By: Franyi Sarmiento, Ph.D., Inspenet, June 13, 2022
Japanese industrial machinery maker Ebara is working on a new method to produce “turquoise” hydrogen, a potentially emissions-free version of the fuel, with the goal of commercializing it around 2026 to take advantage of the global drive toward decarbonization.
Most of the hydrogen produced is extracted from fossil fuel sources through a process that is extremely carbon polluted.
But turquoise hydrogen is produced from the methane contained in natural gas and biogas through a breakdown process called pyrolysis. The carbon produced in the process is in a solid form, which means it is not released into the atmosphere.
The Tokyo-based company has partnered with the National Institute of Materials Science, Shizuoka University and materials manufacturer Taiyo Koko. The project has been commissioned by the Japanese government-backed New Energy and Industrial Technologies Development Organization.
The current method extracts both hydrogen and carbon in the same reactor. Ebara intends to mine them separately, so he can get different types of solid carbon without affecting hydrogen production. A large-scale trial will begin as early as next spring.
Solid carbon can be used in a variety of applications, from carbon black to reinforce tires to carbon fibers for cars and aircraft.
“We are considering partnering with carbon manufacturers as our goal is to start selling high-quality solid carbon,” said Shinya Yoshihama, Ebara’s marketing manager.
Hydrogen production can also be classified as “green”, generating the fuel using renewable energy sources, or “blue”, which involves extraction from fossil fuels and uses carbon capture and storage technology to mitigate emissions.
Green hydrogen production does not generate carbon dioxide, but is expensive due to the amount of energy required, while the difficulty of carbon storage facilities remains an obstacle for blue hydrogen.
Turquoise hydrogen has drawn attention as a cheaper option for making the fuel without carbon emissions, depending on the source of the electricity used in methane heating.
Ebara, which makes pumps and other equipment for hydrogen systems, launched a hydrogen business project in August last year directly supervised by the company’s president. He sees turquoise hydrogen as key to his goal of contributing to a “sustainable society.”
This material from the EcoInventos Portal was edited for clarity, style and length.
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