Production & Supply Chain

We had investigated feasible measures to reduce CO2 emission and came to conclusion that introduction of new fuel such as hydrogen with near zero CO2 emission is required for achieving Japan’s commitment of 80% CO2 reduction by 2050. Under this background we are proposing and aiming to realize “CO2 free hydrogen chain” utilizing Australian brown coal linked with CCS. In this chain hydrogen produced from brown coal is liquefied and transported to Japan by liquid hydrogen carrier. We have conducted feasibility study of commercial scale “CO2 free hydrogen chain” whose result shows the chain is technically and economically feasible.

Increased consumption of low-carbon hydrogen is prominent in the decarbonisation strategies of many jurisdictions. Yet prior studies assessing the current most prevalent production method steam reformation of natural gas (SRNG) have not sufficiently evaluated how process design decisions affect life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This techno-economic case study assesses cradle-to-gate emissions of hydrogen produced from SRNG with CO2 capture and storage (CCS) in British Columbia Canada. Four process configurations with amine-based CCS using existing technology and novel process designs are evaluated. We find that cradle-to-gate GHG emission intensity ranges from 0.7 to 2.7 kgCO2e/kgH2 – significantly lower than previous studies of SRNG with CCS and similar to the range of published estimates for hydrogen produced from renewable-powered electrolysis. The levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) in this study (US$1.1–1.3/kgH2) is significantly lower than published estimates for renewable-powered electrolysis.

Biomass has incredible potential as an alternative to fossil fuels for energy production that is sustainable for the future of humanity. Hydrogen evolution from photocatalytic biomass conversion not only produces valuable carbon-free energy in the form of molecular hydrogen but also provides an avenue of production for industrially relevant biomass products. This photocatalytic conversion can be realized with efficient sustainable reaction materials (biomass) and inexhaustible sunlight as the only energy inputs. Reported herein is a general strategy and mechanism for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from biomass and biomass-derived substrates (including ethanol glycerol formic acid glucose and polysaccharides). Recent advancements in the synthesis and fundamental physical/mechanistic studies of novel photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution from biomass conversion are summarized. Also summarized are recent advancements in hydrogen evolution efciency regarding biomass and biomass-derived substrates. Special emphasis is given to methods that utilize unprocessed biomass as a substrate or synthetic photocatalyst material as the development of such will incur greater benefts towards a sustainable route for the evolution of hydrogen and production of chemical feedstocks.

Methanol is a promising new alternative fuel that emits significantly less carbon dioxide than gasoline. Traditionally methanol was produced by gasifying natural gas and coal. Syn-Gas is created by converting coal and natural gas. After that the Syn-Gas is converted to methanol. Alternative renewable energy-to-methanol conversion processes have been extensively researched in recent years due to the traditional methanol production process’s high carbon footprint. Using an electrolysis cell wind energy can electrolyze water to produce hydrogen. Carbon dioxide is a gas that can be captured from the atmosphere and industrial processes. Carbon dioxide and hydrogen are combusted in a reactor to produce methanol and water; the products are then separated using a distillation column. Although this route is promising it has significant cost and efficiency issues due to the low efficiency of the electrolysis cells and high manufacturing costs. Additionally carbon dioxide capture is an expensive process. Despite these constraints it is still preferable to store excess wind energy in the form of methanol rather than sending it directly to the grid. This process is significantly more carbon-efficient and resource-efficient than conventional processes. Researchers have proposed and/or simulated a variety of wind power methods for methanol processes. This paper discusses these processes. The feasibility of wind energy for methanol production and its future potential is also discussed in this paper.

The European Union (EU) imports a large amount of natural gas and the injection of renewable hydrogen (H2) into the natural gas systems could help decarbonize the sector. The new geopolitical and energy market situation demands urgent actions in the clean energy transition and energy independence from fossil fuels. This paper aims to investigate techno-economic analysis barriers and constraints in the EU policies/frameworks that affect natural gas decarbonization. First the study examines the levelized cost of hydrogen production (LCOH). The LCOH is evaluated for blue and grey hydrogen i.e. Steam Methane Reforming (SMR) natural gas as the feed stock with and without carbon capture and green hydrogen (three type electrolyzers with electricity from the grid solar and wind) for the years 2020 2030 and 2050. Second the study evaluates the current policies and framework based on a SWOT (Strength Weakness Opportunities and Weakness) analysis which includes a PEST (Political Economic Social and Technological) macro-economic factor assessment with a case study in Portugal. The results show that the cheapest production costs continue to be dominated by grey hydrogen (1.33 €/kg.H2) and blue hydrogen (1.68 €/kg.H2) in comparison to green hydrogen (4.65 €/kg.H2 and 3.54 €/kg.H2) from grid electricity and solar power in the PEM - Polymer Electrolyte Membrane for the year 2020 respectively. The costs are expected to decrease to 4.03 €/kg.H2 (grid-electricity) and 2.49 €/kg.H2 (solar – electricity) in 2030. The LCOH of the green grid-electricity and solar/wind-powered Alkaline Electrolyzer (ALK) and Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) are also expected to decrease in the time-span from 2020 to 2050. A sensitivity analysis shows that investments costs electricity price the efficiency of electrolyzers and carbon tax (for SMR) could play a key role in reducing LCOH thereby making the economic competitiveness of hydrogen production. The key barriers are costs amendments in rules/regulations institutions and market creation public perception provisions of incentives and constraints in creating market demand.

