A group of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have made an accidental discovery that could transform the production of hydrogen, a crucial element for the energy transition.
By conducting water electrolysis experiments, they found that the efficiency of this process, which separates hydrogen from oxygen, could be significantly increased if light was allowed to enter the system.
This discovery could significantly reduce the energy cost of hydrogen, an essential fuel for a sustainable future.
A chance discovery in the dark
The team led by Xue Jun Min, a researcher at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NUS and lead author of the discovery, was working with a nickel oxyhydroxide catalytic material in their electrolysis experiments . Normally, the laboratory lights were on 24 hours a day.
However, an unexpected power outage changed the course of their research. When they returned to the lab, they noticed that the material’s performance decreased significantly in the dark.
They then investigated further and discovered that light, surprisingly, influenced the effectiveness of the material, something that had never been observed before.
According to Mr. Xue, “the scientific literature indicates that this type of material should not be sensitive to light. But our experiment showed the opposite: light changes the properties of the material, which significantly improves the efficiency of water electrolysis.
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The key: integrating light into the process
This discovery led researchers to rethink the design of a more efficient electrolysis system. They proposed that the water cells used in the process be transparent to allow natural light to penetrate. This would not only reduce energy consumption, but also speed up hydrogen production.
“With this new technique, we can produce more hydrogen in less time and with less energy,” Xue explained. This approach could revolutionise the hydrogen industry, making hydrogen production more sustainable and cost-effective.
Hydrogen is seen as a key fuel for the future, capable of powering everything from cars to aircraft, and storing energy produced from renewable sources. However, producing green hydrogen, which does not generate polluting emissions, has historically been expensive and reliant on fossil fuels.
The NUS team’s discovery and results, published in the journal Nature, could be an important step in reducing these costs. Currently, most hydrogen is produced by methods that emit large amounts of CO₂.
A report from the International Energy Agency states that 96% of the hydrogen produced worldwide comes from processes that use fossil fuels. Reducing reliance on these methods is essential to achieving global climate goals.
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The path to more affordable hydrogen
The U.S. Department of Energy has set an ambitious goal: to reduce the cost of green hydrogen to $1 per kilogram over the next ten years. Thanks to breakthroughs like the Singapore discovery, that goal could be closer than previously thought.
In addition, other countries are making significant progress. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, countries like Spain, China and Chile are leading the race to produce low-cost green hydrogen.
China, for example, is expected to be able to reduce the cost of production to just $0.65 per kilogram, while Spain could reach $0.80 per kilogram by 2050. The NUS team’s serendipitous discovery could have profound implications for the future of clean energy. If implemented on a large scale, the technique could significantly reduce the cost of producing green hydrogen, accelerating the transition to a more sustainable, zero-emission world.
With rapid advances in technology and increasing investment in renewable energy,
hydrogen could play a key rolein achieving global climate goals.