Do you remember my last post about the hydrogen train? (See: http://gaborpriegl.com/2018/08/26/hydrail-a-killer-application/).
To follow the developments keep your eyes on Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and watch the short report from the Norddeutscher Rundfunk on 01. October 2018. The closing statement is: ”Die Energiewende auf der Schiene wird kommen” (the ”Energiewende” for the railroad will definitely come).
Good for the railroad but what about the car industry?
Well, there is a good news for them too.
A SHORT REVIEW
We love hydrogen, because
- Hydrogen is an efficient energy vector, it stores energy and transports energy efficiently. The specific energy of ubiquitous „fuels” are: hydrogen 141 MJ/kg, diesel 46 MJ/kg, natural gas 54 MJ/kg…
- Burning of hydrogen produces only water vapour and heat.
- We have plenty of it on the Earth.
THE MAIN HURDLES
Let’s just focus on the car industry this time.
- H2 is not an energy source, it is something to be produced.
- Hydrogen should somehow be distributed in bulk to the refueling stations.
- The hydrogen refueling network is still underdeveloped.
A NEW TECHNOLOGY ON THE RISE
What are the limitations of the use of hydrogen in the passenger car sector? Cost and availability.
If we could generate significant demand, the refueling network would develop rapidly. The evergrowing demand will decrease the unit cost and the improvement of the access to the fuel will generate extra demand.
To Point 1.
If extensive renewable energy generation capacities are available the energy surplus can be used for hydrogen production. There are some countries, like Australia, where this is a realistic scenario today.
To Point 2.
This is the main obstacle. Hydrogen transport is much too expensive and difficult, new technologies should be developed in this field.
There is hope however, because a group of researchers in Australia published their findings after an extensive 10 year research program.
More to this, they have succesfully demonstrated the operation of their device, a special membrane they have developed.
What’s the big deal about this?
This is the first time an FCEV has been powered by hydrogen derived from ammonia.
It is clear to everyone that ammonia (NH3) contains hydrogen but until now nobody could extract pure hydrogen from ammonia.
Until now.
The CSIRO team has just presented their brand new hydrogen membrane technology. The heart of the device is a metal membrane that filters out ultra-high purity hydrogen gas from ammonia.
Why is this a potential breakthrough from a business point of view?
The transport of ammonia is a well-established and widespread technology.
With this technology large amounts of hydrogen (in the form of ammonia) can be distributed cost-effectively to the fueling stations where the hydrogen can be filtered out for refueling cars.
That may solve the problem of Point 2.
By tackling the challenges Point 1 and Point 2 the Point 3 problem can be solved in a couple of years.
I like this scenario very much.
What about you?
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