Once hydrogen arrives at a gas station, it’s great stuff. The tank of a hydrogen car is full within a few minutes and emissions are minimal. The problem is what happens before that. Producing hydrogen poses quite a few challenges. Dutch researchers at TNO report this week a great breakthrough when it comes to scaling up sustainable hydrogen production.
With the help of the wind and the sun you can produce green hydrogen, which is exactly the stuff you want. The disadvantage of this method is that you need so-called electrolysers, which in turn use the scarce material iridium. The researchers found a way to reduce the amount of iridium required by a factor of 200. And that’s good news.
Why this breakthrough is important
‘The anticipated growth of green hydrogen from 300 megawatts in 2020 to tens of gigawatts in 2030 has a downside,’ says TNO expert Lennart van der Burg. ‘In ten years’ time, the demand for iridium would far exceed the available quantity. Moreover, we depend on only a handful of countries for delivery, with all the associated risks’, he adds.
Researchers from TNO who specialize in electrolysis worked in the Faraday Lab in Petten, together with colleagues from the Holst Center in Eindhoven. They use an invention that was actually intended for the next generation of televisions, tablets and smartphones. However, the breakthrough is still in its infancy.
They have now proven that it is possible, but they now need to further develop, test and scale the technology. ‘Proving in the lab that the technology works is great, but further development is necessary to improve the lifespan and efficiency and to be able to produce it at scale’, says van der Burg.
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