INL joins hydrogen production consortiums
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-The Idaho National Laboratory is now part of two new Department of Energy consortiums exploring new methods and technologies to produce hydrogen.
According to INL, hydrogen can be used to effectively store excess electricity, which can then be harvested later using fuel cells.
Gary Groenewold is leading the INL’s new H2NEW consortium in conjunction with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
It is advancing state-of-the-art hydrogen production using low temperature electrolysis and high-temperature electrolysis. Eventually, it will demonstrate large-scale, affordable electrolyzers. The devices use electricity to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. The goal is to do that at a cost of $2 per kilogram. Right now, it costs $5 to $6 per kilogram.
“DOE has a strong interest in hydrogen generation,” said Gary Groenewold, who is leading the lab’s involvement in the H2NEW consortium. “They’ve got technology they feel can be pushed from mid-range research to the pilot plant level.”
The second consortium is called HydroGen2.0. It will focus on facilitating collaborations between national laboratories, academia, and industry. There are six member labs, including INL, represented by Dr. Richard Boardman.
INL is widely known for its expertise in solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs). For years, INL researchers have experimented with solid oxide electrolysis stacks, splitting water molecules at lower temperatures and reducing stress on SOEC materials. In 2018, INL researcher Dong Ding and his colleagues demonstrated high-performance electrochemical hydrogen production at a lower temperature than seen before.
