Publications

Photoelectrochemical reforming of plastic waste offers an environmentally-benign and sustainable route for hydrogen generation. Nonetheless little attention was paid to develop electrocatalysts that can efficiently and selectively catalyze oxidative transformation of valueless plastic wastes into valued chemicals. Herein we report on facile electrosynthesis of nickel-phosphorus nanospheres (nanoNi-P) and their versatility in catalyzing hydrogen generation water oxidation and reforming of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Notably composite of nanoNi-P with carbon nanotubes (CNT/nanoNi-P) requires −180 mV overpotential to drive hydrogen generation at -100 mA cm⁻². Besides CV-activated nanoNi-P (nanoNi-P(CV)) was shown to be capable of reforming PET into formate with high selectivity (Faradic efficiency= ∼100 %). Efficient and selective generation of hydrogen and formate from PET reforming is realized utilizing an Earth-abundant photoelectrochemical platform based on nanoNi-P(CV)-modified TiO2 nanorods photoanode and CNT/nanoNi-P cathode. This work paves a path for developing artificial leaf for simultaneous environmental mitigation and photosynthesis of renewable fuels and valued chemicals.

We report volumetric analysis techniques to analyze the transport properties of hydrogen dissolved in cylindrical-shaped polymers. The techniques utilize the volume measurement of the released hydrogen from rubber by gas collection in a graduated cylinder after charging sample with high-pressure hydrogen and subsequent decompression. We further improve the graduated cylinder with some modifications such as reading the electrical capacitance of the water level using electrodes and changing the sample loading position. From the measurement results the uptake (C∞) diffusion coefficient (D) and solubility (S) of hydrogen are quantified with an upgraded diffusion analysis program. These methods are applied to three cylindrical rubbers. Dual adsorption behaviors with increasing pressure are observed for all the samples. C∞ follows Henry’s law up to ~15 MPa whereas Langmuir model applies up to 90 MPa. D shows Knudsen and bulk diffusion behavior below and above pressure respectively. A COMSOL simulation is compared with experimental observations.

In the present work an Ir/CeO₂ catalyst was prepared by the deposition–precipitation method and tested in the decomposition of hydrazine hydrate to hydrogen which is very important in the development of hydrogen storage materials for fuel cells. The catalyst was characterised using different techniques i.e. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with X-ray detector (EDX) and inductively coupled plasma—mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The effect of reaction conditions on the activity and selectivity of the material was evaluated in this study modifying parameters such as temperature the mass of the catalyst stirring speed and concentration of base in order to find the optimal conditions of reaction which allow performing the test in a kinetically limited regime.

Durability is the most pressing issue preventing the efficient commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stationary and transportation applications. A big barrier to overcoming the durability limitations is gaining a better understanding of failure modes for user profiles. In addition durability test protocols for determining the lifetime of PEMFCs are important factors in the development of the technology. These methods are designed to gather enough data about the cell/stack to understand its efficiency and durability without causing it to fail. They also provide some indication of the cell/stack’s age in terms of changes in performance over time. Based on a study of the literature the fundamental factors influencing PEMFC long-term durability and the durability test protocols for both PEMFC stationary and transportation applications were discussed and outlined in depth in this review. This brief analysis should provide engineers and researchers with a fast overview as well as a useful toolbox for investigating PEMFC durability issues.

In situ neutron radiography experiments can provide information about diffusive processes and the kinetics of chemical reactions. The paper discusses requirements for such investigations. As examples of the zirconium alloy Zircaloy^-4 the hydrogen diffusion the hydrogen uptake during high-temperature oxidation in steam and the reaction in nitrogen/steam and air/steam atmospheres results of in situ neutron radiography investigations are reviewed and their benefit is discussed.

Hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis is economically and technologically attractive from the perspectives of energy and the environment. The two-stage catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust for hydrogen-rich gas production is investigated using nano-NiO/Al2O3 as the catalyst at high temperatures. The influences of residence time (0–30 s) and catalytic temperature (500–800 ◦C) on pyrolysis performance are examined in the distribution of pyrolysis products gas composition and gas properties. The results show that increasing the residence time decreased the solid and liquid products but increased gas products. Longer residence times could promote tar cracking and gas-phase conversion reactions and improve the syngas yield H2/CO ratio and carbon conversion. The nano-NiO/A12O3 exhibits excellent catalytic activity for tar removal with a tar conversion rate of 93% at 800 ◦C. The high catalytic temperature could significantly improve H2 and CO yields by enhancing the decomposition of tar and gas-phase reactions between CO2 and CH4 . The increasing catalytic temperature increases the dry gas yield and carbon conversion but decreases the H2/CO ratio and low heating value.

Australia’s Technology Investment Roadmap is a strategy to accelerate development and commercialisation of low emissions technologies.

Annual low emissions statements are key milestones of the roadmap process. These statements prioritise low emissions technologies with potential to deliver the strongest economic and emissions reduction outcomes for Australia. They focus government investment on new and emerging technologies.

In this Statement

The first Low Emissions Technology Statement presents a vision of a prosperous Australia recognised as a global low emissions technology leader

• priority technologies and economic stretch goals
• Australia’s big technology challenges and opportunities
• Technology Investment Framework
• monitoring transparency and impact evaluation

To reduce loss of hydrogen in storage vessels with high energy-to-weight-ratio new materials especially polymers have to be developed as barrier materials. Very established methods for characterization of barrier materials with permeation measurements are the time-lag and flow rate method along with the differential pressure method which resembles the nature of hydrogen vessel systems very well. Long measurement durations are necessary to gain suitable measurement data for these evaluation methods and often restrictive conditions have to be fulfilled. For these reasons common models for hydrogen permeation through single-layer and multi-layer membranes as well as models for hydrogen gas properties were collected and reviewed. Using current computer power together with these models can reduce measurement time for characterization of the barrier properties of materials while additional information about the quality of the measurement results is obtained.

Wind and solar energies present a time and space disparity that generally leads to a mismatch between the demand and the supply. To harvest their maximum potentials one of the main challenges is the storage and transport of these energies. This challenge can be tackled by electrofuels such as hydrogen methane and methanol. They offer three main advantages: compatibility with existing distribution networks or technologies of conversion economical storage solution for high capacity and ability to couple sectors (i.e. electricity to transport to heat or to industry). However the level of contribution of electric-energy carriers is unknown. To assess their role in the future we used whole-energy system modelling (EnergyScope Typical Days) to study the case of Belgium in 2050. This model is multi-energy and multi-sector. It optimises the design of the overall system to minimise its costs and emissions. Such a model relies on many parameters (e.g. price of natural gas efficiency of heat pump) to represent as closely as possible the future energy system. However these parameters can be highly uncertain especially for long-term planning. Consequently this work uses the polynomial chaos expansion method to integrate a global sensitivity analysis in order to highlight the influence of the parameters on the total cost of the system. The outcome of this analysis points out that compared to the deterministic cost-optimum situation the system cost accounting for uncertainties becomes higher (+17%) and twice more uncertain at carbon neutrality and that electrofuels are a major contribution to the uncertainty (up to 53% in the variation of the costs) due to their importance in the energy system and their high uncertainties their higher price and uncertainty.

The UK is on course to become a global leader in hydrogen technology. Over £3bn is ready to be invested into hydrogen today. The pace of activity is rapid and the opportunities are vast.



Join us at our free to attend event where you will gain unique insights into how the Hydrogen industry is progressing together with exclusive access to future plans.

The dynamic and lively session will demonstrate the viability of hydrogen as a key component to achieve Net Zero.



