AIChE to lead new hydrogen electrolyzer and fuel cell recycling consortium
17 March 2024
The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $750 million in funding for 52 projects across 24 states to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen selected and reinforce American leadership in the growing hydrogen industry. (Earlier post.) Among the recipients, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) was selected to lead H2CIRC, a new recovery and recycling consortium charged with developing innovative and practical approaches to enable the recovery, recycling, and reuse of materials and components for hydrogen fuel cells and electrolyzers.
This development will be supported by federal funding to be awarded to AIChE for the Hydrogen Electrolyzer and Fuel Cell Recycling Consortium, which totals $50 million over five years.
Additional DOE funding is being awarded for projects including low-cost, high-throughput electrolyzer manufacturing; electrolyzer component and supply chain development; advanced technology and component development; advanced manufacturing of fuel cell assemblies and stacks; and fuel cell supply chain development.
H2CIRC includes partners across the value chain of electrolyzers and fuel cells: Accelera by Cummins; Delaware State University; General Motors, LLC; Heraeus Precious Metals; Johnson Matthey; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Nel Hydrogen; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Plug Power; The Chemours Company; University of Delaware; University of Houston; and Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
AIChE and its consortium partners will establish a blueprint across the industry for recycling electrolyzer and fuel cell systems and components, aimed at securing long-term supply chain security and environmental sustainability.
The DOE’s announcement represents the first phase of implementation of two provisions of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which authorizes $1 billion for research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) activities to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen produced via electrolysis and $500 million for research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) of improved processes and technologies for manufacturing and recycling clean hydrogen systems and materials.
https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/transport/chinas-largest-green-hydrogen-refuelling-station-is-selling-h2-at-a-seventh-of-the-cost-of-the-fuel-in-california/2-1-1613409
' The largest integrated green hydrogen production and refuelling complex in China is able to supply hydrogen at 35 yuan per kilo ($4.86/kg), near cost parity with diesel, according to reporting by the Chinese newspaper Hunan Daily.
Unlike the vast majority of China's hydrogen refuelling stations, engineering firm Sany’s filling spot in the city of Changsha, Hunan province, which entered into a testing phase this week, produces its own H2 onsite via alkaline electrolysers, thus avoiding transportation costs.'
Posted by: Davemart | 18 March 2024 at 06:56 AM
A PEM electrolyzer takes about 60 kilowatt hours of electricity per kilogram of hydrogen a solid oxide electrolyzer takes about 40 kilowatt hours per kilogram of hydrogen when you use external heat, electrolysis process is endothermic, it requires heat to be more efficient.
Posted by: SJC | 18 March 2024 at 07:14 AM
@SJC
They are using an alkaline electrolyser, not PEM, as my link specifies.
Efficiencies are similar, and your 60KWh/Kg is on the high side:
' As the best knowledge of the authors and the availability of data, Table B.1 in supplementary file is provided. The reported range of energy consumption is 42.2–65.6 kWh/kg of hydrogen which is generally higher than the experimental values represented in Fig. 2, Fig. 3. This difference might be due to various characteristics of stack, scaling and balance of plant, and the system efficiency. The average energy consumption for PEM technology and alkaline technologies is 53 and 54.7 kWh/kg, respectively.'
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360319923018189
Posted by: Davemart | 18 March 2024 at 09:41 AM
Dave,
This article is talking about recycling fuel cells, not any particular technology. Presumably they're trying to recapture the platinum. Platinum is used in PEM and alkaline there, is no platinum used in solid oxide fuel cells. It's not only the most efficient but the most cost effective, that is my point.
Posted by: SJC | 18 March 2024 at 05:09 PM