Commercial Hydrogen Production Research Articles

NiFe layered-double-hydroxide nanosheet arrays grown in situ on Ni foam for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Developing efficient and stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts under various alkaline conditions is crucial for commercial hydrogen (H₂) production. This study synthesized superhydrophilic NiFe LDH/NF with a nanosheet structure. The strong electronic interactions between the metals modify the electronic structures of Ni and Fe. In-situ Raman spectroscopy reveals numerous high-valent nickel intermediates with high OER activity during the reaction, significantly improving the catalyst's overall performance. At room temperature, the NiFe LDH/NF catalyst exhibits a current density of 50/100 mA cm−2 with only 217/233 mV required in 1 M KOH. Moreover, the catalyst requires only 180 mV under industrial conditions (60 °C, 6 M KOH), 243 mV in alkaline artificial seawater, and 280 mV in alkaline natural seawater to achieve 100 mA cm−2. The catalyst also exhibits long-term operational durability under these conditions, indicating a wide range of potential applications.

Synthesis of Stable and Efficient Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution: Hierarchical NiMo-Based Hollow Nanotubes

Large-scale development of low-cost, efficient, and stable powder electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline solutions is a key step toward commercial hydrogen production. Herein, a hierarchical NiMo-MoO3-x hollow nanotube (NiMo-MoO3-x-HNT) with bifunctional groups as an efficient HER electrocatalyst was strategically invented using an MoO3 nanorod (MoO3−NR) as the precursor. The synthesis mechanism of the NiMo-MoO3-x-HNT is established based on in-depth investigations using diffraction, spectral, and microscopy results. Experimental results suggest that the NiMo-MoO3-x-HNT exhibits excellent electrocatalytic HER performance in 1 M KOH, with a low overpotential of 26.5 mV@10.0 mA cm-2 and a small Tafel slope of 32.6 mV dec–1. These values are comparable to those of cutting-edge electrocatalysts based on platinum-group metals. Moreover, it exhibits an almost unaffected cyclic stability over 50,000 cycles and robust durability over 98 h. This remarkable performance is attributed to its bifunctional groups and the porous hierarchical hollow nanotubular morphology. In summary, this study proposes a novel, efficient, and cost-effective strategy for the development of noble metal-free, high-performance HER electrocatalysts.

Zero-gap bipolar membrane water electrolyzers: Principles, challenges and practical insights

Producing hydrogen through the electrolysis of water is an attractive method for storing intermittent, renewably-generated power in the form of a clean-burning fuel. Amongst the various types of electrolyzer that have been proposed, those employing bipolar membranes have the unique advantage of allowing the water splitting half-reactions to proceed under their kinetically most favourable conditions, thanks to the ability of these membranes to maintain a pH gradient. Maintaining such a pH gradient enables the oxygen evolution reaction to occur in basic conditions whilst the hydrogen evolution reaction occurs in acidic conditions. However, bipolar membrane electrolysis technology remains at an early stage of development and faces several challenges, including high potential losses and low energy efficiency caused by insufficient water transport across (and ion crossover within) the bipolar membrane. In this review, the strategies and methods employed to address these challenges and to enhance the performance and efficiency of bipolar membrane water electrolysis are discussed. The scope of this review is primarily on zero-gap bipolar membrane/interface water electrolyzers, as this configuration is arguably the most relevant bipolar membrane/interface electrolyzer architecture for scaled-up devices and commercial hydrogen production.

Hydrogen production by water electrolysis technologies: A review

Hydrogen as an energy source has been identified as an optimal pathway for mitigating climate change by combining renewable electricity with water electrolysis systems. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology has received a substantial amount of attention because of its ability to efficiently produce high-purity hydrogen while minimising challenges associated with handling and maintenance. Another hydrogen generation technology, alkaline water electrolysis (AWE), has been widely used in commercial hydrogen production applications. Anion exchange membrane (AEM) technology can produce hydrogen at relatively low costs because the noble metal catalysts used in PEM and AWE systems are replaced with conventional low-cost electrocatalysts. Solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) technology is another electrolysis technology for producing hydrogen at relatively high conversion efficiencies, low cost, and with low associated emissions. However, the operating temperatures of SOECs are high which necessitates long startup times. This review addresses the current state of technologies capable of using impure water in water electrolysis systems. Commercially available water electrolysis systems were extensively discussed and compared. The technical barriers of hydrogen production by PEM and AEM were also investigated. Furthermore, commercial PEM stack electrolyzer performance was evaluated using artificial river water (soft water). An integrated system approach was recommended for meeting the power and pure water demands using reversible seawater by combining renewable electricity, water electrolysis, and fuel cells. AEM performance was considered to be low, requiring further developments to enhance the membrane's lifetime.