Confirmed contributors include:

• National Grid Gas Transmission
• Cadent
• Chris Train Previous CEO Cadent
• DNV
• Worcester Bosch
• ITM Power
• Northern Gas Networks
• Decarbonising Heat in Buildings - New Research Findings from the Gas Distribution Networks

This paper discusses the numerical modeling of an automobile fuel cell system using a two-stage turbo-compressor for air supply. The numerical model incorporates essential input parameters for air and hydrogen flow. The model also performed mass and energy balances across different components such as pump fan heat-exchanger air compressor and keeps in consideration the pressure losses across flow pipes and various mechanical parts. The compressor design process initiates with numerical analysis of the preliminary design of a highly efficient two-stage turbo compressor with an expander as a single-stage compressor has several limitations in terms of efficiency and pressure ratio. The compressor’s design parameters were carefully studied and analyzed with respect to the highly efficient fuel cell stack (FCS) used in modern hydrogen vehicles. The model is solved to evaluate the overall performance of PEM FCS. The final compressor has a total pressure and temperature of 4.2 bar and 149.3°C whereas the required power is 20.08kW with 3.18kW power losses and having a combined efficiency of 70.8%. According to the FC model with and without expander the net-power outputs are 98.15kW and 88.27kW respectively and the maximum efficiencies are 65.1% and 59.1% respectively. Therefore it can be concluded that a two-stage turbo compressor with a turbo-expander can have significant effects on overall system power and efficiency. The model can be used to predict and optimize system performance for PEM FCS at different operating conditions.

Iridium-containing NaTaO₃ is produced using a one-step hydrothermal crystallisation from Ta₂O₅ and IrCl₃ in an aqueous solution of 10 M NaOH in 40 vol% H₂O₂ heated at 240 °C. Although a nominal replacement of 50% of Ta by Ir was attempted the amount of Ir included in the perovskite oxide was only up to 15 mol%. The materials are formed as crystalline powders comprising cube-shaped crystallites around 100 nm in edge length as seen by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Energy dispersive X-ray mapping shows an even dispersion of Ir through the crystallites. Profile fitting of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows expanded unit cell volumes (orthorhombic space group Pbnm) compared to the parent NaTaO₃ while XANES spectroscopy at the Ir LIII-edge reveals that the highest Ir-content materials contain Ir⁴⁺. The inclusion of Ir⁴⁺ into the perovskite by replacement of Ta⁵⁺ implies the presence of charge-balancing defects and upon heat treatment the iridium is extruded from the perovskite at around 600 °C in air with the presence of metallic iridium seen by in situ powder XRD. The highest Ir-content material was loaded with Pt and examined for photocatalytic evolution of H₂ from aqueous methanol. Compared to the parent NaTaO₃ the Ir-substituted material shows a more than ten-fold enhancement of hydrogen yield with a significant proportion ascribed to visible light absorption.

Densified liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen is a promising propulsion fuel in the future. In order to systematically demonstrate the benefits and challenges of densified liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen a transient thermodynamical model considering the heat leakage temperature rise engine thrust pressurization pressure of the tank and wall thickness of tank is developed in the present paper and the performance of densified liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen as propulsion fuel is further evaluated in actual application. For liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen tanks at different structural dimensions the effects of many factors such as temperature rise during propellant ground parking lift of engine thrust mass reduction of the tank structure and extension of spacecraft in‐orbit time are analyzed to demonstrate the comprehensive performance of liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen after densification. Meanwhile the problem of subcooling combination matching of liquid hydro‐ gen/liquid oxygen is proposed for the first time. Combining the fuel consumption and engine thrust lifting the subcooling combination matching of liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen at different mixing ratios and constant mixing ratios are discussed respectively. The results show that the relative engine thrust enhances by 6.96% compared with the normal boiling point state in the condition of slush hydrogen with 50% solid content and enough liquid oxygen. The in‐orbit time of spacecraft can extend about 2–6.5 days and 24–95 days for slush hydrogen with 50% solid content and liquid oxygen in the triple point state in different cryogenic tanks respectively. Due to temperature rise during parking the existing adiabatic storage scheme and filling scheme for densification LH2 need to be redesigned and for densification LO2 are suitable. It is found that there is an optimal subcooling matching relation after densification of liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen as propulsion fuel. In other words the subcooling temperature of liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen is not the lower the bet‐ ter but the matching relationship between LH2 subcooling degree and LO2 subcooling degree needs to be considered at the same time. It is necessary that the LO2 was cooled to 69.2 K and 54.5 K when the LH2 of 13.9 K and SH2 with 45% was adopted respectively. This research provides theoretical support for the promotion and application of densification cryogenic propellants.

