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A Low-temperature Ammonia Electrolyser for Wastewater Treatment and Hydrogen Production
May 2023
Publication
Ammonia is a pollutant present in wastewater and is also a valuable carbon-free hydrogen carrier. Stripping recovery and anodic oxidation of ammonia to produce hydrogen via electrolysis is gaining momentum as a technology yet the development of an inexpensive stable catalytic material is imperative to reduce cost. Here we report on a new nickel copper (NiCu) catalyst electrodeposited onto a high surface area nickel felt (NF) as an anode for ammonia electrolysis. Cyclic voltammetry demonstrated that the catalyst/substrate combination reached the highest current density (200 mA cm2 at 20 C) achieved for a non-noble metal catalyst. A NiCu/NF electrode was tested in an anion exchange membrane electrolyser for 50 h; it showed good stability and high Faradaic efficiency for ammonia oxidation (88%) and hydrogen production (99%). We demonstrate that this novel electrode catalyst/substrate material combination can oxidise ammonia in a scaled system and hydrogen can be produced as a valuable by-product at industrial-level current densities and cell voltages lower than that for water electrolysis.
Effect on Diesel Engine Performance Parameters Using Hydrogen and Oxygen Produced on Demand
Oct 2022
Publication
Hydrogen is seen as a future energy carrier since its chemical compounds make up a large part of the Earth’s surface. This study sought to analyze the impact related to the inclusion of hydrogen and oxygen gases produced on demand by an alkaline electrolyzer to the engine added directly through the fuel intake line. For this purpose performance parameters were monitored such as liquid fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and correlated to any effect observed on the engine’s power output and combustion behavior. A 58 kVA nominal power motor-generator was used coupled with a resistive load bank (20 kW) where two fuel configurations were tested (diesel injection only and a mixture of diesel hydrogen and oxygen) and compared. A total of 42 tests were performed considering both the admission gases into the fuel intake line and also diesel supply only for baseline. A substantial decrease in fuel consumption was observed (7.59%) when the blend configuration was used despite a decrease in the engine’s work (1.07%). It was also possible to see a common pattern between NO and NO2 emissions for both fuel configurations while the behavior of the CO2 and CO emissions indicated a higher complete diesel burning fraction when using the gases on demand. Therefore we can verify that the use of hydrogen and oxygen gases produced on demand in the fuel intake line is a promising alternative to provide a decrease in liquid fuel consumption and an overall improvement in engine combustion.
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.
Prospect of Green Hydrogen Generation from Hybrid Renewable Energy Sources: A Review
Feb 2023
Publication
Hydrogen is one of the prospective clean energies that could potentially address two pressing areas of global concern namely energy crises and environmental issues. Nowadays fossil‐ based technologies are widely used to produce hydrogen and release higher greenhouse gas emis‐ sions during the process. Decarbonizing the planet has been one of the major goals in the recent decades. To achieve this goal it is necessary to find clean sustainable and reliable hydrogen pro‐ duction technologies with low costs and zero emissions. Therefore this study aims to analyse the hydrogen generation from solar and wind energy sources and observe broad prospects with hybrid renewable energy sources in producing green hydrogen. The study mainly focuses on the critical assessment of solar wind and hybrid‐powered electrolysis technologies in producing hydrogen. Furthermore the key challenges and opportunities associated with commercial‐scale deployment are addressed. Finally the potential applications and their scopes are discussed to analyse the important barriers to the overall commercial development of solar‐wind‐based hydrogen production systems. The study found that the production of hydrogen appears to be the best candidate to be employed for multiple purposes blending the roles of fuel energy carrier and energy storage modality. Further studies are recommended to find technical and sustainable solutions to overcome the current issues that are identified in this study.
