Editor’s note: Although the goal here is to produce hydrogen, doing so with wind-generated power provides the cleanest complete cycle and then a way to store excess wind power so that the wind industry might say, “Goodbye curtailment”.
- DOE strategy includes all four major pathways, AEM/PEM, SEOC, STCH and PEC
- Proton team is given responsibility for AEM/PEM low-temperature electrolysis pathway
- Project to create best practices document and databases for advanced water splitting research
This project is a critical piece of DOE’s HydroGEN Energy Materials Network (EMN) consortium, which was launched to accelerate the discovery and development of materials for low cost hydrogen production.
Proton OnSite (Proton), a wholly owned subsidiary of Nel ASA, Oslo Norway has been awarded a contract for about $1.8 million to participate in the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Water Splitting Benchmarking Project. This is a critical piece of DOE’s HydroGEN Energy Materials Network (EMN) consortium, which was launched to accelerate the discovery and development of materials for low-cost hydrogen production, enabling energy storage, resiliency and economic opportunities across sectors.
Proton will work with DOE National Laboratories and lead a team to ensure that all experimental results across the water splitting research community are properly vetted, standards are set for comparison, and roadmaps are developed including research priorities and capability needs. Kathy Ayers, Proton’s Vice President of Research and Development, has been named overall project lead.
The DOE strategy includes all four major pathways: low-temperature anion exchange membrane (AEM) and proton exchange membrane (PEM), high-temperature solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC), solar thermochemical (STCH), and photoelectrochemical (PEC). Proton is directly responsible for the AEM and PEM pathway and will develop a series of Best Practice documents and databases for advanced water splitting research, and roadmaps for further development of each pathway. Deliverables include performance or thermodynamic benchmarks for new materials, plans for long-term stability assessments, and evaluation of device performance under real-world conditions.
“I am honored to lead this amazing team,” says Ayers, “and am proud that Proton was selected to work with the DOE on this project.”
This work is supported by DOE’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
For information on Proton OnSite, visit: http://ww2.protononsite.com/AdvancedWaterSplittingPR101317
Filed Under: Energy storage