Non-iridium PEM electrolyser set to bring down costs of hydrogen production

H2U Technologies Inc has successfully demonstrated what it claims is the first non-iridium proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser for commercial hydrogen production.

Oxygen vacancy for boosted alkaline oxygen evolution under AC magnetic field

Reducing the overpotential of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with slow kinetics is important to realize commercial hydrogen production from water electrolysis. Here, ZnCo2O4 with abundant surface oxygen vacancies is employed to clarify the influence of oxygen vacancies on OER performance under AC magnetic field. The additional active sites as well as enhanced reaction activity of each active sites resulting from oxygen vacancies enable N–ZnCo2O4-δ-350 to exhibit outstanding OER performance, where the overpotential is 406 mV at 10 mA cm−2. Furthermore, double exchange interaction between Co2+-O2--Co3+ ignited by oxygen vacancies produces ferromagnetism in N–ZnCo2O4-δ, which can directly promote OER under ACMF. And the mass transport at additional active sites active sites provided by oxygen vacancies is also accelerated under ACMF due to magnetohydrodynamic convection. As a result, non-iR-corrected overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 of N–ZnCo2O4-δ-350 is reduced to 243 mV when the ACMF intensity is 4.752 mT, which is a 44.5% reduction compared to no ACMF. These findings provide a novel and efficient perspective for realizing efficient electrocatalysis.

Hydrogen: Fueling EU‐Morocco Energy Cooperation?

AbstractThe war in Ukraine and the looming threat of climate change are driving the strategic need to diversify sources of energy, including renewables. Therefore, the European Union aims to develop energy relations with non‐EU member states, and Morocco has become a key priority. Both Brussels and Rabat are pursuing ambitious green policies and cooperation initiatives, including on hydrogen. Drawing on theories of international institutions and political economy, this article analyzes hydrogen‐related relationship patterns and explains demand and supply factors as drivers of institutionalized energy cooperation. We examine the EU's hydrogen approach and development, its relations with Morocco, and the political interests of both sides. Our analysis shows that the complex interdependencies in the evolving EU‐Morocco hydrogen relations indicate that demand can be met by supply. However, challenges remain, including the need to deepen the partnership and prepare the market for commercial hydrogen production.

Rational Design of Goethite-Sulfide Nanowire Heterojunctions for High Current Density Water Splitting.

The preparation of efficient and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts for electrochemical overall water splitting (OWS) to scale up commercial hydrogen production remains a great challenge. Here, we synthesized heterojunction structures consisting of Co9S8/Ni3S2 nanowire arrays and amorphous goethite (FeOOH, α-phase) particles as efficient OWS catalysts using an interface engineering strategy. The interfacial charge inhomogeneity caused by the heterojunction contact leads to the generation of a built-in electric field, which makes the electron-deficient FeOOH and electron-rich Co9S8/Ni3S2 favorable for hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction, respectively, thus ensuring the excellent activity of FeOOH/Co9S8/Ni3S2 as a bifunctional catalyst. FeOOH/Co9S8/Ni3S2 exhibits impressive catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction, achieving an ultralarge current density of 1000 mA cm-2 needed as low as 265 mV overpotential, and its stability was tested up to 1440 h. Furthermore, an excellent OWS output (1.55 V to generate 10 mA cm-2) is achieved by the bifunctional FeOOH/Co9S8/Ni3S2 catalysts.

