[Reading Science] Fuel Cell Cars with Formic Acid? ... How Far Has Hydrogen Technology Come?

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Unlike fossil fuels, which are the main cause of climate change, hydrogen emits no greenhouse gases or fine dust, making it a key element of renewable energy. Countries around the world are promoting hydrogen as a means to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

The Korean government also positioned hydrogen at the center of its Korean-style Green New Deal policy after enacting the Hydrogen Act in January last year. President Moon Jae-in’s attendance at the green hydrogen production offshore plant development event held at Ulsan Hyundai Heavy Industries on the 6th was to encourage this initiative. The government aims to produce 6.2 million hydrogen vehicles, establish 1,200 hydrogen charging stations, and produce 15GW of fuel cells for power generation by 2040. It is truly an era where the development of technologies for producing, storing, and transporting hydrogen is crucial. Coincidentally, on the 3rd, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) showcased hydrogen-related technologies currently under development and entering the commercialization stage to the media.

◇ Ammonia, a treasure trove of hydrogen

When ammonia (NH3) is decomposed, nitrogen and hydrogen are produced. Ammonia can be the most efficient means of transporting hydrogen imported from overseas to Korea. Since Korea lacks natural renewable energy production resources such as sunlight and wind, hydrogen imports from abroad are expected to be inevitable. Therefore, technologies for decomposing, storing, and transporting hydrogen from ammonia are predicted to be actively utilized after the 2030s.

Accordingly, the KIST research team developed a high-efficiency ammonia hydrogen extraction catalyst. It is a catalyst (Ru/La-Al2O3) where ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles are fixed on a lanthanum (La)-doped alumina (Al2O3) support. KIST verified 99.7% efficiency at 475 degrees Celsius and transferred the technology to Wonik Materials last year. This company has currently established a system capable of producing 500 kg of hydrogen per day and is conducting safety and optimization work. For example, this amount is sufficient for 100 hydrogen vehicles that require 5 kg each at a hydrogen charging station.

However, there is still a limitation in that ammonia is not officially recognized as a hydrogen production method under the Hydrogen Act. Nevertheless, revisions to the law are being pursued by the National Assembly, academia, and industry, so it is predicted that commercialization after 2030 will not face significant obstacles.

◇ Lowering catalyst costs

A technology for manufacturing ultra-fine precious metal nanoparticles was also introduced. In short, it is a technology to produce uniformly sized precious metal particles. Expensive rare metals such as platinum are used as catalysts for hydrogen production, and when the catalyst metal particles are small and uniform, reactivity increases, significantly improving the efficiency of conversion to hydrogen. This was the motivation behind the technology.

KIST did not disclose detailed technical information but stated that their manufacturing method can process various precious metal particles used as catalysts to a uniform size of 0.2 nanometers (nm). This technology was also transferred to a private company, Kumyang Co., Ltd., for a technology fee of 1 billion KRW, and the company is currently establishing a subsidiary to promote commercialization.

◇ Fuel cell vehicles using formic acid (methanoic acid)

A technology to capture carbon dioxide (CO2), the main component of greenhouse gases, and produce formic acid (HCO2H) for industrial raw materials was also showcased. The principle is that when CO2 is mixed with an amine absorbent (NR3) and placed in a TBR reactor containing a porous catalyst, formic acid is produced. Korea is currently the first in the world to develop this technology and is leading the field. KIST has established a pilot plant for producing 10 kg per day and is conducting test operations for optimization. Additionally, a company called Patec has acquired the technology and is promoting the construction of a facility capable of producing 100 kg per day. Formic acid, also known as methanoic acid, can be used as a liquid hydrogen fuel, enabling the development of formic acid fuel cell vehicles. It can also be used to manufacture formamide, methyl formate, formaldehyde, and can serve as an eco-friendly calcium formate (a desiccant) that can replace calcium chloride. Producing 1 ton of formic acid can reduce 1 ton of carbon dioxide.

◇ Recycling 'troublesome' wind turbine blades

KIST also introduced a technology to recycle glass fiber and carbon fiber, whose usage is increasing. Carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRP) are used in automobiles, wind turbine blades, aircraft materials, etc., and their usage is increasing, but recycling is difficult, causing problems. Especially as wind power gains attention as renewable energy, it is expected that by 2050, 43 million tons of wind turbine blade waste will be generated worldwide. Currently, there is no recycling technology domestically, and all scraps generated during manufacturing processes are landfilled. Denmark recycles wind turbine blades using thermal incineration, but this has side effects such as toxic gas and carbon dioxide emissions. Some blades are recycled as insulation materials, but due to technical difficulties and low economic feasibility, results are unsatisfactory.

In response, the KIST research team developed a chemical decomposition method using water and transferred the technology to a private company, Cartech H, to promote commercialization. By processing calcium and hydrogen mixed in water at temperatures below 80-100 degrees Celsius, carbon fibers can be restored to a pre-processing state suitable for recycling with an efficiency of over 95%. Moreover, energy consumption is low, and economic feasibility is secured at a cost of about 1,500 KRW per kilogram.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.