How Hydrogen (H2) Can Support Food Security: From Farm to Fork
Mar 2024
Publication
Molecular hydrogen (H2 ) is a low-molecular-weight non-polar and electrochemically neutral substance that acts as an effective antioxidant and cytoprotective agent with research into the effects of H2 incorporation into the food chain at various stages rapidly gaining momentum. H2 can be delivered throughout the food growth production delivery and storage systems in numerous ways including as a gas as hydrogen-rich water (HRW) or with hydrogen-donating food supplements such as calcium (Ca) or magnesium (Mg). In plants H2 can be exploited as a seedpriming agent during seed germination and planting during the latter stages of plant development and reproduction as a post-harvest treatment and as a food additive. Adding H2 during plant growth and developmental stages is noted to improve the yield and quality of plant produce through modulating antioxidant pathways and stimulating tolerance to such environmental stress factors as drought stress enhanced tolerance to herbicides (paraquat) and increased salinity and metal toxicity. The benefits of pre- and post-harvest application of H2 include reductions in natural senescence and microbial spoilage which contribute to extending the shelf-life of animal products fruits grains and vegetables. This review collates empirical findings pertaining to the use of H2 in the agri-food industry and evaluates the potential impact of this emerging technology.
Evaluation of Hydrogen Blend Stability in Low-Pressure Gas Distribution
Apr 2023
Publication
Natural gas distribution companies are developing ambitious plans to decarbonize the services that they provide in an affordable manner and are accelerating plans for the strategic integration of renewable natural gas and the blending of green hydrogen produced by electrolysis powered with renewable electricity being developed from large new commitments by states such as New York and Massachusetts. The demonstration and deployment of hydrogen blending have been proposed broadly at 20% of hydrogen by volume. The safe distribution of hydrogen blends in existing networks requires hydrogen blends to exhibit similar behavior as current supplies which are also mixtures of several hydrocarbons and inert gases. There has been limited research on the properties of blended hydrogen in low-pressure natural gas distribution systems. Current natural gas mixtures are known to be sufficiently stable in terms of a lack of chemical reaction between constituents and to remain homogeneous through compression and distribution. Homogeneous mixtures are required both to ensure safe operation of customer-owned equipment and for safety operations such as leak detection. To evaluate the stability of mixtures of hydrogen and natural gas National Grid experimentally tested a simulated distribution natural gas pipeline with blends containing hydrogen at up to 50% by volume. The pipeline was outfitted with ports to extract samples from the top and bottom of the pipe at intervals of 20 feet. Samples were analyzed for composition and the effectiveness of odorant was also evaluated. The new results conclusively demonstrate that hydrogen gas mixtures do not significantly separate or react under typical distribution pipeline conditions and gas velocity profiles. In addition the odorant retained its integrity in the blended gas during the experiments and demonstrated that it remains an effective method of leak detection.
OIES Podcast - The EU Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonisation Package
Mar 2023
Publication
David Ledesma discusses with Alex Barnes the European Commission’s decision to make hydrogen a key part of its decarbonisation strategy. The 2022 REPowerEU Strategy set a target of 20MT consumption of renewable hydrogen by 2030. The Commission is keen to promote a single European market in hydrogen similar to the current one for natural gas. To this end it has published proposals on the regulation of future European hydrogen infrastructure (pipelines storage facilities and import terminals). The EU Council (representing Member States) and the EU Parliament are finalising their amendments to the Commission proposals prior to ‘trilogue’ negotiations and final agreement later this year. The OIES’s paper ‘The EU Hydrogen and Gas Decarbonisation Package: help or hindrance for the development of a European hydrogen market?’ published in March 2023 examines the EU Commission proposals and their suitability for a developing hydrogen market.
The podcast can be found on their website.
The podcast can be found on their website.
Levelized Cost of Hydrogen for Refueling Stations with Solar PV and Wind in Sweden: On-grid or Off-grid?