Flake-like B13P2-Na2B4O7 heterostructure electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

The heterostructure catalysts with the larger surface area are expected to show improved electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, B13P2-Na2B4O7 heterostructure catalysts were synthesized via vacuum annealing at distinct temperatures, and their electrocatalytic activity towards HER was investigated. The electrocatalyst synthesized at 700 °C (NB 700) demonstrated superior HER performance, showing an overpotential of 65, 170, and 230 mV at −10, −50, and −100 mA cm−2. With a low Tafel slope of 82 mV dec-1, the NB 700 demonstrates faster charge transfer kinetics in alkaline media. This work gives insight into exploring various heterostructure electrocatalysts involving phosphides for commercial hydrogen production.

Rapid hydrogen adsorption-desorption at sulfur sites via an interstitial carbon strategy for efficient HER on MoS2

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a noble-free material with plentiful unsaturated active edge sites, is expected to replace platinum catalysts for commercial electrocatalytic hydrogen production. However, efficient hydrogen adsorption-desorption processes on sulfur sites with full electron configuration still remain a challenge. Here, vertically oriented self-assembled metallic MoS2 nanospheres anchored by interstitial atomic carbon (Cia-MoS2) are proposed to achieve a rapid hydrogen adsorption-desorption process. In 0.5 M H2SO4 solution, Cia-MoS2 exhibits fast kinetics (Tafel slope of 45 mV dec−1 and overpotential of 87 mV at 10 mA cm−2), as well as a long-term durability over 72 h. As confirmed from X-ray absorption fine spectroscopy and density functional calculations, Cia significantly optimizes the overall HER performance by reconfiguring the charge landscape and re-splitting the energy level of surface S moiety, which provides a universal strategy for fabricating stable unsaturated 2D catalysts toward HER.

The Stability of a Mixed-Phase Barium Cerium Iron Oxide under Reducing Conditions in the Presence of Hydrogen.

Metal oxide perovskite materials show promise for use as hydrogen separation membranes, but metal oxides can dehydrate in the presence of hydrogen to the point of decomposition. The stability of a material in the presence of hydrogen is necessary for an effective hydrogen separation membrane. The stability of a mixed phase metal oxide perovskite (BaCe0.85Fe0.15O3-δ-BaCe0.15Fe0.85O3-δ) was investigated using first-principles thermodynamics calculations based on density functional theory to examine the possible reduction processes on the surface of the material. It was found that for either phase of the material, the loss of H2 becomes thermodynamically favorable over the formation of oxygen vacancies once oxygen vacancy defects exist on the surface. Additionally, both phases of the material become more stable with respect to the dehydration or loss of oxygen with increasing concentrations of surface oxygen vacancies. Under the conditions of commercial hydrogen production (~400-1100 K), it is more thermodynamically favorable for H2 to desorb from the BaCe0.85Fe0.15O3-δ phase. Examination of the atomic-scale structure indicates that the degree of coordination of surface metal atoms in this material may control the stability of the material in reducing environments.

Facile synthesis of Ru nanoclusters embedded in carbonaceous shells for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline and acidic media

Exploring effective electrocatalyst with low-cost for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is highly desirable for commercial hydrogen production. Herein, a heterogeneous nanostructured catalyst is synthesized by implanting Ru nanoclusters into N and S co-doped carbonaceous shell using a simple thermal condensation of glucose and thiourea with ruthenium chloride precursors followed by carbonization. Due to the unique structural design and synergistic effect of Ru nanoclusters embedded in N, S co-doped carbonaceous shell (NSC), the compositionally tuned catalyst (Ru/NSC-200) tends to show HER activity with overpotentials of 50 and 110 mV at 10 mA cm−2 current density in 1 M KOH and 1 M KHCO3 solutions, respectively. The catalyst exhibits mass activity of 10- and 1.2-times greater than those of commercial Pt/C (20 wt%) in 1 M KOH and 0.5 M H2SO4 solutions, which reveals the techno-economic trait of the catalyst. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the NSC induces a strong interaction with Ru, facilitating fast electron transfer during the catalysis. This work provides a simple and straightforward approach to develop effective catalyst in the realm of hydrogen evolution reaction.

