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Hydrogen could be produced from seawater

Hydrogen could be produced from seawater

Experts work together to learn new insights

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and is a renewable energy source, so it’s no surprise that people are interested in feasible ways to produce more. A particular area of focus involves creating hydrogen from seawater. Here’s a closer look at recent progress in that area.

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Many researchers quickly realize they’re more likely to make meaningful gains by working with other experts with the same focus. That’s the primary concept of a project involving multiple institutions. The goal is to create a prototype that makes hydrogen from low-grade liquids, including seawater and wastewater.

Participants will work toward that goal by relying on experts with knowledge of electrolyzers and membranes. Over the project’s four-year span, researchers hope to find membranes using abundantly available metals like nickel and iron. They also want to find alternatives to options that cause pollution or have persistent adverse effects, making the associated electrolyzers easier to recycle.

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Researchers hope to accelerate their prototype-creation process after identifying future options. Ireland’s University of Galway will be the project’s lead institution. However, participating organizations from Israel, Spain and Germany will also be involved.

This project is part of larger European Commission endeavors to find feasible routes toward the increased production of green hydrogen. For example, the recently announced European Hydrogen Bank’s goal is to domestically produce 10 million metric tons of renewable hydrogen by 2030. That amount would be on top of 10 million metric tons sourced from imports.

People could replace hydrogen with fossil fuels if these collective efforts succeed, resulting in cleaner, more environmentally friendly transportation options. Additionally, facilitating hydrogen production could provide the chemical industry with a more sustainable raw material for producing fertilizers, steel and more.

A newly developed electrocatalyst

Many companies are working on achieving net-zero status. However, there’s no single way to do that. One option is to pursue new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers also investigate or create pioneering technologies in their quests to get hydrogen from seawater. Electrolysis involves splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, and improving that process could make hydrogen from seawater more accessible.

Consider how a team from the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston (UH) in the United States made a nickel- and iron-based electrocatalyst that interacts with copper cobalt during seawater electrolysis. That achievement could overcome previously identified challenges associated with obtaining hydrogen from seawater. For example, current electrocatalysts used to achieve oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are prohibitively costly.

The researchers determined that the OER electrocatalysts they made were among the best performers of all multimetal candidates. Another exciting revelation is that the associated technology and process could make hydrogen production extremely affordable.

As lead researcher Zhifeng Ren explained, 1 kilogram of hydrogen currently requires about 50 kilowatt-hours of electricity to make. If the rate for grid-sourced power is USD 0.10 per kilowatt-hour, it costs USD 5 per kilogram of hydrogen for the power alone. That’s far too expensive to make the possibility attractive.

However, a feasible workaround identified during this study is to use surplus power produced by wind turbines or solar panels. That approach would make the power cost less than USD 0.01 per kilowatt-hour. Ren clarified that this option only becomes viable if people continue pursuing hydrogen creation methods that rely on green energy. Researchers can apply the things learned now to future developments in this area.

Researchers make improvements

Hydrogen research is moving forward in ways that go beyond seawater. For example, Italy has Europe’s first hydrogen-powered residential building, which doubles as a living lab. A hydrogen fuel cell powered by solar and geothermal sources provides all the facility’s heat and electricity.

However, one of the most appealing things about making hydrogen from seawater is that the liquid is plentiful and easily available. Getting clean power from the liquid becomes a more realistic prospect when scientists develop better ways to split the hydrogen and oxygen in seawater.

A team from Pennsylvania State University in the US built a proof-of-concept seawater electrolyzer that uses an electric current to accomplish the splitting mechanism. It relies on a thin and semipermeable membrane originally utilized to purify water through reverse osmosis.

The researchers experimented with two commercially available reverse-osmosis membranes and discovered one performed well while the other proved unsuccessful. They clarified more work is necessary to pinpoint the difference in results. However, since they measured the amount of energy needed for reactions, the membrane’s deterioration rate and how well it resisted ion movement, the team already had lots of useful data.

In another case, a group at the University of Central Florida, also in the US, made a thin film with nanostructures on its surface. The nanostructures featured nickel selenide with added phosphor and iron. Previous efforts had limited efficacy due to competing reactions.

The researchers confirmed the new method overcame that problem and is a reliable, cost-effective solution. Experiments revealed the innovation remained highly efficient and stable for more than 200 hours. Future work will focus on making the newly developed materials more electrically efficient and searching for new options to commercialize and fund these efforts.

There’s still a long way to go before getting hydrogen from seawater becomes a widespread and often-utilized option. However, the efforts highlighted here and elsewhere show that people worldwide are eager to reach that goal.

Author: Jane Marsh

EUR 15 billion for Uckermark

EUR 15 billion for Uckermark

PCK and Enertrag start HyPE+ project

Initial concrete plans have emerged for the future of the PCK refinery in Schwedt, eastern Germany. On May 8, 2023, Enertrag and PCK Raffinerie GmbH presented a feasibility study that throws light on what will happen at the refinery site in the run-up to 2045. According to the report, extensive hydrogen infrastructure could be built at the location which would involve an investment of EUR 15 billion.