Dec 2021
Publication
The European Union expects that hydrogen will play a vital role in future energy systems. Fuel cell electric vehicles currently present a key development path for electrification of the transport sector which requires infrastructure investments of hydrogen refueling stations preferably powered by renewables such as solar and wind energy. The economic feasibility of refueling stations depends on geographical locations. This study introduces a model to identify the key cost components of renewable hydrogen for refueling stations and simulates the performance using solar radiation wind speed and electricity price data in a selection of Swedish cities. The study demonstrates the importance of integrating the electricity grid in green hydrogen production. Wind speed is crucial in reducing the cost whereas solar radiation has less influence. In addition a combination of solar and wind brings better performance in an off-grid scenario. The most encouraging finding is the cost of 35e72 SEK/kg (3.5e7.2 V/kg) which is competitive with reported costs in other EUcountries especially since this cost excludes any government support scheme. The study provides a reference for investors and policy makers foreseeing the industrial landscape for hydrogen energy development.
Research & Innovation to Support Net-zero Industrial Technologies
Mar 2023
Publication
The Green Deal Industrial Plan aims to boost the competitiveness of Europe’s net-zero industry and to accelerate the transition to climate neutrality. The Plan is based on four pillars: (1) a predictable and simplified regulatory environment; (2) faster access to funding; (3) developing skills for net-zero industry; and (4) open trade for resilient supply chains.
Techno-economic Assessment of Blue and Green Ammonia as Energy Carriers in a Low-carbon Future
Feb 2022
Publication
Ammonia is an industrial chemical and the basic building block for the fertilizer industry. Lately attention has shifted towards using ammonia as a carbon-free energy vector due to the ease of transportation and storage in liquid state at − 33 ◦C and atmospheric pressure. This study evaluates the prospects of blue and green ammonia as future energy carriers; specifically the gas switching reforming (GSR) concept for H2 and N2 co-production from natural gas with inherent CO2 capture (blue) and H2 generation through an optimized value chain of wind and solar power electrolysers cryogenic N2 supply and various options for energy storage (green). These longer term concepts are benchmarked against conventional technologies integrating CO2 capture: the Kellogg Braun & Root (KBR) Purifier process and the Linde Ammonia Concept (LAC). All modelled plants utilize the same ammonia synthesis loop for a consistent comparison. A cash flow analysis showed that the GSR concept achieved an attractive levelized cost of ammonia (LCOA) of 332.1 €/ton relative to 385.1–385.9 €/ton for the conventional plants at European energy prices (6.5 €/GJ natural gas and 60 €/MWh electricity). Optimal technology integration for green ammonia using technology costs representative of 2050 was considerably more expensive: 484.7–772.1 €/ton when varying the location from Saudi Arabia to Germany. Furthermore the LCOA of the GSR technology drops to 192.7 €/ton when benefitting from low Saudi Arabian energy costs (2 €/GJ natural gas and 40 €/MWh electricity). This cost difference between green and blue ammonia remained robust in sensitivity analyses where input energy cost (natural gas or wind/solar power) was the most influential parameter. Given its low production costs and the techno-economic feasibility of international ammonia trade advanced blue ammonia production from GSR offers an attractive pathway for natural gas exporting regions to contribute to global decarbonization.
Exploring Hydrogen-Enriched Fuels and the Promise of HCNG in Industrial Dual-Fuel Engines
Mar 2024
Publication
This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the selected properties of HCNG fuel calculations and a literature review of the other fuels that allow the storage of ecologically produced hydrogen. Hydrogen has the most significant CO2 reduction potential of all known fuels. However its transmission in pure form is still problematic and its use as a component of fuels modified by it has now become an issue of interest for researchers. Many types of hydrogen-enriched fuels have been invented. However this article will describe the reasons why HCNG may be the hydrogen-enriched fuel of the future and why internal combustion (IC) piston engines working on two types of fuel could be the future method of using it. CO2 emissions are currently a serious problem in protecting the Earth’s natural climate. However secondarily power grid stabilization with a large share of electricity production from renewable energy sources must be stabilized with very flexible sources—as flexible as multi-fuel IC engines. Their use is becoming an essential element of the electricity power systems of Western countries and there is a chance to use fuels with zero or close to zero CO2 emissions like e-fuels and HCNG. Dual-fuel engines have become an effective way of using these types of fuels efficiently; therefore in this article the parameters of hydrogen-enriched fuel selected in terms of relevance to the use of IC engines are considered. Inaccuracies found in the literature analysis are discussed and the essential properties of HCNG and its advantages over other hydrogen-rich fuels are summarized in terms of its use in dual-fuel (DF) IC engines.