High-efficiency water splitting catalyzed by NiMoO4 nanorod arrays decorated with vacancy defect-rich NiTex and MoOy layers

Nickel molybdate is a promising non-noble metal candidate for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), but its insufficient activity due to its low conductivity and slow reaction kinetics hinders its application for large-scale commercial hydrogen production. Here, we report an efficient self-supporting electrocatalyst consisting of NiMoO4 nanorods modified by MoOy with abundant internal oxygen vacancies and epitaxially grown NiTex with high specific surface area for alkaline HER. Benefiting from the structural advantages of nanorods/nanosheets integrated electrode, a larger specific surface area and abundant active centers can be provided for the HER. Such constructed NiTex/MoOy/NiMoO4 catalyst achieves a low overpotential of 59 mV to drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and a low Tafel slope of 32.8 mV dec−1 in 1.0 M KOH solution with sustainable durability. Additionally, a two-electrode electrolytic cell system assembled with NiTex/MoOy/NiMoO4 and NiMoO4 employed as cathode and anode, respectively, extraordinary performance with a voltage of 1.49 V at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 was achieved in alkaline electrolyte. This work demonstrates a novel idea for metalloid Te-modified transition metal oxides, which is expected to expand the family of stable and efficient transition metal oxide (such as CoMoO4, Co3O4, NiCo2O4, etc.)-based catalysts for energy electrocatalysis.

The role of hydrogen and fuel cell technology in providing security for the UK energy system

It is not yet well understood how hydrogen and fuel cell technology could perform in the UK energy system (ES) and what influence it may have in contributing towards its security. This article aims to discuss the potential of a hydrogen economy examining its ability to reduce dependency on fossil fuels sourced both domestically and internationally. A snapshot of the hydrogen economy is presented introducing the latest development in hydrogen production technologies and distribution infrastructure. It has been postulated that with the introduction of a CO2 tax, integrating carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) systems with commercial hydrogen production technologies such as steam methane reforming (SMR), coal gasification (CG) and biomass gasification could significantly reduce the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) production. The role of hydrogen and fuel cell technology in coupling the building, transport and industrial sectors has been demonstrated. Decarbonisation of heat in the UK is expected to incur a large cost for transitioning the incumbent network and it is expected that government assistance will be necessary to lessen the burden on consumers. Deployment of fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP) systems and integration into the UK ES could make great strides towards improving its security.

Effect of the interfacial electronic coupling of nickel-iron sulfide nanosheets with layer Ti3C2 MXenes as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for anion-exchange membrane water electrolysis

In this study, nickel-iron sulfide (NiFeS) nanosheets were immobilized on Ti3C2 MXene-decorated nickel foam (Ti3C2 MXene/NF) by hydrothermal reaction (NiFeS@Ti3C2 MXene/NF). The morphology of NiFeS and interactions with Ti3C2 MXene resulted in electronic coupling that optimized the adsorption energies of water, protons, and oxygen atom for the HER (180 mV@20 mA cm-2) and OER (290 mV@20 mA cm-2). The NiFeS@Ti3C2 MXene/NF catalyst showed good water splitting performance in an alkaline membrane water electrolyzer, yielding a current density (j) of 401 mA cm-2 at 1.85 V with 67.65 % cell efficiency, performance comparable to Pt/C||RuO2 cells. From a commercial point of view, our electrolyzers are the best because of their low loading of catalysts (ca. 1.25 mg cm-2) and low operating temperatures (50 °C), resulting in low capital and operating costs. Our findings will aid the development of commercial green hydrogen production and offers an alternative to PEMWE.

Biohydrogen production: An outlook on methods, constraints, economic analysis and future prospect

Utilization of hydrogen as fuel lights into various technological, economic and ecological challenges. High production cost and low yield are main drawbacks of commercial hydrogen production methods. Hydrogen production by biological methods helps to overcome these issues owing to its merit such as cost-effective, non-pollutant, recyclability and efficiency in energy conversion. Research has been conducted in utilizing cyanobacteria and algal species for producing biohydrogen utilizing solar light and other sources. Developments have been made for improving biohydrogen productivity through genetic and metabolic engineering. This review outlines the importance of biohydrogen and the constraints in producing biohydrogen in detail. Biohydrogen production can be facilitated using photolysis, fermentation and electrochemical processes. Bioreactors can be used effectively with specific designs and configuration for increasing productivity. The challenges faced during biological production and methods to overcome those demerits are also included for bringing the uncharted principles for producing biohydrogen in an efficient method.

