Publication and patent submission for more energy efficient hydrogen production
Limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires the world to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. According to the International Energy Agency, hydrogen will be a key component of a net zero world, especially for heavy duty transport, energy storage, high temperature industrial processes, and chemical production. But how can we arrive at energy-efficient and carbon neutral hydrogen production?
Matteo Gazzani, a researcher at Utrecht University's Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development and colleagues from ETH Zurich have recently developed a new method for energy efficient hydrogen production, published in Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. They have just submitted a patent for the process.
Green hydrogen unavailable at required scale by 2050
Today hydrogen is mainly produced from natural gas. “This means that from a CO2 perspective, at the moment it may be worse to run a car on hydrogen than on gasoline.” says Gazzani.
From a CO2 perspective, at the moment it may be worse to run a car on hydrogen than on gasoline.
Solar fuels, where hydrogen is produced from electrolysis of water and combined with CO2 capture from air, are being hailed as the solution. “But it is unlikely that the production of carbon-neutral hydrogen via electrolysis using renewable energy - so-called green hydrogen - will provide hydrogen at the required scale and cost to ensure net zero emissions by 2050,” he adds. Hydrogen via electrolysis will also cause indirect CO2 emissions as long as the electricity grid is not fully decarbonized.
Hydrogen production coupled with CCS instrumental for CO2 neutral hydrogen
Hydrogen production coupled with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is pivotal for providing carbon-neutral hydrogen at the required scale and time. And after replacing fossil fuels with biogenic sources like biogas, such technology will pave the way to negative carbon emissions.
Gazzani and colleagues have integrated hydrogen purification and CO2 separation into a single adsorption cycle.
Integration of hydrogen purification and CO2 separation into single step
Hydrogen produced in this way requires multiple purification steps. CO2 is first removed, followed by H2 separation from remaining impurities (CH4, N2). As part of EU & RVO Project ACT ELEGANCY, Gazzani and colleagues from ETH Zurich have integrated hydrogen purification and CO2 separation into a single adsorption cycle.
Less energy and infrastructure needed
By removing one separation stage, this will likely imply a decrease in complexity, system cost, and energy consumption. The process requires less energy and also saves materials as less infrastructure is needed. The volumetric productivity ranges from 160 to 240 kgCO2/m3/h, which is significantly larger than the available open data for absorption-based CO2 capture from hydrogen production plants, which has productivities in the range of 60–90 kgCO2/m3/h.
A Swiss company has acquired the knowledge and filed a patent with the research team as inventors. Utrecht Holdings and ETH Transfer closely collaborated throughout the process.
Further reading
Streb, A., Hefti, M., Gazzani, M., & Mazzotti, M. (2019). Novel Adsorption Process for Co-Production of Hydrogen and CO2 from a Multicomponent Stream. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 58(37), 17489-17506.