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The CEOs of both companies as well as the local Brandenburg economy minister Jörg Steinbach traveled especially to the town – a planned settlement whose appearance still bears the hallmarks of the socialist era. Together they presented their proposals for how the site could be made fit for the future while also allowing oil and gas operations to continue. The task of elaborating the plans prior to this announcement had fallen to a 15-member project team which had grappled with six different work packages over the course of eight months.

PCK chairman Ralf Schairer explained how it would be possible “to create added value in the region,” with the Schwedt refinery potentially obtaining hydrogen from the surrounding area by pipeline at a later date. However, the intention is also for significant quantities of hydrogen to be produced on site which are then either sold or processed further to make synthetic fuels or high-value chemical products. Looking ahead, more than 30,000 metric tons of hydrogen could be manufactured each year by the end of 2027.

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“Here we envisage a center for green transformation.”

Gunar Hering, Enertrag chairman

To make this happen, 32 megawatts of electrolyzer capacity from Siemens Energy are to be installed initially (see H2-international, May 2023). Capacity is then expected to be increased by 2027 to between 300 and 400 megawatts. By 2030, hydrogen production could be expanded to 160,000 metric tons a year, which would equate to around 20 percent (roughly 1 gigawatt) of the electrolyzer capacity envisioned in Germany’s national hydrogen strategy. This would allow for the annual production of 2 million metric tons of aviation fuel, methanol and high-value chemicals and 1 million metric tons of biofuels in addition to providing green heating to the town of Schwedt. The level of investment funneled into the area could run to approximately EUR 15 billion.

One key issue, though, according to Schairer, is that the total amount of liquid fuels processed is likely to be reduced from 11 million to 3 million metric tons per year. At first this caused him much concern. He explained, however: “Of the 11 million tons, only 20 percent of the value is generated in Schwedt. At 3 million tons, 100 percent of the value is created here. So the euros stay in the region.”

Directing his comments to the around 1,200 PCK employees, Ralf Schairer reassured them by saying: “We will be refining crude oil for many years to come. We are talking about an adjustment taking place over two decades.”

CEO of PCK Harry Gnorski added: “We are the largest producer of hydrogen in the region, but it’s still gray.” In order for gray to become green he hopes that industrial companies will establish themselves in the area. The size of the growth potential in northeastern Germany is illustrated by the rise of Enertrag, which currently employs 900 members of staff, a figure it says is set to grow to 2,000 by 2028. Speaking via video, Michael Kellner, parliamentary state secretary to the German economy minister, emphasized the point: “PCK and Enertrag are the two most important companies in Uckermark.”

Less water needed

When asked by H2-international about the water requirement in the region, project coordinator Tobias Bischof-Niemz responded: “This will reduce significantly.” It was stated that, up until now, PCK has held water rights for 20 million metric tons a year. Around 1 million tons of water would be needed annually per gigawatt of installed electrolyzer capacity. If 5 gigawatts of capacity is installed in the area, the quantity of water called for would be 5 million tons – in other words a quarter of the amount previously required.

ECK not PCK

Following the joint press conference, the gentlemen met with Schwedt’s mayor, Annekathrin Hoppe, and local residents to discuss the feasibility study as part of the “Zukunft Jetzt!” (Future Now!) talk-show series. Teasingly, Steinbach appealed for a campaign to be launched to change PCK’s name to ECK, thus symbolizing that Schwedt is no longer primarily focused on petrochemicals, instead becoming a base for manufacturing e-fuels and e-chemicals as part of a renewables, chemicals and fuel alliance.

Three seas project takes off

Three seas project takes off

Hydrogen initiative launches in Poland

At this year’s H2POLAND exhibition in the Polish city of Poznań, representatives of the “three seas states” took part in a signing ceremony to formally launch a joint hydrogen project. The countries involved in the initiative are all European Union members located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black seas, namely the Baltic states, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

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Tomoho Umeda, founder of Polish companies Hynfra and Hynfra Energy Storage, led the discussions between the country representatives on the joint enterprise. The Polish businessman, who has Japanese roots, expressed regret that Central and Eastern Europe, or CEE for short, is rarely involved in the rapid development of the hydrogen industry in the European Union: “There’s a lot of nodding but when it comes down to business, CEE tends to be sidelined in key developments.” The three seas hydrogen project intends to change precisely that.

Shared connections

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Poland is at the heart of current growth in the Eastern European hydrogen sector. That’s not just because Poland, with its population of almost 40 million people, is by far the biggest economy in Eastern Europe, but due to the large number of underground salt caverns that make it an ideal location for storing hydrogen. A fact that Umeda emphasized several times in his speech.

The countries that want to push forward the development of hydrogen industries in this region have more in common than being overlooked members of the EU. What unites them most is that they are all countries of the former Eastern bloc. This common past means they share certain similarities, as particularly evidenced by their infrastructure and the special regulation of the energy sector.

