[{"command":"settings","settings":{"ajaxPageState":{"theme":"hm_theme","theme_token":"vlUHcghq8a5y_r7pu2FcGk-_1Is1wa-D37NwMfLCy-I","libraries":"eJwDAAAAAAE"},"ajaxTrustedUrl":{"form_action_p_pvdeGsVG5zNF_XLGPTvYSKCf43t8qZYSwcfZl2uzM":true},"pluralDelimiter":"\u0003","user":{"uid":0,"permissionsHash":"2af85631393b514cbde3779a1f71d92618d53b94b54ea1960d28b2e2d121ff12"}},"merge":true},{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6939\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EHydrogen use doesn\u2019t emit carbon but its production often does. That could soon change\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy generating hydrogen from electrolysis, biogas, or within solar reactors, these scientists are hoping to encourage the uptake of a clean hydrogen economy. In such an economy, hydrogen would be used to store the energy from renewables during periods of peak production, and then release it as electricity whenever \u2013 and wherever \u2013 demand is high.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The production of hydrogen from processes with a low or zero carbon-footprint is at the core of developing the hydrogen economy,\u2019 says Dr Souzana Lorentzou of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas in Greece, and\u0026nbsp;the scientist responsible for a project called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/rcn\/111501_en.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EHYDROSOL-PLANT\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGreen fuel \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHydrogen ticks a lot of boxes as a green fuel and energy carrier. It is carbon-free, non-toxic, and can be used to generate heat or electricity wherever it is needed \u2013\u0026nbsp;at fixed locations such as homes, or in electric vehicles \u2013 leaving behind only water vapour as a by-product.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe trouble is how to make it in the first place. Most hydrogen today is generated by heating coal and natural gas with steam, but that process emits a lot of carbon dioxide, nullifying hydrogen\u2019s eco-credentials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018The production of hydrogen from processes with a low or zero carbon-footprint is at the core of developing the hydrogen economy.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Souzana Lorentzu, chemical engineer, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Greece\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ideal solution would be to generate hydrogen at the site of other renewables, such as wind farms and solar arrays when they are generating enough energy. Besides giving hydrogen the green stamp of approval, this would provide a convenient back-up source of energy when there isn\u2019t any wind, or the sun doesn\u2019t shine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe project involves generating hydrogen inside a solar tower, which receives sunlight concentrated by about 100 mirrors angled around it. Such towers normally produce electricity by heating water to drive a steam turbine, but Dr Lorentzou and her colleagues have instead been using the heat to drive a chemical reaction that splits water into its constituent elements, oxygen and hydrogen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHighest temperatures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaking this reaction feasible at anything but the highest temperatures involves the use of a metal oxide, which in the past was ground up into a powder. Dr Lorentzou and her colleagues have instead opted to craft the metal oxide in big monoliths composed of networks of channels and pores, which they believe will be more effective.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn earlier work, the researchers successfully demonstrated in the lab that hydrogen can be generated by concentrated sunlight in this way. They have gradually scaled up their experiments from a few to several hundred kilowatts in thermal power.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Scaling up things is inherently challenging, (as) a process that has been optimised and operates successfully at the laboratory scale may turn (out) to be unsuccessful or problematic at the larger scale, and (thus) require redesigning,\u2019 Dr Lorentzou said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost recently, the researchers attempted to repeat their success in a real-world scenario for the first time by adapting an existing solar tower, the Plataforma Solar de Almeria in Spain, to their needs. They managed to produce some hydrogen, but not as much as they had hoped, because they could not generate sufficiently high temperatures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The result gives a taste of the potential of the process which, although promising, needs further development,\u2019 Dr Lorentzou said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn any case, not everywhere is sunny enough to make hydrogen in this way.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Debora Fino of the Politecnico di Torino in Italy believes that biogas \u2013 the gas produced by decomposing organic waste, composed mostly of methane \u2013 is a strong alternative.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a process known as oxy steam reforming, biogas can be turned into hydrogen in the presence of heat and steam, similarly to how hydrogen is already generated from fossil fuels. Unlike the fossil-fuel method, however, oxy steam reforming relies on an ecological source, and a lot of the heat is generated by itself as the biogas oxidises.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe challenge is to design a commercial system that is efficient and sufficiently compact that it can be installed wherever biogas is readily available. In their current project, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/rcn\/207658_en.