Feasibility Study into Water Requirement for Hydrogen Production
Nov 2022
Publication
Low carbon hydrogen can be produced by a variety of processes that require substantial quantities of water. Several major hydrogen projects are proposed in Scotland; as an energy storage medium allowing new renewable power capacity to operate and as a direct alternative to displace natural gas as a primary fuel source. The additional water consumption associated with these hydrogen projects presents an infrastructure challenge.
The aims of the study are to evaluate the water requirements of new hydrogen production facilities and the associated implications for water infrastructure and to develop a strategic framework for assessing these aspects of hydrogen projects throughout the UK. The initial focus of the study is on Scotland; however the methodology developed in the project will be used throughout the UK
Benefits
Low carbon hydrogen can be produced by a variety of processes all of which require substantial quantities of water. Several major hydrogen projects are proposed in Scotland; both as an energy storage medium allowing new renewable power capacity (particularly wind) to operate and as a direct alternative to displace natural gas as a primary fuel source. The additional water consumption associated with these hydrogen projects presents an infrastructure challenge e.g. the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) recently highlighted Scotland’s vulnerability to dry weather and climate-induced changes in the availability and functioning of water resources.
The project in partnership with Ramboll will look to deliver a technical assessment and feasibility study into water requirements for hydrogen production in Scotland. The aims of the study are to evaluate the water requirements of new hydrogen production facilities and the associated implications for water infrastructure and to develop a strategic framework for assessing these aspects of hydrogen projects throughout the UK. The initial focus of the study is on Scotland; however the methodology developed in the project will be used throughout the UK.
The research paper can be found on their website.
The aims of the study are to evaluate the water requirements of new hydrogen production facilities and the associated implications for water infrastructure and to develop a strategic framework for assessing these aspects of hydrogen projects throughout the UK. The initial focus of the study is on Scotland; however the methodology developed in the project will be used throughout the UK
Benefits
Low carbon hydrogen can be produced by a variety of processes all of which require substantial quantities of water. Several major hydrogen projects are proposed in Scotland; both as an energy storage medium allowing new renewable power capacity (particularly wind) to operate and as a direct alternative to displace natural gas as a primary fuel source. The additional water consumption associated with these hydrogen projects presents an infrastructure challenge e.g. the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) recently highlighted Scotland’s vulnerability to dry weather and climate-induced changes in the availability and functioning of water resources.
The project in partnership with Ramboll will look to deliver a technical assessment and feasibility study into water requirements for hydrogen production in Scotland. The aims of the study are to evaluate the water requirements of new hydrogen production facilities and the associated implications for water infrastructure and to develop a strategic framework for assessing these aspects of hydrogen projects throughout the UK. The initial focus of the study is on Scotland; however the methodology developed in the project will be used throughout the UK.
The research paper can be found on their website.
