H2 Production: Likat in Rostock Develops More Efficient Process

The production of hydrogen from electricity through the detour of methanation could become significantly more energy-efficient in the future. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (Likat) in Rostock have achieved a breakthrough in reconversion technology, according to the industry portal International Economic Forum on Regenerative Energies (IWR). The scientists have developed and tested a method by which methanol can be converted into hydrogen at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius. This so-called cascade process was already researched in 2013 as a possible efficient reconversion method by Likat scientists, as reported by the International Economic Forum on Regenerative Energies (IWR). It is still unclear when the process will leave the laboratories. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) expressed optimism and has invested around 1.8 million euros in research to date.

High pressure and temperature, moderate energy balance

So far, it has been a problem that high pressure and temperatures of several hundred degrees were required for the conversion of methanol into hydrogen from electricity, such as that from wind turbines or other renewable energy sources. This electricity is used to electrolytically produce hydrogen from water, which can then be converted into methanol with carbon dioxide. Methanol is the simplest member of the alcohol group and acts as a practical storage medium for hydrogen, according to IWR.

“Unlike hydrogen, methanol is easy to handle and can also be transported over long distances," explains Dr. Henrik Junge, project manager at Likat, to IWR.

When needed, methanol is reconverted into hydrogen and used immediately in a fuel cell to generate electricity. According to IWR, the previous process made general application "little attractive", especially since the hydrogen had to meet a certain purity level.

The new cascade process now enables the reconversion of methanol into hydrogen under "mild" conditions. In 2013, Likat researchers described in the journal Nature how they were able to generate hydrogen and carbon dioxide from an aqueous methanol solution under mild conditions below one hundred degrees Celsius using a ruthenium catalyst. This reaction needed to be optimized.

Practical test in Erlangen positive

The successful practical test in Erlangen at the Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) adapted the bi-catalyst for a continuous process in the test facility, which the research consortium from Metha-Cycle ultimately used to demonstrate the functionality of the concept. The test facility at the Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) Erlangen-Nuremberg demonstrated the functionality of the concept in spring 2020 with nearly 500 hours of runtime. The fuel cell, developed by the Center for Fuel Cell Technology (ZBT) Duisburg, continuously produced electricity with a power output of up to 39 watts, according to IWR.