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,” affirmed 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. The technique has a relatively small carbon impact as a result.
“Si+ is the first distributable, long-duration energy storage material of grid parity. According to Albert Lau, CEO of EAT, “it represents a significant breakthrough in green hydrogen energy and will make hydrogen fuel the fuel of the future.”
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. The only silicon used in it is metallurgical grade, which can be obtained from sand combined with a carbon source or recycled silicon from damaged or obsolete solar panels, which are currently destined to be disposed of in a landfill. This innovation has significant implications for hydrogen transport.
Our work with hydrogen
Under UH2‘s guidance, green hydrogen can be produced through carbon-free electrolysis and distributed, stored, and utilized in steel production, building heating, or fuel cells for vehicles and ships.
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In Canada, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, and Brazil, we are presently working on H2 and NH3 projects.
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