Socio-economic Aspects of Hydrogen Energy: An Integrative Review
Apr 2023
Publication
Hydrogen can be recognized as the most plausible fuel for promoting a green environment. Worldwide developed and developing countries have established their hydrogen research investment and policy frameworks. This analysis of 610 peer-reviewed journal articles from the last 50 years provides quantitative and impartial insight into the hydrogen economy. By 2030 academics and business professionals believe that hydrogen will complement other renewable energy (RE) sources in the energy revolution. This study conducts an integrative review by employing software such as Bibliometrix R-tool and VOSviewer on socio-economic consequences of hydrogen energy literature derived from the Scopus database. We observed that most research focuses on multidisciplinary concerns such as generation storage transportation application feasibility and policy development. We also present the conceptual framework derived from in-depth literature analysis as well as the interlinkage of concepts themes and aggregate dimensions to highlight research hotspots and emerging patterns. In the future factors such as green hydrogen generation hydrogen permeation and leakage management efficient storage risk assessment studies blending and techno-economic feasibility shall play a critical role in the socio-economic aspects of hydrogen energy research.
Research on the Adaptability of Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis in Green Hydrogen-Electric Coupling System Under Multi-operating Conditions
Mar 2023
Publication
The green hydrogen–electric coupling system can consume locally generated renewable energy thereby improving energy utilization and enabling zero-carbon power supply within a certain range. This study focuses on a green hydrogen–electric coupling system that integrates photovoltaic energy storage and proton exchange membrane electrolysis (PEME). Firstly the impact of operating temperature power quality and grid auxiliary services on the characteristics of the electrolysis cell is analyzed and a voltage model and energy model for the cell are established. Secondly a multi-operating conditions adaptability experiment for PEME grid-connected operation is designed. A test platform consisting of a grid simulator simulated photovoltaic power generation system lithium battery energy storage system PEME and measurement and acquisition device is then built. Finally experiments are conducted to simulate multi-operating conditions such as temperature changes voltage fluctuations frequency offsets harmonic pollution and current adjustment speed. The energy efficiency and consumption is calculated based on the recorded data and the results are helpful to guide the operation of the system.
Solar Hydrogen Fuel Generation from Wastewater—Beyond Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting: A Perspective
Oct 2022
Publication
Green hydrogen—a carbon-free renewable fuel—has the capability to decarbonise a variety of sectors. The generation of green hydrogen is currently restricted to water electrolysers. The use of freshwater resources and critical raw materials however limits their use. Alternative water splitting methods for green hydrogen generation via photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis (PEC) have been explored in the past few decades; however their commercial potential still remains unexploited due to the high hydrogen generation costs. Novel PEC-based simultaneous generation of green hydrogen and wastewater treatment/high-value product production is therefore seen as an alternative to conventional water splitting. Interestingly the organic/inorganic pollutants in wastewater and biomass favourably act as electron donors and facilitate the dual-functional process of recovering green hydrogen while oxidising the organic matter. The generation of green hydrogen through the dual-functional PEC process opens up opportunities for a “circular economy”. It further enables the end-of-life commodities to be reused recycled and resourced for a better life-cycle design while being economically viable for commercialisation. This review brings together and critically analyses the recent trends towards simultaneous wastewater treatment/biomass reforming while generating hydrogen gas by employing the PEC technology. We have briefly discussed the technical challenges associated with the tandem PEC process new avenues techno-economic feasibility and future directions towards achieving net neutrality.
