thermophysical (e.g. density viscosity compressibility and solubility) and petrophysical (interfacial tension wettability and relative permeability) properties as well as the mixing and diffusion behavior of different cushion gases were compared. The corresponding impact of different cushion gases on plume migration and trapping potential is then discussed. Furthermore this review critically analyzes and explains the impact of various factors on the performance of UHS including the type of cushion gas the composition of cushion gas mixtures the volume of injected cushion gas and the effects of bio-methanation processes. The corresponding analysis specifically focuses on key performance indicators including H2 recovery factor formation pressure brine production and H2 outflow purity. Thus this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of cushion gas in UHS offering insight into the effective management and optimization of cushion gas injection in field-scale UHS operations.

This study investigates the potential of green hydrogen production from small and large-scale photovoltaic water electrolysis systems under tropical climate conditions with particular emphasis on the Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic. The hydrogen production system was developed using MATLAB/SIMULINK R2023b. The system simulation incorporates a commercial proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer driven by a DC/DC converter is also evaluated under varying environmental scenarios based on real meteorological data for temperature and solar irradiance. Dynamic simulations were performed to analyze the relationship between solar resource availability and hydrogen production. Results indicate that at small-scale 3.68 kWp PV + 0.017 kW PEM LCOH is 104.52 USD/kg for PV-only compared to 17.09 USD/kg for a grid sourced electricity case. At large-scale 100 MWp PV + 60 MWe PEM LCOH falls to 7.05 USD/kg under PVonly operation Utilization factor Uf = 0.31 and 3.61 USD/kg with grid supplied backup Uf = 0.85 illustrating the massive cost reduction achievable through economies of scale. Model validation showed a high degree of accuracy with an average percentage error of 1.41 % when comparing simulated and manufacturer provided parameters curves. A comparative carbon footprint analysis demonstrated the environmental advantages of PV driven hydrogen production over conventional fossil fuels methods. These findings are especially relevant for such climates and support the advancement of Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 13 positioning green hydrogen as a key vector for the clean energy transition.

The accelerating global demand for hydrogen is pushing for renewable and waste derived hydrogen production processes where date palm waste (DPW) has been identified as an available and unexploited agricultural residue that has the potential to be a sustainable source of hydrogen. The current work focuses on developing and evaluating four different process configurations in terms of energy environment and economics for producing hydrogen from DPW using Aspen Plus® simulation tool. Case 1 represents the standalone DPW gasification with CO₂ capture via methanol absorption Case 2 represents the DPW gasification with CaO-based chemical looping for CO₂ capture Case 3 represents the DPW gasification integrated with steam methane reforming (SMR) and methanol-based CO₂ capture and Case 4 represents the DPW gasification integrated with SMR and CaO-based CO₂ capture. Each case was evaluated in terms of syngas composition hydrogen production lower heating value CO₂ captured utility demand process efficiency and H2 production cost. Hydrogen production ranged from 974.55 t/year (Case 1) and 988.83 t/year (Case 2) to 2032.32 t/year (Case 3) and 2048.61 t/year (Case 4). CO₂ capture was also more effective in Case 4 (16929.49 t/year) compared to Case 1 (7676.30 t/year). Process efficiency improved from 33 % in Case 1 to 47 % in Case 2 and from 32 % in Case 3 to further to 55 % in Case 4. Economically Case 1 offered the highest hydrogen production cost ($5.03/kg) followed by Case 2 ($4.77/kg) while Case 3 and Case 4 achieved significantly lower production costs of $2.89/kg and $2.69/kg respectively.

This review explores the evolving role of hydrogen in global decarbonization analysing national hydrogen strategies value chain developments and future market potential. Through a comprehensive review of policy frameworks market trends and technology pathways the paper evaluates hydrogen’s role in decarbonising sectors such as steel ammonia methanol refining transport and power generation. The study highlights the expected growth in global hydrogen demand projected cost reductions and advancements in production technologies including electrolysis and carbon capture-integrated hydrogen production. While green hydrogen offers a sustainable pathway challenges remain in infrastructure development energy efficiency and the integration of hydrogen into existing energy networks. The paper considers the economic and technological factors affecting international hydrogen trade. Despite more than 30 national hydrogen strategies being in place significant challenges remain particularly in scaling renewable electricity and infrastructure to meet growing hydrogen demand projected to reach up to 600 Mt by 2050. Key players such as Australia Norway and the Middle East are positioning themselves as major hydrogen exporters by leveraging their abundant natural resources and strategic infrastructure. On the demand side countries like Japan South Korea Germany and the Netherlands are emerging as leading importers investing heavily in hydrogen hubs and import terminals to secure future energy supplies. The expansion of hydrogen storage and transportation alongside investments in large-scale hydrogen hubs will be critical for market growth. Additionally the study emphasize the need for policy alignment strategic investments and cross-border cooperation to accelerate hydrogen adoption. Hydrogen can become a key element of the global clean energy transition by addressing optimal energy consumption and by leveraging renewable resources.

Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are zero-emission but face cost and power density challenges. To mitigate these limitations a novel 3D-ordered nano-structured self-supporting membrane electrode assembly (MEA) has been developed. This paper investigates the optimal component sizing of the battery and fuel cell in FCEVs equipped with 3D-ordered MEAs integrating the energy management. To explore the trade-offs between component cost operational cost and fuel cell degradation the sizing and energy management problem is formulated into a multi-objective optimisation problem. A Pareto frontier (PF) study is conducted using the decomposed multi-objective evolutionary algorithm (MOEA/D) for a more diverse distribution of feasible solutions. The modular design of fuel cells is derived from a scaled and stressed experiment. After executing MOEA/D across the three aggressive driving cycles power source configurations are selected from the corresponding PFs based on objective trade-offs ensuring robustness of the overall system. The optimisation performance of the MOEA/D is compared with that of the multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimisation. In addition the selected powertrain configurations are evaluated and compared through standard and realworld driving cycles in a simulation environment. This paper also performs a sensitivity analysis to reveal the influence of diverse component unit costs and hydrogen price. The results indicate that the mediumsized configuration consisting of a 63.31 kW fuel cell stack and a 52.15 kWh battery pack delivers the best overall performance. It achieves a 26.71% reduction in component cost and up to 12.76% savings in hydrogen consumption across various driving conditions. These findings provide valuable insights into the design and optimisation of fuel cell systems for FCEVs.

Coastal regions in Cameroon including Douala Kribi Campo Dibamba and Limbe faced persistent electricity challenges driven by grid instability growing demand and dependence on fossil fuels. Solar resource availability was high but intermittent whereas tidal energy was predictable and energy-dense yet underused. This pilot delivers the first Cameroonian assessment of an off-grid tidal/PV/electrolyzer/hydrogen-storage/fuel-cell architecture explicitly co-optimizing electricity service and green hydrogen production and evaluating performance with a tri-metric economic lens (net present cost levelized cost of electricity and the levelized cost of hydrogen). The system was optimized to minimize net present cost (NPC) levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) and three tidal-flow scenarios were analyzed to represent hydrokinetic variability. The design served households small businesses fishing activities schools and health facilities with a baseline demand of 389.50 kWh/day; surplus renewable power drove the electrolyzer to produce hydrogen for later reconversion in the fuel cell. Under the first scenario (1.25 m/s average speed) the optimal mix comprised 137 PV modules (600 W each) a 100 kW fuel cell six 40 kW tidal turbines six 10 kW electrolyzers a 19.5 kW converter and 41 hydrogen tanks (40 L each) yielding an NPC of US$ 2.16 million an LCOE of US$ 0.782/kWh and a LCOH of US$ 19.2/kg of hydrogen. The second scenario (1.47 m/s) required only 12 PV modules one electrolyzer and an 11.3 kW converter lowering costs to an NPC of US$ 1.52 million an LCOE of US$ 0.553/ kWh and a LCOH of US$ 15.4/kg of hydrogen. In the third scenario (1.61 m/s) the configuration shifted to 298 PV modules three tidal turbines eight electrolyzers and a 39.6 kW converter resulting in the highest NPC (US$ 2.47 million) and LCOE (US$ 0.901/kWh) with a LCOH of US$ 18.8/kg of hydrogen. The study also contributes a transparent component-wise employment indicator linking installed capacities/energies to jobs; deployment is expected to create about seven local jobs during installation and early operation tidal turbines (3) solar panels (1) electrolyzers (1) hydrogen tanks (1) and fuel cell (1) with additional minor operation and maintenance positions thereafter. Social analysis indicated improved energy access support for local livelihoods and job creation; environmental results confirmed clean operation with limited marine disturbance. A sensitivity study varying capital and replacement-cost multipliers showed robust performance across economic conditions. Taken together these contributions provide a decision-ready blueprint for coastal communities: a first-of-its-kind Cameroonian hybrid that quantifies both electricity and hydrogen costs (including feasible LCOH) and demonstrates socio-economic co-benefits offering a cost-effective pathway to strengthen energy security foster local development and reduce environmental impact.

