Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a new method for extracting high-purity hydrogen from ammonia that requires less energy compared to previous technologies. This advancement could help reduce the environmental and energy impacts of the hydrogen industry, which is used in various industrial processes and technologies, including fuel cells and computer chip manufacturing.
Challenges of Green Hydrogen
Green hydrogen has been proposed as an important solution for decarbonization in hard-to-abate sectors such as transportation and steel, as this gas can be burned at high temperatures like thermal coal, heavy oil, or natural gas, leaving only water vapor. However, most hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, which raises questions about its efficiency as a clean energy source. Additionally, producing green hydrogen is often seen as a costly and inefficient use of renewable resources that could be allocated to more direct applications.
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Advancements in the Hydrogen Supply Chain
The new MIT method helps address this challenge by reducing the amount of energy required in the hydrogen life cycle, rather than increasing renewable energy consumption. Storing liquid hydrogen in ammonia for transportation purposes is not a new idea, but to date, this process has had significant inefficiencies. "Cracking," the traditional method of extracting hydrogen from ammonia, requires large amounts of energy and temperatures above 500 degrees Celsius to achieve high reaction rates and conversion.
However, the new process proposed by MIT researchers uses novel chemical methods to change this equation. "We wanted to ask whether we could use electrical inputs to drive a reaction that would otherwise be unfavorable, while doing so in a way that hydrogen is separated from the hydrogen carrier and is very pure so that it can be directly used in a fuel cell or other applications that require a high-purity stream," says Yugesh Surendranath, the lead author of a study reporting these findings.
This advancement comes at a time of increased attention and investment toward low-emission hydrogen. Geopolitical changes, growing energy demand forecasts due to the AI boom, and high energy market volatility due to concurrent wars in Ukraine and Iran have prompted countries around the world to reassess their energy security strategies. Many of these countries have reached a comprehensive approach to a diverse and therefore more resilient energy mix.
China, the world's largest hydrogen producer, has introduced a target to increase hydrogen production, particularly green hydrogen, faster than previously planned in its 15th five-year plan. The National Energy Administration of China (NEA) recently identified hydrogen as a "strategic lever" for national energy self-sufficiency and resilience, committing to accelerate domestic development. European leaders have also recently shown greater willingness to develop this industry. In April, ministers from Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain urged the European Union to ease production regulations and encourage investment in this sector.
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