Premier, Progress and Prospects in Renewable Hydrogen Generation: A Review
May 2023
Publication
Renewable hydrogen production has an opportunity to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation and industrial sectors. This method generates hydrogen utilizing renewable energy sources such as the sun wind and hydropower lowering the number of greenhouse gases released into the environment. In recent years considerable progress has been made in the production of sustainable hydrogen particularly in the disciplines of electrolysis biomass gasification and photoelectrochemical water splitting. This review article figures out the capacity efficiency and cost-effectiveness of hydrogen production from renewable sources effectively comparing the conventionally used technologies with the latest techniques which are getting better day by day with the implementation of the technological advancements. Governments investors and industry players are increasingly interested in manufacturing renewable hydrogen and the global need for clean energy is expanding. It is projected that facilities for manufacturing renewable hydrogen as well as infrastructure to support this development would expand hastening the transition to an environment-friendly and low-carbon economy
Safe Design of a Hydrogen-Powered Ship: CFD Simulation on Hydrogen Leakage in the Fuel Cell Room
Mar 2023
Publication
Adopting proton exchange membrane fuel cells fuelled by hydrogen presents a promising solution for the shipping industry’s deep decarbonisation. However the potential safety risks associated with hydrogen leakage pose a significant challenge to the development of hydrogen-powered ships. This study examines the safe design principles and leakage risks of the hydrogen gas supply system of China’s first newbuilt hydrogen-powered ship. This study utilises the computational fluid dynamics tool FLACS to analyse the hydrogen dispersion behaviour and concentration distributions in the hydrogen fuel cell room based on the ship’s parameters. This study predicts the flammable gas cloud and time points when gas monitoring points first reach the hydrogen volume concentrations of 0.8% and 1.6% in various leakage scenarios including four different diameters (1 3 5 and 10 mm) and five different directions. This study’s findings indicate that smaller hydrogen pipeline diameters contribute to increased hydrogen safety. Specifically in the hydrogen fuel cell room a single-point leakage in a hydrogen pipeline with an inner diameter not exceeding 3 mm eliminates the possibility of flammable gas cloud explosions. Following a 10 mm leakage diameter the hydrogen concentration in nearly all room positions reaches 4.0% within 6 s of leakage. While the leakage diameter does not impact the location of the monitoring point that first activates the hydrogen leak alarm and triggers an emergency hydrogen supply shutdown the presence of obstructions near hydrogen detectors and the leakage direction can affect it. These insights provide guidance on the optimal locations for hydrogen detectors in the fuel cell room and the pipeline diameters on hydrogen gas supply systems which can facilitate the safe design of hydrogen-powered ships.
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.
Value of Green Hydrogen When Curtailed to Provide Grid Balancing Services
Aug 2022
Publication
This paper evaluates the potential of grid services in France Italy Norway and Spain to provide an alternative income for electrolysers producing hydrogen from wind power. Grid services are simulated with each country's data for 2017 for energy prices grid services and wind power profiles from relevant wind parks. A novel metric is presented the value of curtailed hydrogen which is independent from several highly uncertain parameters such as electrolyser cost or hydrogen market price. Results indicate that grid services can monetise the unused spare capacity of electrolyser plants improving their economy in the critical deployment phase. For most countries up-regulation yields a value of curtailed hydrogen above 6 V/kg over 3 times higher than the EU's 2030 price target (without incentives). However countries with large hydro power resources such as Norway yield far lower results below 2 V/kg. The value of curtailed hydrogen also decreases with hydrogen production corresponding to the cases of symmetric and down-regulation.
The Perspectives for the Use of Hydrogen for Electricity Storage Considering the Foreign Experience
Mar 2017
Publication
Over the last years the European Union has seen a rapid increase in installed capacity of generating units based on renewable energy sources (RES). The most significant increase in installed capacity was recorded in 2015 in wind farms and solar PV installations. One of the most serious is the volatile character of RES on a time basis. Therefore for a further expected increase in the use of RES and their effectiveness improvements investments are needed allowing for electricity to be stored. One of the electricity storage options is to use excess electricity in order to produce hydrogen by electrolysis of water. Although this process plays a marginal role in obtaining hydrogen on a worldwide basis due to high costs experience in recent years has shown that periodically low (negative) electricity prices developing on the power exchanges in the situation where there is surplus electricity available affect economic requirements for hydrogen production technologies. The paper shows activities undertaken by European countries (mainly Germany) aiming at making it possible for hydrogen to be stored in the natural gas grids. A particular attention is given to material resource issues and possible operational problems that might arise while blending natural gas with hydrogen into the grid. The experiences of selected European countries are of particular interest from the Polish perspective having regard to significant increase of RES in electricity generation during the last few years and adopted objectives for the growing importance of RES in the Poland’s energy balance.
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