Environmentally Friendly Alternative Energy Concept With Hydrogen Refuelling Station.

1302909231

Environmentally Friendly Alternative Energy Concept With Hydrogen Refuelling Station.

Photo by: onurdongel

onurdongel

Hydrogen Ready to Ignite as Transport Network and Technology Takes Off

By: Robin Fearon

Transport is undergoing a massive transformation so it can meet society’s demands for a low-carbon economy. Introducing electric vehicles (EVs) and declining gasoline and diesel use are helping, but zero-carbon hydrogen can speed up both the transition and long-term decarbonization of transport.

October 12, 2021

In the US, transportation produces the largest share of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the economy at 29%, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. More than 90% of transport fuel is petroleum based, but if more vehicles used hydrogen then GHG emissions would plummet.

Hydrogen is not considered a true replacement for gasoline or diesel as a combustion engine fuel for cars because it is harder to store safely. And while fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) that turn hydrogen into electricity can compete with EV performance — and even out-compete them on range and refill time — extra energy is needed to produce the hydrogen needed for fuel.

157311554

Hydrogen fuel cell car.

Photo by: gchutka

gchutka

Hydrogen fuel cell car.

Finding investment for storage, pipelines and fuel stations is still a challenge. Most of the 48 existing hydrogen refueling stations in the US are located in California, with another 60 in planning or under construction. Now US supplier Plug Power has raised $1 billion to fund a nationwide network for green hydrogen production to supply FCEVs, with an electrolyzer gigafactory set to be operational in 2021.

But until there is excess capacity in renewable energy to make green hydrogen, without using methane from natural gas, hydrogen-powered cars could have a negative climate impact. Happily, prices for producing green hydrogen are expected to be a fraction of their current level by 2030, cheaper than so-called gray hydrogen from natural gas. The US government’s Energy Earthshot aims to reduce costs by 80% within a decade.

Governments worldwide are backing green hydrogen projects to reduce GHG emissions in heavy industries like freight, steel, and energy storage. But hydrogen transport will need rapid production methods to create the fuel needed for the world’s road fleet.

Underwater. Pristine seawater. Eyre Peninsula. South Australia.

1309693447

Seawater contains a virtually limitless supply of hydrogen.

Photo by: John White Photos

John White Photos

Seawater contains a virtually limitless supply of hydrogen.

Thankfully, research is advancing all the time. Thin films containing nanoscale structures of nickel selenide are refining electrolysis to rapidly harvest hydrogen from seawater. Researchers say the nanomaterial performs far better than the othgrayate-of-the-art catalysts used to split hydrogen from water. Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and as seawater makes up about 96% of all water on Earth, there is a virtually limitless supply.

Even wastewater and solid waste can create green hydrogen. Researchers at Princeton University are using sunlight to isolate hydrogen from industrial wastewater. Chemical plants and refineries that currently face high costs for cleaning wastewater could transform it into clean hydrogen supplies.

Californian start-up Ways2H believes that solid waste which ends up in landfill, including plastics and medical waste, could be turned into green hydrogen more cheaply than electrolysis using renewable energy. Way2H’s plants can operate continually and chief executive Jean-Louis Kindler believes that waste will provide one third of the world’s clean hydrogen in the future.

Fuel cell technology is also being supercharged. Engineers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered a way to make hydrogen’s electrical conversion more efficient using a hydrogel polymer catalyst containing iron atoms. And their findings could be applied to other renewable fuels and chemical products.

Hydrogen Fuel Filling The White Car On The Filling Station For Eco Friendly Transport

1289420177

Hydrogen fuel filling an FCEV car.

Photo by: onurdongel

onurdongel

Hydrogen fuel filling an FCEV car.

Yet another way to move transport toward zero-carbon is to use transitional tech, like hybrid power, to make vehicles more environmentally friendly and fuel efficient. Traditional combustion engines could potentially be adapted in the short term to use hydrogen as a fuel enhancement to reduce harmful emissions.

Seattle-based Hytech Power has created its own fuel clean-up technology for diesel engines. But it also has a retrofit system that will convert any existing combustion engine vehicle to hydrogen combustion. Vehicles fitted with its specially designed electrolyzer produce hydrogen from a tank containing a metal hydride liquid.

The zero-emissions vehicles created would have an average range of 300 miles. Drivers could fill up at a station or produce their own hydride solution at home with an electrolyzer, distilled water and a tank. Hytech’s technology has the added advantage that it does not need compressed hydrogen and has no toxic byproducts. Retrofitting older vehicles could, for a fraction of the cost of a new one, revolutionize the hydrogen vehicle market.

Next Up

How Lithium Batteries Will Improve EV Range and Rapid Charging

Electric vehicles (EVs) are due for huge upgrades in driving range and charging times as new battery technologies are introduced.

California Proposes Ban on New Gas-Fueled Cars by 2035

If enacted, California’s mandate would be the first to prohibit new gasoline or diesel cars in the next decade.

Air Taxis Bring Electric Flight Hype to Life in Busy Cities

City skies could be buzzing with flying taxi services by 2025 following huge investment in short-haul flight technology. Aviation startups have received billions to get electric aircraft operating above urban centers. Investors are banking on quick, sustainable short hops to fuel a flight path revolution.

Retrofitting Older Cars with Electric Motors Could Transform Transport

Low emission battery-powered electric cars are still a tiny fraction of all cars sold despite offering cheaper running costs and eco-friendly credentials. The higher purchase price is one reason, but retrofitting older cars and trucks with electric motors could be the fix needed to turbocharge electric vehicle uptake.

Recycled Lithium-Ion Batteries are Outlasting Brand New Ones

Car batteries made with recycled materials are outlasting their un-recycled counterparts– boosting auto manufacturers’ confidence in reusable parts.

Green Hydrogen Will Fuel the World’s Zero-Carbon Industries

One of the challenges in establishing a zero-emission green hydrogen network in the US is stabilizing supply and storage. Hydrogen (H2) is a carbon-free fuel and an $8 billion ‘H2 Hubs’ program from the Department of Energy aims to ramp up production. But keeping the industry environmentally neutral is difficult.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Rapamycin For Rover, H-Fueled Flight, Mind-Controlled Arms

Today, you’ll learn about how a drug that helps in human organ transplants might be able to extend the lives of man’s best friend, the airline industry's potential but difficult switch to hydrogen fuel, and how a high school student is transforming prosthetics with brain waves.

Bitcoin Code Switch Could Clean Up Crypto’s Dirty Image

Bitcoin has been told to clean up its act and drastically cut its environmental impact for the sake of the planet. Annual energy use for the Bitcoin blockchain is estimated to be more than Sweden’s national total. But campaigners say a simple software fix could slash its power use.

Sustainable Aviation Will Reduce Jet Fuel Emissions to Zero

Zero carbon flights are the ultimate goal for an airline industry that relies heavily on fossil fuels. Aviation pumps out at least 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions today. Sustainable aviation fuels will shrink the industry’s climate risk by 2030, but zero-emissions fuels like hydrogen are beginning to emerge.

Doing Renewables Right

Having a “net-zero future” – where the world isn’t emitting excess carbon dioxide – can seem like a far-off pipe dream.With sea levels still rising, wildfires becoming more and more frequent – alongside other extreme weather like floods and storms – and biodiversity rapidly dwindling, it’s imperative we focus on expanding renewable energy across the world, increasing energy sources to help mitigate the impact that fossil fuels have on the climate.