Alternate Energy Sources

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Alternate Energy Sources; Hits: 129

How water could be the future of fuel. A new generation of fuels could power planes and ships without warming the planet. Washington Post Nicolás Rivero and Emily Wright Photos and videos by Mark Felix June 27, 2024 CORPUS CHRISTI, Tex. — The tangle of pipes at this industrial plant doesn’t stand out in this city built around the carbon-heavy business of pumping oil and refining it into fuel for planes, ships, trucks and cars. But this plant produces fuel from a different source, one that doesn’t belch greenhouse pollution: hydrogen. Specifically, hydrogen made from water using renewable electricity, also known as green hydrogen. This process could represent the biggest change in how fuel for planes, ships, trains and trucks is made since the first internal combustion engine fired up in the 19th century. In his 1874 science fiction novel “The Mysterious Island,” Jules Verne predicted that “water will be the coal of the future.” This plant, one of the first in the world to transform water into fuel, shows what that looks like on the ground today. Turning hydrogen into liquid fuel could help slash planet-warming pollution from heavy vehicles, cutting a key source of emissions that contribute to climate change. But to fulfill that promise, companies will have to build massive numbers of wind turbines and solar panels to power the energy-hungry process. Regulators will have to make sure hydrogen production doesn’t siphon green energy that could go towards cleaning up other sources of global warming gases, such as homes or factories. Although cars and light trucks are shifting to electric motors, other forms of transport will likely rely on some kind of liquid fuel for the foreseeable future. Batteries are too heavy for planes and too bulky for ships. Extended charging times could be an obstacle for long-haul trucks, and some rail lines may be too expensive to electrify. Together, these vehicles represent roughly half of emissions from transportation, the fourth-biggest source of greenhouse gases. To wean machines off oil, companies like Infinium, the owner of this plant, are starting to churn out hydrogen-based fuels that — in the best case — produce close to net zero emissions. They could also pave the way for a new technology, hydrogen fuel cells, to power planes, ships and trucks in the second half of this century. For now, these fuels are expensive and almost no one makes them, so the U.S. government, businesses and philanthropists including Bill Gates are investing billions of dollars to build up a hydrogen industry that could eventually cut some of the most stubborn, hard-to-remove carbon pollution.

Most scenarios for how the world could avoid the worst effects of climate change envision hydrogen cleaning up emissions in transportation, as well as in fertilizer production and steel and chemical refining. But if they’re not made with dedicated renewable energy, hydrogen-based fuels could generate even more pollution than regular diesel, creating a wasteful boondoggle that sets the world back in the fight against climate change. Their potential comes down to the way plants like this produce them. It’s now about three times cheaper to make hydrogen from fossil fuels than water. It’s not an entirely new idea: Scientists discovered how to do this in the 18th century. It’s now about three times cheaper to make hydrogen from fossil fuels than water. This is a simplified representation of the way most hydrogen is produced now: You take natural gas and heat it up to separate it into carbon and hydrogen Those leftover carbon atoms combine with oxygen to create carbon dioxide, which vents into the atmosphere. But to make green hydrogen, you take hydrogen from water and all you have left is pure oxygen. Why use hydrogen as a fuel? It’s the most abundant element in the universe and its molecules store a lot of energy. It takes a lot of energy to bind two hydrogen atoms into a molecule — and once they’re connected, the bond is very unstable. The hydrogen atoms are itching to break apart and release all their energy the moment there’s enough heat and oxygen to kick off a chemical reaction.Green hydrogen could also cut carbon pollution beyond transportation, as an ingredient in fertilizers or to refine steel, chemicals and oil. Today, making hydrogen out of fossil fuels for those industries generates 2 percent of global carbon emissions. Overall, plants that make hydrogen out of water — or make it out of fossil fuels and capture carbon — could cut 4 percent of global carbon emissions by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency, an advisory group that represents 44 countries.Experts say that for green hydrogen to be truly clean, it has to be made at a plant hooked up to its own dedicated wind turbines and solar panels, or follow strict rules for using newly added renewable electricity from the grid. ......read on https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/interactive/2024/green-hydrogen-water-clean-fuel-process/ .

