A recent research stated the possibility to produce large amounts of ultra-pure green hydrogen fuel on demand in order to make hydrogen transport and storage safer.
Renewable energy company EPRO Advance Technology announced a breakthrough in the hydrogen industry. The research that makes hydrogen transport and storage a safer task, involves the use of a porous silicon material which is known as Si+, a silicon-based powder that acts as a solid-state H2.
“The revolutionary porous silicon material, known as Si+, has the ability to generate ultra-pure hydrogen from a water source and acts as a solid-state hydrogen generating material – one that is compact, robust, and easily transportable – solving many of the issues that have inhibited the growth of the hydrogen economy,” states EPRO Advance Technology.
Si+ can be used as the anode of lithium-ion batteries to increase the battery capacity. However, it is not widely used due to poor performance under the constraints of current technology:
- Large particle volume expansion (300%) during lithiation
- Particle pulverization
- Structural collapse of electrode
- Poor cycle performance
Si+ can also be used to generate hydrogen, when reacted to water. From there, the usable pure hydrogen fuel begins to bubble out of the combination. This process will occur at a wide range of ambient temperatures, from 0º to 80ºC. The biproduct of the reaction is hydrogen but also silicon dioxide, which is the primary substance comprising sand. The former biproduct can be used as a zero-carbon emission fuel, while the latter can be used in construction, to create artificial beaches or for use in playgrounds for children. As a result, the carbon footprint of the process is very low.
“Si+ is the first distributable, long-duration energy storage material of grid parity. It represents a significant breakthrough of green hydrogen energy, and it will make hydrogen fuel the future”, say Albert Lau, EAT CEO.
The company also explained that, unlike other solid-state hydrogen compounds, Si+ doesn’t store hydrogen, making it ultra-safe compared with other ‘hydrogen fuel carrying’ materials. It also consists merely of metallurgical grade silicon, which can be sourced from sand together with a carbon source, but also from recycled silicon from broken or end-of-life solar panels, which currently are likely to end up in a landfill.
Our work with hydrogen
UH2 works with solutions for production of green hydrogen, through electrolysis with zero carbon emissions, to then be stored and distributed, so it can be used to heat buildings, manufacture steel or go into fuel cells for trucks and ships.
Able to provide the full project needs, we strive to add value through rapid acquisitions in strategic locations, implementing ongoing technology improvements and innovative solutions, as well as creating bankable value chains.
We are currently developing H2 and NH3 projects in Canada, Sweden, Spain, Portugal and Brazil.
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