Post by account_disabled on Mar 13, 2024 22:40:31 GMT -5
The experimental process called photoelectrocatalysis requires less energy than electrolysis to obtain renewable hydrogen, comments the Spanish energy expert.
Repsol is developing a technology to convert solar energy and water directly into renewable hydrogen , without the intermediate step of electrolysis.
renewable hydrogenThe Spanish company is launching a 'photoelectrocatalysis' project with the gas supplier Enagás and research institutes such as the Catalan Institute for Energy Research, t Caseno Email List he University of Alicante and the Aragón Hydrogen Foundation.
“With this process we can obtain renewable hydrogen that is competitive and uses less energy,” commented Elena Verdú, senior process development scientist at the Repsol Technology Laboratory, where its main advantage over electrolysis “is that it does not use electricity, and, therefore, is not dependent on the price of electricity. This results in a significant reduction in operating costs."
Photoelectrocatalysis is still in the experimental stage, but scientists have been investigating the use of sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, analyzing various materials such as oxide to suppress green gas and copy photosynthesis.
The production of green hydrogen through renewable energy through electrolysis at this time remains more expensive than its traditional production by steam reforming of natural gas.
Low carbon or no carbon hydrogen?
Repsol is the leading producer in Spain as well as the leading consumer of hydrogen in its industry. Hydrogen is a strategic component in refining processes, used in desulfurization and hydrocracking treatments where they improve the environmental quality of refined fuels and refining.
The oil company is currently investigating various manufacturing methods to replace its current use of hydrogen with more climate-friendly methods, as well as using green hydrogen and 'low-carbon' blue hydrogen (produced from gas linked to carbon capture and storage) for the production of synthetic fuels.
“It is estimated that once they are developed in all their potential applications, renewable and low-carbon hydrogen could together represent to % of global energy consumption ,” Verdú said.
renewable hydrogenThe company did not specify how much of the hydrogen it plans to produce will result from low-carbon technologies and how much will result from zero-carbon technologies, but commented that it believes hydrogen linked to CCS will be competitive before other options.
“The development of the different applications of low-carbon hydrogen will make the infrastructure and the market more mature and consolidated when renewable hydrogen becomes competitive,” concluded Verdú, highlighting the high production costs of green hydrogen produced through electrolysis.
In the production of electrolysis, the most determining point is the cost of electricity, “which represents -% of the costs, he commented. The expected development of electrolysis techniques "will lower investment and increase efficiency."
Biomethane
With green and blue hydrogen, and the current solar-based hydrogen obtained through photoelectrocatalysis, the company commented that it is also considering producing renewable hydrogen through the traditional process, changing the fossil raw material for stocks from a biological source, such as biomethane .
Biomethane can be obtained from the sanitation of biological waste, sewage sludge, domestic organic waste and industrial or biomass waste. This allows us to continue using existing plants, the company commented.
Repsol is developing a technology to convert solar energy and water directly into renewable hydrogen , without the intermediate step of electrolysis.
renewable hydrogenThe Spanish company is launching a 'photoelectrocatalysis' project with the gas supplier Enagás and research institutes such as the Catalan Institute for Energy Research, t Caseno Email List he University of Alicante and the Aragón Hydrogen Foundation.
“With this process we can obtain renewable hydrogen that is competitive and uses less energy,” commented Elena Verdú, senior process development scientist at the Repsol Technology Laboratory, where its main advantage over electrolysis “is that it does not use electricity, and, therefore, is not dependent on the price of electricity. This results in a significant reduction in operating costs."
Photoelectrocatalysis is still in the experimental stage, but scientists have been investigating the use of sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, analyzing various materials such as oxide to suppress green gas and copy photosynthesis.
The production of green hydrogen through renewable energy through electrolysis at this time remains more expensive than its traditional production by steam reforming of natural gas.
Low carbon or no carbon hydrogen?
Repsol is the leading producer in Spain as well as the leading consumer of hydrogen in its industry. Hydrogen is a strategic component in refining processes, used in desulfurization and hydrocracking treatments where they improve the environmental quality of refined fuels and refining.
The oil company is currently investigating various manufacturing methods to replace its current use of hydrogen with more climate-friendly methods, as well as using green hydrogen and 'low-carbon' blue hydrogen (produced from gas linked to carbon capture and storage) for the production of synthetic fuels.
“It is estimated that once they are developed in all their potential applications, renewable and low-carbon hydrogen could together represent to % of global energy consumption ,” Verdú said.
renewable hydrogenThe company did not specify how much of the hydrogen it plans to produce will result from low-carbon technologies and how much will result from zero-carbon technologies, but commented that it believes hydrogen linked to CCS will be competitive before other options.
“The development of the different applications of low-carbon hydrogen will make the infrastructure and the market more mature and consolidated when renewable hydrogen becomes competitive,” concluded Verdú, highlighting the high production costs of green hydrogen produced through electrolysis.
In the production of electrolysis, the most determining point is the cost of electricity, “which represents -% of the costs, he commented. The expected development of electrolysis techniques "will lower investment and increase efficiency."
Biomethane
With green and blue hydrogen, and the current solar-based hydrogen obtained through photoelectrocatalysis, the company commented that it is also considering producing renewable hydrogen through the traditional process, changing the fossil raw material for stocks from a biological source, such as biomethane .
Biomethane can be obtained from the sanitation of biological waste, sewage sludge, domestic organic waste and industrial or biomass waste. This allows us to continue using existing plants, the company commented.