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The project that will shape the way we travel in the future: this is the first photovoltaic highway in history: you can drive at 155 mph and recharge your car. Econews D. García 06/30/2024 For a long time, photovoltaic has been recognised as one of the most widely used energy sources, and when it comes to this energy alternative in the automotive world, it is typically used to generate electricity in tunnels and manage roadside rest areas. However, one project in particular is emerging as the first photovoltaic highway with the promise of taking this technology far beyond its conventional applications. The project that will shape the way we travel in the future: this is the first photovoltaic highway.......At the forefront of this exploration is a project sponsored by the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT), which is taking photovoltaics to new heights by implementing them in an unprecedented way on roads. This Austrian-born initiative not only represents a significant breakthrough in the application of solar energy, but also promises to maximise its benefits in a revolutionary way.The AIT team is leading this project with the aim of transforming conventional road infrastructure into a smart and sustainable network, where every stretch of road serves not only for transport, but also as an active source of clean and renewable energy generation for the benefit of electric car drivers travelling on the infrastructure. Financial support for the PV-SÜD project comes from a multifaceted collaboration including the German Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the German Federal Ministry of Transport and the Swiss Federal Road Office. Here are some facts to consider in the development of this project.......In the initial stage of this ambitious project, the aim is to realise an innovative solar roof design that not only harnesses the sun’s energy, but also ensures optimal protection and functionality. The meticulous selection of modules and structures will be carried out with the primary objective of guaranteeing maximum resistance to any environmental conflicts that may arise in the area......read on https://www.ecoticias.com/en/photovoltaic-highway-history/2812/

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Finland finds the fuel of the future and beats hydrogen: sci-fi four-stroke engine. D. García 06/17/2024 in ECNews-Mobility

America has EVs and Japan has hydrogen, but Finland has developed something better but can it work?The fuel of the future could well be hydrogen, which emits only water vapor for a reason. However, Japan was not going to be the only country to develop it, now that they have stiff competition. Finland has just discovered an even better fuel that we don’t even know about in America and that we are now going to explore. This is the sci-fi four-stroke engine that could revolutionize the world’s roads.

It is a welcome prospect for Finland to have shifted to ammonia as a substitute for hydrogen as it moves closer to adoption of cleaner energy sources. They mention that their approach solves several problems related to hydrogen, and these are storage, transportation, and hydrogen’s explosive nature. Hydrogen is the most well-known ingredient of ammonia and the latter, primarily associated with fertilizers, has now evolved itself as a feasible option for overcoming the hurdles that come along the way with use of hydrogen. The key advantages of using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier include:

High Density: Indeed, ammonia has a higher hydrogen density as compared to that of the gaseous hydrogen; thereby making ammonia to be much more convenient to store and transport as a source of hydrogen. This also allows for the storage and transportation of more hydrogen in a given smaller volume.
Existing Infrastructure Utilisation: One of the major strengths can be mentioned here is the ability to utilize the current infrastructure used in ammonia production and distribution. Thus, transition from fossil fuels is easier than existing ammonia production and distribution infrastructure.
Global Accessibility: Ammonia is one of the most widely traded chemical products in the global market thus the market channels for this chemical are well developed. As such it makes it a light carrier for hydrogen to enhance its international mobility for trade and cooperation.
Hydrogen solutions via ammonia have been a notable area of advancement for the Finnish economy. For example, Wärtsilä, an international engineering company from Finland has introduced the first 4-stroke ammonia engine.

This is regarded as the greatest breakthrough of change in making the energy generation process much more environmentally friendly since ammonia may be used as a fuel source for heavy-duty engines. Moreover, there are currently ongoing projects for the hydrogen economy in Finland also such as green ammonia.For example, Flexens Oy Ab and KIP Infra Oy have produced a whitepaper for green hydrogen and ammonia production at Kokkola Industrial Park with an electrolyzer size of 300MW. It is similar to a project from Malaysia to develop green ammonia, but only for vessels.....read on https://www.ecoticias.com/en/ammonia-fuel-hydrogen-engine/3167/

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ALTERNATE ENERGY SOURCES Will hydrogen overtake batteries in the race for zero-emission cars? Guardian Jasper Jolly Tue 13 Feb 2024

Hydrogen is a beguiling substance: the lightest element. When it reacts with oxygen it produces only water and releases abundant energy. The invisible gas looks like a clean fuel of the future. Some of the world’s top automotive executives are hoping it will dethrone the battery as the technology of choice for zero-emissions driving. Our EV mythbusters series has looked at concerns ranging from car fires to battery mining, range anxiety to cost concerns and carbon footprints. Many critics of electric vehicles argue that we should not ditch petrol and diesel engines. This article asks: could hydrogen offer a third way and overtake the battery?

The claim......Many of the strongest claims for hydrogen’s role in the automotive world come from chief executives at the heart of the industry. Japan’s Toyota is the most vocal proponent of hydrogen, and its chair, Akio Toyoda, last month said he believed the share of battery cars would peak at 30%, with hydrogen and internal combustion engines making up the rest. Toyota’s Mirai is one of the only hydrogen-powered cars that is widely available, alongside the Nexo SUV from South Korea’s Hyundai.

Oliver Zipse, the boss of the German manufacturer BMW, said last year: “Hydrogen is the missing piece in the jigsaw when it comes to emission-free mobility.” BMW may be investing heavily in battery technology but the company has its BMW iX5 Hydrogen fuel cell car in testing – albeit using Toyota fuel cells. Zipse said: “One technology on its own will not be enough to enable climate-neutral mobility worldwide.”

