UK Hydrogen Technology Developer Moves up the Value Chain
HPGS, the UK start-up developer of Electro Hydrogen Generation (EHG) Technology, today announced that it had been selected as the Hydrogen Technology Partner in a research collaboration agreement with the Universities of Nottingham, Newcastle & Reading, Mahle Powertrain Ltd and Shell UK Ltd.
The project will exploit the existing EHG technology for use across marine, road, rail transport systems together with Power Generation and Energy storage uses.
HGPS lead Scientist Professor Keith Scott said in a recent interview; “Using its Proprietary IP, HPGS has created and demonstrated a technology for indirect decomposition of water to form hydrogen. The process is compatible with renewable energy generation from offshore and onshore wind, wave power or solar to utilise excess electricity by creating hydrogen storage solutions. It can also access Gas Fired Power station waste energy streams to create hydrogen for co-firing, or on-site storage.”
The EHG technology enables conversion of mechanical energy into hydrogen via the decomposition of water in aqueous solutions, but without the need for electricity as part of the ‘cracking’ process, save for its rotational drive needs.
The technology operates at relatively low ambient temperatures, (30-40oC) with the heat required generated internally or from waste heat sources.
The EHG reactors generate hydrogen gas, readily purified for storage or transmission using established methods such as water removal.
The process avoids the requirement for gas separation membranes as used in both types of commercial PEM/Alkaline electrolysers. Additionally, no electrical power equipment (transformer/rectifiers) is needed, reducing the cost of ownership by a further 15%.
The technology offers a cost of ownership significantly lower than commercial electrolyser technologies that are commonly based on polymer membrane electrolytes and liquid alkaline diaphragm cell technology.
Cost of ownership for a 1MW system at 446 kg/h is 45-55% of that for an equivalent PEM system and Hydrogen production rates per unit area of electrolysis are very competitive when compared with alternative commercial electrolysers that use more complex electrodes. The EHG technology has an energy consumption which is comparable with the best values for other electrolysers, notably PEM and Alkaline electrolysis, with values of between 40-69 kWh/kg.
Hydrogen Power Generation Solutions Limited
HPGS, (formerly known as VN-HPG) is an SEIS & EIS funded, privately held UK company that has developed its unique EHG technology in-house over the last 8 years with the assistance of Nottingham University. It has built and tested 5-sequentially stage designed prototype devices to prove scalability.
Forecast demand for ‘Green Hydrogen’, as anticipated by both the US and European Governments, means production of conventional PEM or Alkaline Electrolysers will have to grow exponentially. This is unlikely to realise the cost reductions predicted by the manufacturers, but rather to significantly higher costs as a result of the increased use of precious metals in their manufacture, in-line with market demand.
However, unlike other electrolyser technologies the HPGS EHG reactors use low-cost, off-the-shelf materials and low-cost electrodes, delivering HGPS an opportunity to compete in the largest global Hydrogen market today, that of Steam Reformation. This market is currently valued at $117.4bn per annum.