Affordable hydrogen fuel from water
Polymer exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a technology that uses electricity to produce hydrogen and oxygen from water. It is currently expensive and energy intensive which has limited its use commercially. The EU-funded 'Sustainable hydrogen generation' (SUSHGEN) project aimed to improve PEMWE technologies by developing and testing a number of new materials. Several new membranes were produced that can function at higher temperatures than conventional PEMWE membranes (above 150 degrees Celsius) which has potential gains in efficiency and cost of hydrogen generation. Researchers evaluated these membranes in a functional PEMWE cell, identifying those that performed better than conventional ones. Project members also compared novel electrocatalysts to their traditional platinum-based counterparts. Iridium oxide catalysts showed promise for PEMWE applications as they were stable at high temperatures. SUSHGEN also provided training for 10 researchers. This included three workshops, two short-term training schools and an international conference. The work of SUSHGEN will stimulate progress in the field of hydrogen fuel production. In addition, the project has furthered the careers of the researchers involved, through both training and research.
Keywords
Hydrogen, polymer exchange membrane water electrolysis, membranes, electrocatalysts
