Perovskite materials may hold the key to renewable hydrogen production.
A team of researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have analysed an emerging water-splitting technology called solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) production, which could prove to be a more energy-efficient way of producing hydrogen than the commonly used electrolysis method.
Electrolysis needs electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. In contrast, STCH relies on a two-step chemical process in which metal oxides are exposed to temperatures greater than 1,400°C and then re-oxidised with steam at lower temperatures to produce hydrogen.
Hydrogen has emerged as an important carrier to store energy generated by renewable resources.
Hydrogen is strongly considered to be a viable substitute for fossil fuels used in the production of ammonia in the transport sector and for other industrial applications. The US government also holds high hopes regarding...