The focus on sustainable energy sources is intensifying as they present a viable alternative to conventional fossil fuels. The emergence of clean and renewable hydrogen fuel marks a significant technological shift toward decarbonizing the environment. Harnessing mechanical and thermal energy through piezoelectric and pyroelectric catalysis has emerged as an effective strategy for producing hydrogen and contributing to reducing dependence on carbon-based fuels. In this regard this review presents recent advances in piezoelectric and pyroelectric catalysis induced by mechanical and thermal excitations respectively towards hydrogen generation via the water splitting process. A thorough description of the fundamental principles underlying the piezoelectric and pyroelectric effects is provided complemented by an analysis of the catalytic processes induced by these effects. Subsequently these effects are examined to propose the prerequisites needed for such catalysts to achieve water splitting reaction and hydrogen generation. Special attention is devoted to identifying the various strategies adopted to enhance hydrogen production in order to provide new paths for increased efficiency.

Integrating coal-to-hydrogen production with Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating a shift towards a more sustainable energy paradigm. This paper explores the diffusion of CCUS technology within the coal-to-hydrogen sector against the dynamic backdrop of the carbon trading market. An evolutionary game-theoretic approach is utilized within a smallworld network framework to analyze the spread of CCUS technology among coal-tohydrogen enterprises. The simulation reveals that current market dynamics along with technological market and policy-related uncertainties do not robustly encourage the adoption of CCUS. As the carbon trading market continues to mature carbon prices become a significant factor influencing the diffusion of CCUS technology in coal-to-hydrogen processes. Furthermore investment costs hydrogen market prices and governmental policies are identified as pivotal elements in the propagation of CCUS technology. This study contributes valuable insights into the sustainable development of the hydrogen industry and the broader implications for low-carbon energy transition strategies.

In the pursuit of greener and more self-sufficient healthcare operations this study presents an integrated eco nomic and environmental analysis of on-site co-production of oxygen and hydrogen through proton exchange membrane electrolysis specifically designed for the Santa Maria Hospital in Lisbon Portugal. The proposed system aims to meet the hospital’s oxygen demand while simultaneously producing hydrogen for use in fuel cell electric vehicles such as ambulances. A 1.5 MW PEM electrolyser is found to be sufficient to meet the hospital’s O2 needs while generating hydrogen at a levelized cost of hydrogen of 4.6 €/kgH2. When considering the implementation costs of an on-site hydrogen refueling station an O2 drying and storage unit as well as the avoided costs in bulk liquid O2 purchases the break-even point for the sale of H2 at the refueling stations is 2.4 €/kgH2. Apart from the economic benefits that could be achieved by selling the produced H2 above this price the environmental analysis showed that 1874 tons of CO2 emissions per year could be avoided by the imple mentation of the concept proposed here. This integrated system not only contributes to the hospital’s energy independence but also serves as a model for sustainable solutions in the healthcare sector with significant environmental and financial benefits.

The team sits down with Rishi Jain to discuss Cross River’s marquee wind hydro nuclear hydrogen ammonia project in the revitalized heavy industrial Port of Belledune New Brunswick Canada.

The podcast can be found on their website.

Renewable or green hydrogen will play a critical role in the decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors and will therefore be important in limiting global warming. However renewable hydrogen is not cost-competitive with fossil fuels due to the moderate energy efficiency and high capital costs of traditional water electrolysers. Here a unique concept of water electrolysis is introduced wherein water is supplied to hydrogen- and oxygen-evolving electrodes via capillary-induced transport along a porous inter-electrode separator leading to inherently bubble-free operation at the electrodes. An alkaline capillary-fed electrolysis cell of this type demonstrates water electrolysis performance exceeding commercial electrolysis cells with a cell voltage at 0.5 A cm−2 and 85 °C of only 1.51 V equating to 98% energy efficiency with an energy consumption of 40.4 kWh/kg hydrogen (vs. ~47.5 kWh/kg in commercial electrolysis cells). High energy efficiency combined with the promise of a simplified balance-ofplant brings cost-competitive renewable hydrogen closer to reality.