Concurrent 20. Presentation for: Collocated offshore wind-hydrogen

Presented on Wednesday 18 May: Session 20 The hydrogen industry in Australia is in its infancy with most projects at this stage supported either by State Governments or through the funding arms of the Federal Government. The market is rapidly developing and interest in hydrogen has grown exponentially over the past few years. Governments in Australia and many countries around the world have set decarbonisation targets and it is expected that Hydrogen will play a major role in fulfilling these commitments. Largely driven by policy announcements and commitments, several hydrogen projects are currently in development in Australia and globally. Current forecast data indicates over 200 GW of electrolyser capacity are either planned for deployment or under construction. While industry moves forward with deployment-scale projects, incumbent fuels occupy a healthy competitive position. For example, in Western Australia natural gas prices are around $6/GJ and are set to remain stable into the foreseeable future, largely due to Western Australia’s domestic gas reservation policy. However, the impact of volatile oil prices on domestic natural gas remains to be seen. Although potential green hydrogen projects are mostly in early stages, increased opportunities for partnerships on the supply side or joint venture arrangements with energy producers and demand side off-takers, will accelerate these projects achieving feasibility. However, in achieving target hydrogen prices, the barriers remain significant. One such barrier, is the cost of renewable electricity and one such solution could be collocated offshore wind-hydrogen systems. By nature, offshore wind is an intermittent energy source. Hydrogen could be used as a means of storing renewable energy for electricity balancing, and as a dedicated source for large-scale hydrogen production. Hard-to-abate sectors remain a significant challenge as we transition to net-zero. Hydrogen may be used to de-carbonise hard-to-abate sectors as many stakeholders see offshore wind as the primary partner for hydrogen production. This paper discusses collocated wind-hydrogen systems as a potential pathway for offshore wind deployment and commercial hydrogen production. To access the presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here

Collocated offshore wind-hydrogen

The hydrogen industry in Australia is in its infancy with most projects at this stage supported either by State Governments or through the funding arms of the Federal Government. The market is rapidly developing and interest in hydrogen has grown exponentially over the past few years. Governments in Australia and many countries around the world have set decarbonisation targets and it is expected that Hydrogen will play a major role in fulfilling these commitments. Largely driven by policy announcements and commitments, several hydrogen projects are currently in development in Australia and globally. Current forecast data indicates over 200 GW of electrolyser capacity are either planned for deployment or under construction. While industry moves forward with deployment-scale projects, incumbent fuels occupy a healthy competitive position. For example, in Western Australia natural gas prices are around $6/GJ and are set to remain stable into the foreseeable future, largely due to Western Australia’s domestic gas reservation policy. However, the impact of volatile oil prices on domestic natural gas remains to be seen. Although potential green hydrogen projects are mostly in early stages, increased opportunities for partnerships on the supply side or joint venture arrangements with energy producers and demand side off-takers, will accelerate these projects achieving feasibility. However, in achieving target hydrogen prices, the barriers remain significant. One such barrier, is the cost of renewable electricity and one such solution could be collocated offshore wind-hydrogen systems. By nature, offshore wind is an intermittent energy source. Hydrogen could be used as a means of storing renewable energy for electricity balancing, and as a dedicated source for large-scale hydrogen production. Hard-to-abate sectors remain a significant challenge as we transition to net-zero. Hydrogen may be used to de-carbonise hard-to-abate sectors as many stakeholders see offshore wind as the primary partner for hydrogen production. This paper discusses collocated wind-hydrogen systems as a potential pathway for offshore wind deployment and commercial hydrogen production.

Оценка эффективности процесса одностадийной дегидроароматизации природного и попутного нефтяного газа

The following sequential problems were solved in article for methane dehydroaromatization feasibility validation: a methane dehydroaromatization kinetic model and a mathematical model of an industrial axial reactor with a fixed catalyst bed were developed, a process flow diagram was proposed, corresponded material and heat balances were calculated. Based on the results, methane dehydroaromatization performance was compared with related commercial hydrogen production technologies.

Synergistic effect of S vacancies and P dopants in MoS2/Mo2C to promote electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

We synthesize hierarchical heterojunctions of P-MoS2/Mo2C, which exhibit high stability and excellent HER activity. This work will provide new insights into the design of high-efficiency HER catalysts for commercial hydrogen production.