This work reports on H2 fuel generation from sewage water using Cu/CuO nanoporous (NP) electrodes. This is a novel concept for converting contaminated water into H2 fuel. The preparation of Cu/CuO NP was achieved using a simple thermal combustion process of Cu metallic foil at 550 ◦C for 1 h. The Cu/CuO surface consists of island-like structures with an inter-distance of 100 nm. Each island has a highly porous surface with a pore diameter of about 250 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of monoclinic Cu/CuO NP material with a crystallite size of 89 nm. The prepared Cu/CuO photoelectrode was applied for H2 generation from sewage water achieving an incident to photon conversion efficiency (IPCE) of 14.6%. Further the effects of light intensity and wavelength on the photoelectrode performance were assessed. The current density (Jph) value increased from 2.17 to 4.7 mA·cm−2 upon raising the light power density from 50 to 100 mW·cm−2 . Moreover the enthalpy (∆H*) and entropy (∆S*) values of Cu/CuO electrode were determined as 9.519 KJ mol−1 and 180.4 JK−1 ·mol−1 respectively. The results obtained in the present study are very promising for solving the problem of energy in far regions by converting sewage water to H2 fuel.

Managing the concentration of atmospheric CO₂ requires a multifaceted engineering strategy which remains a highly challenging task. Reducing atmospheric CO₂ (CO2R) by converting it to value-added chemicals in a carbon neutral footprint manner must be the ultimate goal. The latest progress in CO2R through either abiotic (artificial catalysts) or biotic (natural enzymes) processes is reviewed herein. Abiotic CO2R can be conducted in the aqueous phase that usually leads to the formation of a mixture of CO formic acid and hydrogen. By contrast a wide spectrum of hydrocarbon species is often observed by abiotic CO2R in the gaseous phase. On the other hand biotic CO2R is often conducted in the aqueous phase and a wide spectrum of value-added chemicals are obtained. Key to the success of the abiotic process is understanding the surface chemistry of catalysts which significantly governs the reactivity and selectivity of CO2R. However in biotic CO2R operation conditions and reactor design are crucial to reaching a neutral carbon footprint. Future research needs to look toward neutral or even negative carbon footprint CO2R processes. Having a deep insight into the scientific and technological aspect of both abiotic and biotic CO2R would advance in designing efficient catalysts and microalgae farming systems. Integrating the abiotic and biotic CO2R such as microbial fuel cells further diversifies the spectrum of CO2R.

Producing hydrogen from water using a redox mediator on solid electrocatalyst particles in a reactor offers several advantages over classical electrolysis in terms of safety membrane degradation purity and flexibility. Herein vanadium-mediated hydrogen evolution on a commercial and low-cost Mo2C electrocatalyst is studied through the development of a reaction kinetics model. Based on a proposed mechanistic reaction scheme we established a kinetic rate law dependent on the concentration of V2+ the state-of-charge of the vanadium electrolyte from a vanadium redox flow battery and the amount of available catalytic sites on solid Mo2C. Kinetic experiments in transient conditions reveals a first-order dependence on both the concentration of V2+ and the concentration of catalytic active sites and a power law with an exponential factor of 0.57 was measured on the molar ratio V2+/V3+ i.e. on the electrochemical driving force generated on the Mo2C particles. The kinetic rate law was validated by studying the rate of reaction in steady-state conditions using a specially developed rotating ring-disk device (RRD) methodology. The kinetic model was demonstrated to be a useful tool to predict the hydrogen production via the chemical oxidation of V2+ over Mo2C at low pH (> 1 M H2SO4). For a perspective the model was implemented in a semi-batch reactor. The simulations highlight the optimal state-of-charge (SOC) to carry out the reaction in an efficient way for a given demand in hydrogen.