Umeda highlighted the pipeline infrastructure and heat supply in Central and Eastern Europe. Aside from a dense district heating network, common elements across these countries also include long-distance interregional connections which stem from Soviet times. New networks are also being added, such as the Lithuania-Poland and Poland-Slovakia gas connections which only became operational a few years ago.

Czech representative Vaclav Bystriansky made it clear in his address that these transmission lines as well as zero-emission energy generation have a vital role to play in the development of the hydrogen sector. In his opinion, the old model of east-west transmission is outdated and should be relinquished. He is convinced that there will be more north-south connections in future.

For his country this means working much more closely with its northern neighbors. “Poland has the storage capacity and Czech Republic has the nuclear power plants,” said Bystriansky, summarizing the direction of future cooperation.

Slovakia echoed Bystriansky’s remarks, but adding that the nations of Central and Eastern Europe have a lot they could learn from each other. This was said to include, above all else, learning from the mistakes of others. An essential point that was also stressed by other officials is the potential use of waste incineration for the production of hydrogen. Incineration is currently a weighty issue in Eastern Europe. The view from the Slovakian side: “You shouldn’t just get fixated on renewables alone but instead use what makes sense and satisfies the conditions.”

Estonian delegate Sven Parkel responded that countries in Central and Eastern Europe could only earn a better position in EU committees by joining forces. He said they must represent their interests in Brussels collectively, otherwise they would not be heard by dominant EU countries such as Germany and France. What’s more, Parkel suggested that they should put on a united front when addressing the regulatory elements of the region’s hydrogen industry at an administrative and public authority level.

Ukraine boasts greatest hydrogen potential

István Lepsényi from the Hungarian Hydrogen Technology Association, who took his place right next to the Ukrainian delegate Oleksandr Riepkin, astonished the gathering in Poznań with his particularly political statement. In contrast to the pro-Russian position of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Lepsényi expressed his personal feelings in relation to Ukraine’s struggle against its Russian aggressor. He hopes Ukraine will soon win and an end will be brought to a horrendous war which the Russians have waged against Ukraine.

Ukraine and its hydrogen potential was one of the thematic high points of the panel discussion which preceded the signing of the joint hydrogen project. Oleksandr Riepkin started by thanking first of all Poland for preventing the certain death of millions of people from Ukraine by opening its hearts and homes and offering all it has to the Ukrainians fleeing the rape and murder of the Russians. The audience responded with almost unceasing applause and cries of solidarity. He also announced that his country would be entering a hydrogen partnership with Poland, saying: “As sisters and brothers, Poland and Ukraine can achieve anything and be a match for anyone.”

After Riepkin had detailed Ukraine’s options for zero-emission electricity generation, he turned his attention to the existing collaboration with Poland on energy issues. The power connection between the countries has now been reestablished and in future could be extended and utilized for hydrogen production. The Ukrainian suggested that CEE nations should specialize in individual areas, thus sharing the load which would be important for competitiveness in the hydrogen industry.

“Central and Eastern Europe should also step out from under the shadow of Western Europe and itself manufacture the electrolyzer plants that enable hydrogen production. A domination of Western European technology is to be avoided,” the audience in Poznań was told. “Our technology is just as good as German technology – only more affordable,” added Czech delegate Bystriansky.

Riepkin then took a look at the problems that could ensue from hydrogen production in the CEE region. For instance, there are now drought-prone areas where conflicts could arise with agriculture in relation to water supply and land for renewable energy. Producing hydrogen using nuclear power could be an alternative, as expressed by the Czech and Slovakian representatives.

The three seas hydrogen project appeared ready to expand toward Scandinavia, with Estonia and Finland being obvious candidates. Both countries have connected up their gas pipelines in a move that creates promising opportunities for hydrogen grids. There was likewise optimism that the two remaining three seas states – Romania and Bulgaria – will join the hydrogen initiative in the foreseeable future.

Author: Aleksandra Fedorska

This should be a Lexus

This should be a Lexus

Toyota MiraiDriving report on the Toyota Mirai 2

The first impression immediately conveys that this Mirai is no ordinary Toyota. Its design is much more pleasing to European tastes than that of its predecessor – and it is bigger, fancier, and more refined than the Mirai 1. This impression is underlined by the statement of the director of the Berlin representative office of Toyota Motor Europe, Ferry Franz, that this model was actually supposed to be a Lexus. (more…)

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Large-scale hydrogen projects on the Arabian Peninsula

Large-scale hydrogen projects on the Arabian Peninsula

© OQ

Oman and Saudi Arabia’s plans to export solar energy

Sun-soaked countries around the world are inevitably destined for solar-powered hydrogen production. Yet while many look to Australia, Chile or Morocco as prime locations, the Middle East is also gaining attention. Nations such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman, well known for their bountiful oil resources, have now recognized another useful asset – their copious sunshine – and one which is ideally suited to making hydrogen. (more…)

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