The adoption of clean hydrogen is expected to transform the global energy landscape reducing greenhouse gas emissions bridging gaps in renewable energy integration and driving innovation across multiple sectors. In the medical and pharmaceutical industries hydrogen offers unique opportunities for transformative progress. This review critically examines recent advances in three domains: hydrogen fuel cells as reliable scalable and sustainable energy solutions for hospitals; molecular hydrogen as a therapeutic and preventive medical gas particularly for brain disorders; and hydrogenation technologies for the efficient and sustainable pharmaceutical production. Despite encouraging advancements widespread adoption remains limited by economic constraints regulatory gaps and limited clinical evidence. Addressing these barriers through technological innovation largescale studies and life-cycle sustainability assessments is essential to translate hydrogen’s full potential into clinical and industrial practice. Responsible adoption of green hydrogen is poised to reshape the clinical approach to global health and enhance the quality of life for people worldwide.

This study presents an experimental investigation of a direct injection ammonia-fuelled engine using hydrogen pre-chamber jet ignition. All tests have been conducted in an optically accessible combustion chamber that is installed in the head of a single-cylinder engine. The effect of ammonia injection timing on ignition and combustion characteristics was investigated with the timing varied from 165 CAD BTDC to 40 CAD BTDC. The experiments were conducted with a fixed spark timing of 14 CAD BTDC while ammonia injection duration was adjusted to maintain a main chamber global equivalence ratio of 0.6. Two pre-chamber nozzle configurations a single-hole and a multi-hole were tested. The results show that the later NH3 injection timing (40 CAD BTDC) significantly improved combustion with a peak in-cylinder pressure of 80 bar measured compared to a peak in-cylinder pressure of 50 bar with earlier injection (165 CAD BTDC). This study indicates the importance of optimising ammonia injection timing in order to enhance combustion stability and efficiency. The hydrogen pre-chamber jet ignition combined with a late ammonia injection is a promising approach for addressing the combustion challenges of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel for maritime applications.

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) is a relatively new technology that demonstrates notable potential for the efficient storage of large quantities of green hydrogen. Its large-scale implementation requires a comprehensive understanding of numerous factors including safe and effective storage methods as well as overcoming various thresholds and challenges. This article presents strategies for accelerating the implementation of this technology identifying the thresholds and challenges affecting the development and future scale-up of UHS. It characterises challenges and constraints related to geology (including the type and geological characterisation of structures hydrogen storage capacity and hydrogen interactions with underground environments) the technological aspects of hydrogen storage (such as infrastructure management and monitoring) and economic and legal considerations. The need for the rapid implementation of demonstration projects has been emphasised. The identified thresholds and challenges along with the resulting recommendations are crucial for paving the way for the large-scale implementation of UHS. Addressing these issues will significantly influence the implementation of this technology post-2030.

H2 is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of global decarbonization strategies including in hard-toabate sectors such as aviation. Its large-scale applicability remains limited owing to the limited diversity and maturity of low-carbon production pathways. Approximately 96% of global H2 production originates from non-renewable sources primarily through steam methane reforming (SMR) which remains the most commercially established route. Another critical barrier to the substitution of conventional aviation fuels lies in hydrogen storage as the current volumetric energy density and cryogenic storage requirements render onboard integration impractical for most aircraft configurations. To address these challenges this study developed a techno-economic and environmental benchmarking framework that compares conventional thermal reforming technologies (SMR autothermal and POX) with emerging electrochemical routes (water electrolysis and alcohol electro-oxidation) highlighting their potential roles in the transition toward sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). By normalizing efficiency energy intensity CO2 emissions and cost (USD kg 1 H2 and USD GJ 1 ) this study quantifies the trade-offs that define current and emerging pathways. SMR remains the industrial baseline (70%–85% thermal efficiency 1–2 USD kg−1 H2 9–12 kg CO2 kg−1 H2) whereas ethanol-based electrochemical reforming operates 0.3–0.9 V below conventional electrolysis achieving up to 40% lower electrical energy demand (∼2.4 kW h Nm−3 H2 with near-zero direct emissions. A sensitivity analysis demonstrates that a 60% reduction in catalyst cost or electricity prices below 0.03 USD (kW h)−1 could make electrochemical reforming cost-competitive with SMR. This study consolidates fragmented knowledge into a comprehensive roadmap that links catalyst performance and technology readiness for aviation decarbonization by integrating engineering metrics with policy and infrastructure perspectives to identify realistic transition pathways toward sustainable hydrogen and hybrid aviation fuels.