The present work aims to identify critical materials in water electrolysers with potential future supply constraints. The expected rise in demand for green hydrogen as well as the respective implications on material availability are assessed by conducting a case study for Germany. Furthermore the recycling of end‐of‐life (EoL) electrolysers is evaluated concerning its potential in ensuring the sustainable supply of the considered materials. As critical materials bear the risk of raising production costs of electrolysers substantially this article examines the readiness of this technology for industrialisation from a material perspective. Except for titanium the indicators for each assessed material are scored with a moderate to high (platinum) or mostly high (iridium scandium and yttrium) supply risk. Hence the availability of these materials bears the risk of hampering the scale‐up of electrolysis capacity. Although conventional recycling pathways for platinum iridium and titanium already exist secondary material from EoL electrolysers will not reduce the dependence on primary resources significantly within the period under consideration—from 2020 until 2050. Notably the materials identified as critical are used in PEM and high temperature electrolysis whereas materials in alkaline electrolysis are not exposed to significant supply risks.

Given the increase in population and energy demand worldwide alternative methods have been adopted for the production of hydrogen as a clean energy source. This energy offers an alternative energy source due to its high energy content and without emissions to the environment. In this bibliometric analysis of energy production using electrolysis and taking into account the different forms of energy production. In this analysis it was possible to evaluate the research trends based on the literature in the Scopus database during the years 2011–2021. The results showed a growing interest in hydrogen production from electrolysis and other mechanisms with China being the country with the highest number of publications and the United States TOP in citations. The trend shows that during the first four years of this study (2011–2014) the average number of publications was 74 articles per year from 2015 to 2021 where the growth is an average of 209 articles the journal that published the most on this topic is Applied Energy followed by Energy contributing with almost 33% in the research area. Lastly the keyword analysis identified six important research points for future discussions which we have termed clusters. The study concludes that new perspectives on clean hydrogen energy generation environmental impacts and social acceptance could contribute to the positive evolution of the hydrogen energy industry.

To inform our Sixth Carbon Budget advice the Climate Change Committee (CCC) asked the University of Leeds to undertake independent research to evaluate which policies (and combinations of policies) would enable industrial decarbonisation in line with the UK’s net zero target without inducing carbon leakage. The research focused on policies applicable to the manufacturing sector but with some consideration also given to the policies required to decarbonise the Fossil Fuel Production and Supply and Non-Road Mobile Machinery sectors. This report:

Sets out a comprehensive review of existing policies;

• Identifies future policy mechanisms that address key challenges in decarbonising industry;
• Explores how combinations of policies might work together strategically in the form of ‘policy packages’ and how these packages might evolve over the period to 2050;
• Evaluates a series of illustrative policy packages and considers any complementary policies required to minimise carbon leakage and deliver ‘just’ industrial decarbonisation.
• The findings were developed through a combination of literature review and extensive stakeholder engagement with industry government and academic experts. 

This supported the Sixth Carbon budget.

The paper can be downloaded from the CCC website

In order to inform the Quantified Risk Assessment (QRA) and procedures for the Winlaton trial the gas characteristics relating to the behaviour of the flammable gas have been reviewed for blended natural gas mixtures containing 20% mol/mol hydrogen (hereby referred to as “blend”) for normal operation and 50% mol/mol for fault conditions. This work builds on the findings of the previous HyDeploy gas characteristics report HyD-Rep04-V02-Characteristics.<br/>Click on the supplements tab to view the other documents from this report

Development of marine engines could largely benefit from the broader usage of methanol and hydrogen which are both potential energy carriers. Here numerical results are presented on tri-fuel (TF) ignition using large-eddy simulation (LES) and finite-rate chemistry. Zero-dimensional (0D) and three-dimensional (3D) simulations for n-dodecane spray ignition of methanol/hydrogen blends are performed. 0D results reveal the beneficial role of hydrogen addition in facilitating methanol ignition. Based on LES the following findings are reported: 1) Hydrogen promotes TF ignition significantly for molar blending ratios βX = [H₂]/([H₂]+[CH₃OH]) ≥0.8. 2) For βX = 0 unfavorable heat generation in ambient methanol is noted. We provide evidence that excessive hydrogen enrichment (βX ≥ 0.94) potentially avoids this behavior consistent with 0D results. 3) Ignition delay time is advanced by 23–26% with shorter spray vapor penetrations (10–15%) through hydrogen mass blending ratios 0.25/0.5/1.0. 4) Last adding hydrogen increases shares of lower and higher temperature chemistry modes to total heat release.