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EBioRoburplus\u003C\/a\u003E, Prof. Fino and colleagues are going some way to achieving this with a pre-commercial device, whose efficiency is boosted with high thermal integration and purified gas streams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHopefully, says Prof. Fino, they will be able to demonstrate that hydrogen can be generated efficiently from biogas in a compact device, to help usher in the hydrogen economy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Although,\u2019 she adds, \u2018there is still a necessity for (this) production technology to be made economically feasible.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHydrogen territory\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022 class=\u0022@alignleft@\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022If a self-contained hydrogen territory can be successfully established on Orkney, researchers want to roll it out to other islands. Image credit - BIG HIT\u0022 height=\u0022933\u0022 src=\u0022\/research-and-innovation\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/Bighit%20APRIL2018-01_crp_sm.jpg\u0022 title=\u0022If a self-contained hydrogen territory can be successfully established on Orkney, researchers want to roll it out to other islands. Image credit - BIG HIT\u0022 width=\u00221250\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022tw-italic tw-mb-4\u0022\u003EIf a self-contained hydrogen territory can be successfully established on Orkney, researchers want to roll it out to other islands. Image credit - BIG HIT\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, a small, self-contained hydrogen economy \u2013\u0026nbsp;what some prefer to call a hydrogen territory \u2013 is already under development, in the Orkney Islands of Scotland through a project called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/rcn\/204424_en.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EBIG HIT\u003C\/a\u003E. There is so much wind and tidal energy available that the excess is already being used to generate hydrogen, via a process known as electrolysis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn electrolysis, water can be directly split into oxygen and hydrogen by running an electric current through it. Both the islands of Eday and Shapinsay in Orkney have electrolysers - one megawatt and half a megawatt capacity, respectively - connected to their wind and tidal generators, and the resultant hydrogen is stored in high-pressure mobile\u0026nbsp;containers which are then transported by boat to Mainland, Orkney.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce there, the hydrogen can be converted back into either heat or electricity for the harbour buildings, or for powering a fleet of zero-emission hydrogen vehicles. Work started in July on a project called \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/rcn\/216017_en.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EHySeas III\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to build the first \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/rcn\/216017_en.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Esea-going ferry\u003C\/a\u003E to be powered by clean hydrogen. Some 50 tonnes of Orkney hydrogen is expected to be produced and combusted each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The work in the Orkney Islands has been recognised as one of the leading examples of the hydrogen territory approach,\u2019 says Dr Nigel Holmes, the CEO of the Scottish Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association, a partner on the project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe principal challenge of BIG HIT is getting all the different elements across the entire hydrogen value chain - supply, distribution and end-use - to work together and in synchrony - a first for anywhere in Europe. Production must be coordinated with the renewable resource availability and hydrogen demand. There also has to be suitable transport and places to store the hydrogen when it\u2019s not in use.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA lot of the infrastructure is already in place, and the remainder should be in place by early next year, says Dr Holmes. If it all goes to plan, the project partners want to export what they have learned to other small islands and remote territories, starting with Malta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018To start off with, it\u2019s likely that these other projects will be of a similar size to what we have in Orkney,\u2019 says Dr Holmes. \u2018But we\u2019re actively working with other European regions and developing a sustainable business model that can be scaled-up and replicated to larger regions as well.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003EWhat are the main sources of hydrogen today?\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EUntil clean hydrogen can be scaled up, producing hydrogen \u2013 which in itself is a zero carbon emission fuel or energy carrier \u2013 remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Today, there are three main sources of hydrogen:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENatural gas\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen the methane in natural gas is heated, the molecules split into carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The carbon monoxide can then be treated to produce water gas, from which hydrogen can be extracted.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOil\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOil can either go through the same process as natural gas or, if it\u2019s heavy fuel oil, can be turned into hydrogen via partial oxidation. This involves using high pressures and temperatures to oxidate the oil which, in turn, produces a synthesis gas partially made of hydrogen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECoal\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECoal can also be turned into gas, and during the process its molecules are broken down into their hydrogen and carbon monoxide parts.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-kqc4ygkki6aqmyjdfpqrnxqhv-b-yozeexcbflytu-4\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-Kqc4yGKki6AQMyJDFpqrnxqHv-B-YOzEEXCBfLYTu-4\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]