Hydrogen handling equipment suffers from interaction with their operating environment which degrades the mechanical properties and compromises component integrity. Hydrogen-assisted cracking is responsible for several industrial failures with potentially severe consequences. A thorough failure analysis can determine the failure mechanism locate its origin and identify possible root causes to avoid similar events in the future. Postmortem fractographic analysis can classify the fracture mode and determine whether the hydrogen-metal interaction contributed to the component’s breakdown. Experts in fracture classification identify characteristic marks and textural features by visual inspection to determine the failure mechanism. Although widely adopted this process is time-consuming and influenced by subjective judgment and individual expertise. This study aims to automate fractographic analysis through advanced computer vision techniques. Different materials were tested in hydrogen atmospheres and inert environments and their fracture surfaces were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy to create an extensive image dataset. A pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network was finetuned to accurately classify brittle and ductile fractures. In addition Grad-CAM interpretability method was adopted to identify the image regions most influential in the model’s prediction and compare the saliency maps with expert annotations. This approach offered a reliable data-driven alternative to conventional fractographic analysis.

The recent updates to the Single Day-Ahead Coupling (SDAC) framework in the European energy market along with new rules for providing manual frequency restoration reserve (mFRR) products in the Nordic Energy Activation Market (EAM) have introduced a finer Market Time Unit (MTU) resolution. These developments underscore the growing importance of flexible assets such as power-to-hydrogen (PtH) facilities in delivering system flexibility. However to successfully participate in such markets well-designed and accurate bidding strategies are essential. To fulfill this aim this paper proposes a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model to determine the optimal bidding strategies for a typical PtH facility accounting for both the technical characteristics of the involved technologies and the specific participation requirements of the mFRR EAM. The study also explores the economic viability of sourcing electricity from nearby wind turbines (WTs) under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The simulation is conducted using a case study of a planned PtH facility at the Port of Hirtshals Denmark. Results demonstrate that participation in the mFRR EAM particularly through the provision of downward regulation can yield significant economic benefits. Moreover involvement in the mFRR market reduces power intake from the nearby WTs as capacity must be reserved for downward services. Finally the findings highlight the necessity of clearly defined business models for such facilities considering both technical and economic aspects.

For five decades photocatalysis has promised clean hydrogen from solar energy yet a persistent “efficiency ceiling” linked to fundamental challenges including the trade-off between light absorption and redox potential in single-component materials has hindered its practical application. This review illuminates three key paradigm shifts overcoming this challenge. First we examine Z-scheme and S-scheme heterojunctions which resolve the bandgap dilemma by spatially separating redox sites to achieve both broad light absorption and strong redox power. Second we discuss replacing the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with value-added organic oxidations. This strategy bypasses kinetic bottlenecks and improves economic viability by co-producing valuable chemicals from feedstocks like biomass and plastic waste. Third we explore manipulating the reaction environment where synergistic photothermal effects and concentrated sunlight can dramatically enhance kinetics and unlock markedly enhanced solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiencies. Collectively these strategies chart a clear course to overcome historical limitations and realize photocatalysis as an impactful technology for a sustainable energy future.

China is developing renewable energy bases (REBs) in the desert and Gobi regions. However the intermittency of renewable energy and the temporal mismatch between peak renewable generation and peak load demand severely disrupt the power supply reliability of these REBs. Hydrogen storage technology characterized by high energy density and long-term storage capability is an effective method for enhancing the power supply reliability. Therefore this paper proposes a REB planning model in the desert and Gobi regions considering seasonal hydrogen storage introduction as well as electricity-carbon-hydrogen markets trading. Furthermore a combination scenario generation method considering extreme scenario optimization is proposed. Among which the extreme scenarios selected through an iterative selection method based on maximizing scenario divergence contain more incremental information providing data support for the proposed model. Finally the simulation was conducted in the desert and Gobi regions of Yinchuan Ningxia Province China primarily verifying that (1) the REB incorporating hydrogen storage can fully leverage hydrogen storage to achieve seasonal and long-term electricity transfer and utilization. The project has a payback period of 10 years with an internal rate of return of 13.30% and a return on investment of 16.34% thus showing significant development potential. (2) Compared to the typical battery-involved REB the hydrogen-involved energy storage facility achieved a 59.39% annual profit a 10.98% internal rate of return a 14.93% return on investment and a 1.51% improvement in power supply reliability by sacrificing a 52.49% increase in construction cost. (3) Compared to REB planning based only on typical scenarios the power supply reliability of REBs based on the proposed combination scenario generation method improved by 8.58%.