Our new independent report finds that hydrogen can play an important role in UK’s ambitious decarbonisation plan and boost its global industrial competitiveness.

Key insights from this new analysis include:

• New independent report from Aurora Energy Research shows that hydrogen can meet up to half of Great Britain’s (GB) final energy demand by 2050 providing an important pathway to reaching UK’s ambitious Net Zero targets.
• The report concludes that both blue hydrogen (produced from natural gas after reforming to remove carbon content) and green hydrogen (produced by using power to electrolyse water) are expected to play an important role providing up to 480TWh of hydrogen or c.45% of GB’s final energy demand by 2050.
• All Net Zero scenarios require substantial growth in low-carbon generation such as renewables and nuclear. Large-scale hydrogen adoption could help to integrate renewables into the power system by reducing the power sector requirement for flexibility during peak winter months and boosting revenues for clean power generators by c. £3bn per year by 2050.
• The rollout of hydrogen could accelerate green growth and enable the development of globally competitive low-carbon industrial clusters while utilising UK’s competitive advantage on carbon capture.
• In facilitating the identification of a cost-effective hydrogen pathway there are some low-regret options for Government to explore including the stimulation of hydrogen demand in key sectors the deployment of CCS in strategic locations and the standardisation of networks. These initiatives could form an important part of the UK Government’s post-COVID stimulus plan.

Read the full report on Aurora Energy Research Website

CCS is an emissions reduction technology critical to meeting global climate targets. The Global Status of CCS 2019 documents important milestones for CCS over the past 12 months its status across the world and the key opportunities and challenges it faces. We hope this report will be read and used by governments policy-makers academics media commentators and the millions of people who care about our climate.

The paper presents and discusses results of mechanical spectroscopy (MS) tests carried out on a Cr martensitic steel. The study regards the following topics: (i) embrittlement induced by Cr segregation; (ii) interaction of hydrogen with C–Cr associates; (iii) nucleation of Cr carbides. The MS technique permitted characterising of the specific role played by point defects in the investigated phenomena: (i) Cr segregation depends on C–Cr associates distribution in as-quenched material in particular a slow cooling rate (~150 K/min) from austenitic field involves an unstable distribution which leads to Cr concentration fluctuations after tempering at 973 K; (ii) hydrogen interacts with C–Cr associates and the phenomenon hinders hydrogen attack (HA) because hydrogen atoms bound by C–Cr associates are not able to diffuse towards grain boundaries and dislocation where CH4 bubbles may nucleate grow and merge to form the typical HA cracks; (iii) C–Cr associates take part in the nucleation mechanism of Cr7C3 carbides and specifically these carbides form by the aggregation of C–Cr associates with 1 Cr atom.

Interest in hydrogen as a carbon-neutral energy carrier is on the rise around the globe including in Europe. In particular power-to-gas as a technology to transform electricity to hydrogen is receiving ample attention. This article scrutinises current updates in the energy law framework of the EU to explain the legal pre-conditions for the various possible applications of power-to-gas technology. It highlights the influence of both electricity and gas legislation on conversion storage and transmission of hydrogen and demonstrates why ‘green’ hydrogen might come with certain legal privileges under the Renewable Energy Directive attached to it as opposed to the European Commission’s so-called ‘clean’ hydrogen. The article concludes by advocating for legal system integration in EU energy law namely merging the currently distinct EU electricity and gas law frameworks into one unified EU Energy Act.