Innovating a new technology to produce green hydrogen

Weather of Arabia - The production of green hydrogen is an ideal solution for providing clean electricity and transmitting it effectively, in addition to its role as a fuel for cars and meeting the requirements of various types of industry. This low-carbon fuel can also be used in remote areas and for other industrial purposes by exploiting oxygen gas (the other component of hydrogen in the water molecule). ), in remote hospitals, and this reflects the great progress achieved by green hydrogen technology and its many opportunities to achieve environmental and economic sustainability in many regions.

Green hydrogen and sustainable electricity production

Green hydrogen production reflects an important realization of global research efforts seeking to devise economical means of producing this clean fuel, which is seen as the future of sustainable electricity according to a report published by CHEM EUROPE.COM; Due to its ability to:

• Achieving emissions-free industrial development
• And providing job opportunities
• And raise the level of skills
• And enhancing energy security
• It can contribute to enhancing global hydrogen trade and promoting economic diversification

Developing new technologies to produce green hydrogen with high efficiency

Researchers around the world are working hard to develop new ways to efficiently produce green hydrogen, a fuel that plays a vital role in reducing fossil fuel consumption. This is best achieved when hydrogen is produced using electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

Despite this, many current methods for producing green hydrogen remain commercially infeasible and very expensive, which limits its diffusion into various applications.

In this context, a team of researchers at the German University of Tübingen presented a new type of highly efficient solar panel. As it was able to produce green hydrogen in a decentralized manner, allowing it to be used in multiple industrial applications.

When hydrogen is produced using the electrolysis process of water using renewable energy sources, it is often referred to as “green hydrogen,” thanks to its environmentally friendly production method.

The notable advantage of these solar panels is that no external electrical circuit is required. This outperforms photovoltaic solar cells in terms of simplicity and efficiency. This innovative approach further draws attention to their technology and increased flexibility, making them perhaps more cost-effective. This impressive advance shows how Scientific research has achieved miraculous achievements in the field of hydrogen production techniques from water.

The most prominent challenges we face in developing green hydrogen production technology

Despite our great progress in developing green hydrogen production technology, the biggest challenge we face comes from the small crystalline defects that appear during the growth of the layers of solar panels, and these small crystalline defects lead to a change in the electronic structure of the system, which negatively affects its efficiency and stability, according to the team leader. Research at the University of Tübingen, Dr. Matthias May:

“Corrosion, which threatens the long-term stability of solar panels in water, remains the biggest challenge.”

May added:

“We have now achieved significant progress compared to our previous research,” in statements monitored by the specialized energy platform.

The new solar cell design is particularly innovative and efficient; As the efficiency rate of the cell indicates the percentage of electricity that can be generated from sunlight and converted into usable hydrogen energy, the research team achieved an efficiency rate of 18%, which is the second highest value ever recorded for analyzing water directly using electricity generated from solar panels.

It is worth noting that the first significant efficiency rate for water analysis using solar energy was announced in 1998 by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States, where it was 12% at that time. Then, we witnessed a noticeable increase in this rate, reaching 14% in 2015, then 19% in 2018.

The success of solar panel technology in producing green hydrogen

Several previous projects at other universities have demonstrated the potential for this solar panel technology to be a commercial success, even with some minor limitations during the green hydrogen production process.

Regarding this, the study's lead author, Erica Schmitt, noted:

“What we have developed here is a green hydrogen production technology that absolutely does not require a high-performance connection to the electricity grid, which means that small, independent, permanent solutions for electricity supply are also conceivable.”

In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), efforts have been brought together to embed innovations in the H2Demo project, and the next steps include improving long-term stability, switching to a more cost-efficient silicon-based material system, and increasing the scope of application to larger areas.

Also know:

Saudi Arabia announces the trial of the first hydrogen-powered train in the Middle East

Jordan is a center for green hydrogen export

Sources:

attaqa