NewHydrogen explores lowering green hydrogen costs
NewHydrogen research is focused on cutting the cost of producing hydrogen from renewable sources.
NewHydrogen, Inc. has disclosed some information from its sponsored research program at UCLA, which aimed to lower the cost of producing green hydrogen.
NewHydrogen’ research aims to replace iridium with much more stable non-precious metal-based oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts that are economical as well as do not need to be replaced often.
Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers require high-cost catalysts that use rare earth metals such as iridium. Besides the high costs, these materials also need to be replaced quite often.
On the other hand, the materials required for alkaline electrolysers are relatively inexpensive compared to those for PEM electrolysers.
Having said that, the alkaline electrolyser technology is less efficient than that of PEM electrolysers, which needs comparatively large machinery to produce an equivalent amount of hydrogen.
Anion exchange membrane (AEM) based electrolysis system goal is to combine alkaline electrolysers’ cost savings with PEM’s performance. NewHydrogen is also developing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts for use with AEM electrolysers.
NewHydrogen works towards the DOE goal to slash the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1/kg in a decade.
Dr David Lee, NewHydrogen’s CEO, said, “One kilogram of hydrogen has the same energy potential as a gallon of gasoline, but hydrogen has the advantage of simply turning into water vapor when used as fuel.”
