Decarbonisation Technology – August 2021

Much research and development are being carried out on new catalysts for the production of green hydrogen. Swinburne University’s Centre for Translational Atomaterials (Australia) and Shaanxi Normal University (China) are developing a new catalyst based on platinum (but scalable and produced by a low-cost calcination method) that can produce green hydrogen from seawater. The prototype, called ‘Ocean-H2-Rig’, is a floating platform equipped with the single-atom platinum catalyst ( Figure 3 ). 15 Another exciting development is from the University of Delaware (UD), US, to produce hydrogen from water at ambient temperature and with a Cu-Ti catalyst at a rate twice as high as the conventional platinum catalyst. 16 With the same objective – to produce hydrogen – researchers from the Nayang Technological University (Singapore) have developed a catalyst based on spinel oxides made of cheap transition metals. These new oxides, comprising manganese and aluminum, were predicted to show superior catalytic activity, accelerating the electrolysis reaction. 17

Other promising research is being undertaken by researchers from The Helmholtz-Zentrum in Berlin (Germany), who have developed a catalyst based on amorphous molybdenum sulphide, which works at room temperature. Other catalysts under investigation are carbon- supported MoS 2 and ammonium thiomolybdate ((NH 4 ) 2 Mo 3 S 13 ). 18 These are some examples of research works currently under development, but for sure there are and will be many more. As can be seen, future years will be fantastic for the development of new catalysts and adsorbents, the new configuration of refineries and chemical plants, the production of biofuels, and the obtention of green hydrogen. Now, more than ever, catalysts and adsorbents will be crucial in helping industry and society to achieve the energy transition in the best possible way. VIEW REFERENCES Dr Meritxell Vila mvila@meryt-chemical.com

WEBINAR

Demand for hydrogen is expected to increase up to ten-fold by 2050 when multiple industry reports predict 8-24% of the world’s final energy demand will be supplied by hydrogen. Hydrogen has a

unique ability to address ‘hard-to- decarbonize’ sectors and long-term power storage. To achieve this, it must be produced with significantly lower carbon intensity than is practiced today. Learn how customized and integrated carbon capture and hydrogen purification technology can offer: • The most cost-effective and proven routes to low carbon intensity hydrogen available today for both new and existing assets • CO 2 recovery rates of 99%+ • Tailored results to meet required H 2 and CO 2 purity requirements • Single unit separation and liquefaction • Solvent-free options with a smaller footprint