Hydrogen plays a key role in reducing greenhouse gases, improving carbon footprints, and achieving many sustainability goals. Research and process optimization are essential in order to successfully overcome the many challenges associated with a sustainable hydrogen economy.
In future, the economy will be dependent on hydrogen. Besides efficient production and storage, the most important individual steps here are transportation, recovery, and the direct or indirect use of hydrogen. Each of these process steps involves a number of challenges. Many of the technologies required are currently either too expensive, many years away from market maturity, or not yet in development at all.
For example, the question of how hydrogen can be produced cost-effectively remains unanswered. Distinctions are currently still being made between a whole host of different routes: Green hydrogen, for example, is produced via water electrolysis using renewable electricity. Turquoise H2, on the other hand, is the product of methane pyrolysis, while blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas, with the CO2 that is formed in the process being captured and stored. However, there are also numerous other processes for hydrogen production that differ markedly in terms of cost, carbon footprint, and market readiness.
Another important task is developing safe and efficient storage technologies and transportation systems. These then allow H2 to be produced in locations with abundant renewable resources and subsequently transported to areas where it is actually needed but where the resources required for H2 production are not available in adequate quantities or are simply too expensive. A whole range of technologies is also available here, including chemical storage of hydrogen in the form of methane, methanol, ammonia, or in liquid organic hydrogen carriers, known as LOHCs.
Another question is how the existing infrastructure can be used or adapted for hydrogen. For example, hydrogen can be recovered at the point of consumption using various processes, such as ammonia cracking, dehydrogenating LOHCs, or reforming methanol/methane.
Many hydrogen-related conversion processes are either not yet ready for market or still too cost-intensive. However, advances in catalyst development and process optimization are constantly delivering improvements in this area.
At the same time, new hydrogen-oriented processes are constantly being developed in order to meet the ambitious sustainability goals of both companies and countries, as the majority of required technologies simply do not yet exist.
At hte, we are the world’s leading provider of solutions for lab-scale R&D workflows. We also have extensive application knowledge in the production, storage, transport, recovery, and both direct and indirect use of hydrogen. This includes:
We successfully master demanding processes for our customers across the globe. These include high-temperature processes, such as methane pyrolysis, or combinations of high pressures and temperatures, for example in ammonia cracking.
We also use our established technology platform for applications in the fields of electrolysis and fuel cells, such as water electrolysis, in co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2 or other organic materials, as well as for fuel cell applications.
Accelerate your research with our laboratory systems: We offer you a wide range of test systems for your lab.
Work with us and achieve high-quality results quickly: We offer you various research services in our laboratory with more than 50 test systems.
Work with us to overcome your challenges: With our comprehensive lab-scale R&D workflows, we accelerate your process development and evaluation of new raw materials.
Publication
Presentation of the high-throughput platform for innovative testing in the field of electrochemistry. In a case study, we describe how the technology can be used to improve an electrochemical process. We also explain the advantages of using high-throughput methods in the field of electrochemistry.
