Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) has had its researchers investigating how to separate high-purity hydrogen from a variety of mixed gases over the years.  Recently they have joined much of the energy community in noting the beneficial H2 storage capacity of NH3 (remember, it can store H2 in 17.6% of its molecular weight!).  CSIRO’s most recent and innovative contribution is the development of a thin metal membrane that can separate H2 from NH3 used as a H2 carrier.  Green Car Congress has summarized their process and use of the membrane as follows:

“The renewable hydrogen would first be converted to ammonia (in combination with nitrogen produced in a renewables-driven air separation unit), then be exported piggybacking on the existing transport infrastructure for ammonia, and finally be extracted from the ammonia using the membrane system…”

CSIRO hopes to use this new technology in a variety of applications, noting particularly its potential for use in vehicles.  With regards to the latter, this membrane technology has the potential to be used modularly and thus the ability to be a component of refueling stations. 

The organization is now in the early steps of a two-year project that aims show the potential of their membrane in a hydrogen production system.  They have a goal of obtaining at least 5 kg/day of hydrogen directly—all from ammonia directly.  Wow!
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As might be expected there is widespread support for their technology and its implementation, with a recent grant of $1.7 million from SIEF and positive feedback from BOC, Hyundai, Toyota, and Renewable Hydrogen Pty Ltd.  While no one can know the future of energy, it appears that everything is coming up ammonia.

Rural Africa and other areas historically “off the grid” skipped over the landline telephone and moved into mobile phone technology.  Steve Hodgson, a Contributing Editor at Decentralized Energy, has suggested in a recent article that this innovative model might be in action again—and this time it’s with energy.

US-based companies such as Capstone and Aggreko have recently been manufacturing and distributing units for decentralized power in Mali and Eritrea, respectively, and expect that other communities in West Africa and around the globe will soon follow suit.  Why wouldn’t they, when the Capstone turbine (butane-based) provided to Mali produces enough electrical power to independently support a small community?  Furthermore, Aggreko’s solar-diesel power generators provided to mines in Eritrea will, over a 10-year period of installation, generate capacity with efficiency and remote monitoring.  In fact, according to Aggreko this type of decentralized power is particularly promising because it can be the cheapest and most reliable method for all mines, not just those off the grid.

Government authorities and agencies also show support of decentralized power.  For example, Kenya’s Rural Electrification Authority has pledged $2 billion to 450 new mini-grids powered by solar and other renewables “as part of a project to bring power to off-grid parts of the country.”  Additionally, USAID has promised $4 million of funding to off-grid solar projects in sub-Saharan Africa, with the hopes that it will allow the local developers’ projects to move from the planning stage to the action stage.
Hodgon’s conclusion is particularly intriguing:

Decentralized energy has been identified as one of the most important ways to meet the United Nations goal of ending energy poverty by 2030 – only local energy initiatives can reach the rural poor cost-effectively and in a hurry. Diesel-solar hybrid schemes may not be green enough for some, but decentralized generation is the best way to take power to the rural poor and to remote businesses in Africa.

Indeed, it appears that some of the greatest energy innovation is taking place in Africa.  The rest of the world could benefit from looking to these leaders and considering a decentralized approach to energy.
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Of the 10 themes in the Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP), one of particular interest to AHEAD is “Energy Carriers” and currently being explored in Japan.  This SIP project aims to develop a realized version of the fantasy that is a hydrogen society, thus reducing CO2 emissions.  As described in a recent SIP publication, “‘[E]nergy carriers’ is the method to efficiently store and transport hydrogen as liquid.”  Such storage and transportation is important due to that in its normal, gaseous state, H2 is dangerous and difficult to handle. 

So why Japan?  Isn’t reducing CO2 emissions a global issue?  Absolutely.  However, Japan is poor in energy resources and needs a low-carbon society to successfully move forward and ultimately become a leader in energy.  They, like many, see the great promise of hydrogen energy and hope that this SIP program allows them to research and overcome the common issues of technology, high cost, and safety with regards to H2. 

Here is their succinct vision: “Realize the world’s first new type low carbon society utilizing hydrogen in Japan by 2030 and be a role model in the world.”  Plus, among the several goals spread out between 2015 and 2030, the Program Director of Energy Carriers especially notes:

“I would like to demonstrate the hydrogen technologies developed for production, transportation, storage and utilization as tangible results at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games…It is not only a demonstration as a showcase but also aims to be a big first step toward hydrogen society in Japan…I have a confidence that hydrogen energy would contribute to the attractive urban development.”
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Good work so far, Energy Carriers!  Attached is the full publication released by SIP on this project.

​He, T., Pei, Q., & Chen, P. (2015). Liquid organic hydrogen carriers. Journal of Energy Chemistry, 24(5), 587–594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jechem.2015.08.007

Hydrogen Production from Ammonia for Next Generation Carbon-Free Energy Technologies. (2017, May 5). Retrieved May 9, 2017, from http://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=656

Kariya, N., Fukuoka, A., & Ichikawa, M. (2002). Efficient evolution of hydrogen from liquid cycloalkanes over Pt-containing catalysts supported on active carbons under “wet–dry multiphase conditions.” Applied Catalysis A: General, 233(1–2), 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-860X(02)00139-4

Wang, W., Herreros, J. M., Tsolakis, A., & York, A. P. E. (2013). Ammonia as hydrogen carrier for transportation; investigation of the ammonia exhaust gas fuel reforming. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 38(23), 9907–9917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.05.144

Yolcular, S., & Olgun, Ö. (2008). Ni/Al2O3 catalysts and their activity in dehydrogenation of methylcyclohexane for hydrogen production. Catalysis Today, 138(3–4), 198–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cattod.2008.07.020