The science.....Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe but that does not mean it is easy to come by on Earth. Most pure hydrogen today is made by splitting carbon from methane, but that produces carbon emissions. Zero-emissions “green hydrogen” comes from electrolysis: using clean electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. To use hydrogen as a fuel it can be burned, or it can be used in a fuel cell: the hydrogen reacts with the oxygen from the air in the presence of a catalyst (often made from expensive platinum). That strips electrons that can run through an electric circuit, charging a battery that can power an electric motor.Hydrogen offers refuelling in four minutes, higher payloads and longer range, according to Jean-Michel Billig, the chief technology officer for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle development at Stellantis. (The Mirai goes 400 miles on a fill-up.) Stellantis, which last month started production of hydrogen vans in France and Poland, is targeting businesses that want vehicles in constant use and do not want the downtime required for charging.

“They need to be on the roads,” Billig said. “A taxi not running is losing money.” Stellantis thinks it can drive the sticker price down. Billig said that he expected by the “end of this decade, hydrogen mobility or BEV will be equivalent from a cost perspective” – although the company will make both. Many energy experts do not share the enthusiasm of the hydrogen carmakers. The Tesla boss Elon Musk describes the tech as “fool sells”: why use green electricity to make hydrogen when you can use that same electricity to power the car? Every transformation of energy involves wasted heat. That means that hydrogen fuels inevitably deliver less energy to the vehicle. (Those losses increase much further if the hydrogen is burned directly or used to make e-fuels that can replace petrol or diesel in a noisy, hot internal combustion engine.) David Cebon, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Cambridge, said: “If you use green hydrogen it takes about three times more electricity to make the hydrogen to power a car than it does just to charge a battery.”That could improve slightly but not enough to challenge batteries. “It’s difficult to do very much better,” Cebon said.......read on https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/feb/13/will-hydrogen-overtake-batteries-in-the-race-for-zero-emission-cars

Details: Written by: Glenn and Rick; Category: Alternate Energy Sources; Hits: 126

Green Hydrogen’s Hype Hits Some Very Expensive Hurdles. Forbes Alan Ohnsman, April 16 2024 Clean hydrogen has been heralded as a carbon-free fuel that’s key to efforts to remediate the climate crisis. It would help clean up dirty industries like chemical and steel production, be a source of clean transportation fuel and help the U.S. hit a goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. But getting things started isn’t going so well.After years of hype, fundraising, and billions of dollars of federal support to get a green hydrogen market off the ground, there’s growing pessimism over how fast the carbon-free fuel can ramp up. Frustrated by proposed guidelines for a crucial government incentive that they deem too strict, companies including ExxonMobil and Plug Power are threatening to scrub or delay big hydrogen projects. “Two years ago this was super-hyped. It was like, everybody's exuberant,” Raffi Garabedian, CEO of Electric Hydrogen, told Forbes. “What’s happened is people started realizing, ‘Oh, shit, this thing I've been talking about for a while — the hype-to-reality ratio — projects aren't getting built. I wonder why? People have started realizing this is really hard.” Clean hydrogen — particularly the “green” variety made from just water and renewable electricity — is central to the Biden Administration’s strategy for slashing carbon pollution. But proposed rules for a tax credit worth up to $3 a kilogram to offset the fuel’s higher production costs favor projects that rely on new renewable (or nuclear) power sources, which raises the cost substantially. Garabedian is fine with that, but some competitors say it’ll keep the price of green hydrogen too high. And ExxonMobil is unhappy that its approach — making hydrogen from natural gas but capturing the CO2 before it can escape into the atmosphere — probably won’t get the full credit.

Dirty hydrogen can be made for $1.06/kilogram. Green hydrogen costs up to four times as much. As with other low-carbon technologies, including solar panels, wind turbines and electric car batteries that had to conquer early high costs, clean hydrogen has to get cheaper to be competitive and impactful. But getting even to cost parity with the dirty industrial variety made from natural gas won’t be easy — it’s made for as little as $1.06 a kilogram. Green hydrogen costs about four times as much. Clean hydrogen — particularly the “green” variety made from just water and renewable electricity — is central to the Biden Administration’s strategy for slashing carbon pollution. By the end of the decade, industry researcher Wood Mckenzie estimates clean hydrogen production could grow to about 14 million tons, from essentially nothing now. It’s an amount that would mark the start of critical mass for the fuel. But that’s about 1 million tons less than it had previously anticipated in late 2023.....read on https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2024/04/16/green-hydrogens-hype-hits-some-very-expensive-hurdles/?sh=73b104436e57&utm_medium=browser_notifications&utm_source=pushly&utm_campaign=4551622

How Water could be the Future of Fuel.

This is the First Photovoltaic Highway in History

Finland finds the Fuel of the Future and beats Hydrogen: sci-fi Four-stroke Engine. But Can It Work

Will Hydrogen Overtake Batteries in the Race for Zero-emission Cars?

Green Hydrogen’s Hype Hits Some Very Expensive Hurdles.

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