New Catalyst Cuts The Cost Of Green Hydrogen

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The US government has turned tail and run away from the challenges of the global green hydrogen market, but private sector and academic hydrogen innovators are still on task. One recent development involves the indefatigable US startup Plug Power. The company has been working with the Dutch firm VSParticle and the University of Delaware to cut the cost of the highly efficient but expensive iridium-based catalyst that splits hydrogen gas from water, and the three-part collaboration has something to show for their efforts.

Say It, Don’t Spray It

For those of you new to the topic, hydrogen is a ubiquitous industrial input with a load of carbon baggage. Practically all of the global hydrogen supply is currently extracted from natural gas, with coal also chipping in. Those fossil sources are finally beginning to lose their grip as alternative pathways emerge.

Much of the investor activity is focused on green hydrogen, which refers to hydrogen pushed from water with an electrical current. Ideally, the electricity is sourced from wind, solar, or other renewables. Nuclear advocates are also jockeying for a seat at the table.

The VSParticle team has developed a new, high efficiency catalyst that uses 90% less iridium than standard catalysts. They also applied a dry process to fabricate their new catalyst, bypassing the conventional method of spray deposition.

“Our dry deposition process isn’t just an alternative to spray coating; it’s a fundamental redesign of how we manufacture electrode that uses iridium with near-optimal efficiency,” explains VSParticle CEO Aaike van Vugt. “This is the missing link the industry has been searching for to scale PEM electrolysis to the multi-gigawatt level without facing an iridium shortage.”

Iridium is among the most rare and expensive members of the platinum group of metals, weighing in at about $160 per gram. The hunt is on for less expensive catalysts, but it’s tough to beat the ability of iridium to survive the challenging environment of today’s PEM (proton exchange membrane) electrolyzers.

Until researchers resolve those challenges, reducing the amount of iridium is the handiest way to cut the cost of producing green hydrogen.

The ultimate goal is to compete against conventional hydrogen sourced from natural gas or coal. VSParticle states that the new collaboration has resulted in a “viable pathway” towards just $1.00 per kilogram for green hydrogen, not only meeting but beating the average cost of fossil sourced hydrogen, estimated by the International Energy Agency at $1.50-$2.50 per kilogram.

Green Hydrogen Is Coming For Your Fossil Fuels

With dry deposition in hand, the VSParticle team reported that they achieve a high rate of efficiency while using just .4 milligrams of iridium per square centimeter, compared to the 1-2 milligrams typical of spray-coated catalysts.

The team also noted that the dry deposition method eliminates the need for PFAS-based polymers or solvents, referring to the “forever” group of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

The linchpin of the catalyst is a uniform, nanoporous structure — basically, a high tech sponge — that expands the available surface area of the iridium. As additional benefits, the new catalyst provides for a simplified manufacturing process and a more efficient recycling process, too.

VSParticle does not intend to let the green hydrogen grass grow under its feet. Regardless of the ups and downs of the global green hydrogen market, the company states that it plans to develop enough in-house manufacturing capacity to supply its new catalyst for pilot and early stage commercial projects. Citing the interest of “multiple top-tier PEM electrolyzer manufacturers,” VSParticle also notes that several projects are already slated to get under way next year.

Green Hydrogen & Texas

Of course, no story about green hydrogen would be complete without a mention of Texas, where an abundance of wind and solar resources are available to support electrolyzer systems, along with a sprawling network of existing energy infrastructure including seaport facilities.

A research team based at Rice University in Houston has been hammering away at the iridium problem along the same lines as the VSParticle team, in collaboration with the Italian firm De Nora. They, too, have reported significant results.

For complete details, check out the Rice study in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, under the title, “Low-iridium stabilized ruthenium oxide anode catalyst for durable proton-exchange membrane water electrolysis.” The communications department at Rice also offers this handy explainer:

“Their innovation — an iridium-stabilized ruthenium oxide catalyst that uses just one-sixth as much iridium as conventional systems — maintains industrial-level performance for more than 1,500 hours of continuous operation.”

“This is a significant step toward making green hydrogen more accessible and scalable,” adds Rice associate professor Haotian Wang. “By reducing iridium use by over 80%, we’re addressing one of the biggest economic and supply chain bottlenecks in the hydrogen economy.”

If you caught that thing about a ruthenium oxide, that’s the key. Ruthenium has surfaced in other studies as a less expensive alternative to iridium (here’s one example). The new Rice catalyst structure cuts costs by deploying a ruthenium oxide in a lattice structure, while ensuring durability by embedding iridium atoms within the structure.

“This arrangement provides stability from beneath the surface, an unexpected discovery that allowed the researchers to achieve durable performance with far less iridium,” Rice explains.

Meanwhile, Over In The USA…

The US government has punted on green hydrogen, but that’s not the end of the game. Other countries, notably China, are already in position to pick up the ball. China is a particularly interesting case because, in addition to its own copious resources, the country has been establishing a green hydrogen outpost in Europe.

Markets in Africa are also in play. In September, the Chinese firm Longi Green Energy announced an agreement to supply its electrolyzer equipment for a green hydrogen project in Nambia.

On October 14, the company also let word slip that its new “Hyblock” prefabricated electrolyzer system can cut installation timelines by 40% compared to conventional systems, while reducing capital costs by 35%.

Activity is also moving forward in Saudi Arabia, where ambitious plans to establish the technologically advanced megacity Neom (this place) are already in motion.

Back in 2021, De Nora drew attention to its role in manufacturing the cells and electrodes in to supply the launch a new green hydrogen production facility in Neom, billed as the largest of its kind (De Nora has since affirmed that its electrolyzer parts are manufactured in Germany and it is not involved in the construction of the facility as a whole, which has been accused of migrant worker abuse).

Japan’s longstanding support for the sparkling green hydrogen economy of the future also continues apace, with Toyota playing a leading role.

In Korea, KHNP Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) has launched an initiative aimed at deploying nuclear energy to run electrolyzer systems. The firm firm recently hosted a demonstration and workshop on the topic, in partnership with the Electric Power Research Institute.

EPRI, a US-based organization with a global reach, sent a team from its Low-Carbon Resources Initiative to the workshop. LCRI does not eliminate fossil energy from its 2505 carbon neutral planning scenario, but it does advocate for a broad range of solutions with renewable energy among the “key building blocks” alongside energy storage and nuclear energy.

Circling back around to the US, keep an eye out for news about the firm Ecolectro, a green hydrogen innovator that deploys electrolyzer technology licensed from Cornell University. Ecolectro is backed by the Toyota Ventures branch of Toyota, among others. In May, the company announced a partnership with the firm Re:Build Manufacturing, aimed at getting its electrolyzer factories up and running in New York and Pennsylvania.

Photo: A new, low-iridium catalyst aims for a sharp reduction in the cost of green hydrogen, helping to push natural gas and coal out of the hydrogen supply chain (cropped, courtesy of VSParticle).