Methanol to hydrogen: Can hydrogen energy be produced and used immediately?”

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Methanol to hydrogen: Can it achieve ‘on-demand’ hydrogen production? Author/Source: China Energy News Date: 2019-07-26 Clicks: 5 Currently considered a niche approach, methanol to hydrogen production aims to take advantage of its on-demand capability to become the hydrogen that is closest to end-users, thereby eliminating potential risks related to hydrogen waste at the source. However, as a non-mainstream technology, it faces challenges such as imperfect equipment manufacturing and supporting technologies. The numerous conversion steps it involves, as well as the resulting energy losses, are also heavily criticized. 　　“In the field of hydrogen production, China already has a relatively complete industrial chain, and the related technologies have become increasingly mature. The hydrogen production process is not our main focus; instead, we concentrate our efforts on fuel cell technology. ”This is a common planning approach among large domestic energy companies involved in the development of hydrogen energy. 　　“Is the domestic hydrogen production industry mature? We believe that this is precisely the key issue hindering the development of hydrogen energy. We are accustomed to large-scale hydrogen production methods such as those that use coal, but the hydrogen produced in this way ends up being too far away from the end users. ”These doubts about conventional hydrogen production methods come from the field of methanol-based hydrogen production. 　　What are the advantages of producing hydrogen from methanol? Can it truly address the challenges associated with large-scale hydrogen production using fossil fuels? Large-scale hydrogen production takes place far away from consumption sites; there are high hidden costs, and there is a risk of unused hydrogen. \"Just as we did in the past with the large-scale development of solar and wind energy, there was a lack of demand for electricity in the areas where these renewable energies were generated, which led to a significant amount of wasted wind and solar energy.\" If the development of hydrogen energy is not taken as a warning, there may also be a situation of abandoning hydrogen in the future. ”Xiang Hua, chairman of Guangdong Hejide Energy Technology Co., Ltd., believes that the large-scale hydrogen production methods currently in use in China, such as those based on coal or natural gas, involve significant hidden costs related to how hydrogen is utilized. “Large-scale hydrogen production technology may be relatively mature, but hydrogen produced and hydrogen consumed are two different things. ” 　　“Just in terms of shipping costs, the transportation expense per kilogram of hydrogen, from its production to delivery to the end consumer, is over 25 yuan. ”Xiang Hua pointed out that freight costs already account for a high proportion of the selling price of hydrogen. 　　Moreover, Liu Ke, a foreign member of the Australian Academy of Engineering and director of the Institute for Clean Energy at Southern University of Science and Technology, emphasized that the safety risks associated with hydrogen throughout its transportation from the point of production to the point of consumption cannot be ignored. “Hydrogen is the gas with the smallest molecules and is the most prone to leakage; over the past century, many safety accidents in refineries around the world have been caused by hydrogen leaks. An explosion will occur when the hydrogen content in the air is between 4% and 73%. The outdoor environment is relatively safe, but a leak or explosion in an underground garage can lead to devastating consequences. ” 　　“Methanol-to-hydrogen production involves the use of methanol and water to produce hydrogen through catalytic reforming, which is then used to generate electricity in fuel cells. In automotive applications, in simple terms, liquid methanol is added on one side, and it can be directly converted into hydrogen energy on the other side, which is then used to generate electricity to power the vehicle. ”Xiang Hua emphasized that, compared with conventional large-scale hydrogen production methods, methanol-based hydrogen production eliminates the need for storing and transporting hydrogen; it involves micro-scale hydrogen generation units that are located closest to consumers, allowing for immediate use of the produced hydrogen. 　　The more conversion steps there are, the greater the energy loss. However, in the end it is necessary to consider the overall efficiency of the entire process. \"In fact, when we entered the hydrogen energy sector, we conducted extensive market research and analysis. We were familiar with various methods for producing hydrogen, such as using coal, natural gas, renewable energy sources, water electrolysis, and methanol. As for producing hydrogen from methanol, we do not consider it to be the best solution.\" On the one hand, compared to hydrogen produced from coal, hydrogen production from methanol is not the mainstream approach, which means that the related equipment manufacturing and supporting technologies may not be as advanced as those used in the mainstream methods. On the other hand, when it comes to use in vehicles, methanol can itself serve as a source of energy; adding an additional step of hydrogen production inevitably results in energy losses. ”A responsible official from a large domestic energy company involved in the development and utilization of hydrogen energy explained to reporters the main reasons why their company did not choose methanol-based hydrogen production. 　　“With more steps, efficiency is bound to decrease, and this is a question I have been thinking about for a long time. ”In response to the doubts raised, Xiang Hua was straightforward: \"We still need to consider overall efficiency. For example, in the processes of producing hydrogen from coal or natural gas, coal and natural gas have to be transported, while as a liquid fuel, methanol is easier and more economical to transport than solid or gaseous forms.\" After a comprehensive consideration, methanol-based hydrogen production incurs energy losses during the manufacturing process, while other methods experience losses during transportation. ” 　　“There is energy loss in the methanol-to-hydrogen process, but other hydrogen production methods also incur losses. ”Liu Ke pointed out that the hydrogen in hydrogen refueling stations must be compressed to increase its energy density, and the containers used for storing compressed hydrogen also need to be made of expensive carbon fiber. “There is a lot of energy loss inherent in this entire series of processes. ” 　　In automotive applications, it is more practical to use methanol fuel directly. \"At the current stage, if we want to develop hydrogen energy, producing hydrogen from methanol allows for immediate use; from the perspectives of safety and practicality, this is a good option.\" ”However, when it comes to vehicle power sources, Liu Ke pointed out that at the current stage, using methanol directly as a drive source might be a more reasonable option. 　　“Methanol can be used in gasoline engines using the ignition method; although its efficiency is limited, by employing certain technical approaches we can enable methanol to be used in diesel engines via compression ignition, which significantly improves efficiency. Currently, American and Japanese gasoline-powered vehicles can travel 32 miles per gallon, while European diesel-powered vehicles can cover 81 miles per gallon. ” 　　Furthermore, Liu Ke pointed out that as a liquid fuel, methanol can make full use of the existing fuel infrastructure. “Throughout the gradual development of methanol diesel locomotives, the corresponding infrastructure can be improved and developed step by step on the existing basis. For example, a gas station currently has six gasoline tanks; as it develops further, it might have four gasoline tanks and two methanol tanks. Gradually, the liquid fuel infrastructure built at a cost of trillions of dollars by humanity can continue to be used, rather than investing blindly in hydrogen stations and charging stations. ” 　　“At this stage, if breakthroughs are achieved in fuel cell research and costs are significantly reduced, it will then be natural to develop fuel cell vehicles. ”