38 Analytical Instrumentation


carbon storage costs worldwide, all while maintaining its status as a self-sustaining carbon capture, transport, and storage facility, independent of government support.


Furthermore, the Polaris project aligns with Horisont Energi’s “Barents Blue” initiative, a separate full-scale production plant focused on manufacturing blue ammonia16


. Blue ammonia is


produced using a similar steam methane reformation process and serves as an effi cient means of storing blue hydrogen17


. Once


the ammonia reaches its destination, it is easily reconverted to blue hydrogen and used as fuel17


. This integrated approach allows


the company to utilise its carbon capture facility to produce blue hydrogen and transport it with minimal environmental impact. Any excess carbon dioxide can be conveniently stored in saline aquifers beneath the Barents Sea facility18


.


The Polaris Carbon Storage Project is an ambitious undertaking that has garnered global support during its construction phase. In a recent development, PGNiG Upstream Norway (PUN), a subsidiary of Poland’s state-controlled petroleum refi nery group ORLEN, announced its intention to join the project as a partner on September 5th of this year19


. This partnership underscores


the sustained interest in the facility’s potential. If completed, the Polaris Carbon Storage Project has the potential to signifi cantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously providing a substantial supply of renewable hydrogen fuel to facilities worldwide.


Hydrogen From Wastewater


In a pioneering move, the Indian startup Ossus Biorenewables has introduced a device known as the OB Hydracel, designed to harness intelligent microbial communities for synthesising green hydrogen from wastewater20


. This innovation is set to be


self-sustaining, non-intrusive, and retrofi t-friendly, meant to be directly attached to effl uent pipelines for maximum effi ciency. To produce hydrogen, the Hydracel leverages microbes present in wastewater as catalysts, targeting specifi c chemical compounds within the waste and converting them into hydrogen gas through electrodes, as shown in Figure 520


.


To showcase the capabilities of the Hydracel, the startup conducted a notable study in 2020. In this study, the team retrofi tted an Indian naval vessel with the Hydracel to facilitate onboard hydrogen gas production as an auxiliary fuel source. The experiment proved highly successful, with measurements of anticipated wastewater content aligning well with energy generation. The vessel maintained effi cient operation without compromising maneuverability or safety. The researchers extended their fi ndings to discuss the potential for retrofi tting commercial ships with the Hydracel, recognising that the quality of effl uents in wastewater can vary signifi cantly depending on vessel types and conditions.


Following this study, Ossus Biorenewables garnered substantial recognition and funding. On April 5th, 2023, the company secured $2.4 million in funding from Gruhas Proptech and Rainmatter Climate21


. This infusion of capital will further propel


the development of the Hydracel, enabling its broader application across various sectors, including the food, brewing, and pharmaceutical industries. The realsation of a fully functional OB Hydracel could revolutionise traditional production methods by harnessing waste and refuse as catalysts for green hydrogen production. This advancement promises to make hydrogen production more sustainable and accessible, paving the way for a greener and more effi cient future.


Conclusion:


From new electrolysis methods to innovative hydrogen storage solutions to entirely novel pathways for synthesising hydrogen, it is clear that the development of hydrogen fuels is as rapid as it is branching. Discoveries are constantly breaking new ground in this fi eld; however, more work must be done to integrate these fi ndings into workable technologies. Still, the future of hydrogen fuels is very bright, and every color of hydrogen will undoubtedly fi nd many new advancements and innovations in the years to come.


References:


1. Auto Body Review. “Innovator of the Combustion Engine: François Isaac de Rivaz.” [Online]. Available: https://www. autobody-review.com/shop/i14490/auto-fx/article/3865/ innovator-of-the-combustion-engine-franois-isaac-de-rivaz


2. Benson, Claire. “The Legacy of the Hindenburg Disaster.” [Online]. Available: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/ the-legacy-of-the-hindenburg-disaster/3007067.article


3. International Energy Agency. “The Future of Hydrogen.” [Online]. Available: https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-hydrogen


4. Azlan, Farazuddin. “Exploring the Different Types of Hydrogen: From Grey to Green, Turquoise, and Brown - A Comprehensive Guide to Clean Energy Sources.” [Online]. Available: https:// www.linkedin.com/pulse/exploring-different-types-hydrogen- from-grey-green-turquoise-azlan


5. Technology Wealth. “Alchemr (World’s First 50 kW AEM Electrolysis.)” [Online]. Available: https://technologywealth. com/startups/alchemr/


6. World Economic Forum. “What is Green Hydrogen and Why do We Need It? An Expert Explains.” [Online]. Available: https:// www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/12/what-is-green-hydrogen- expert-explains-benefi ts/


7. Grigoriev, Sergey A. “Alkaline Electrolysers,” [Online]. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/alkaline- electrolysers


8. Rao LT, et al. “Portable Paper‐Based Hydrogen Fuel Cell with Automated Pencil‐Stroked Electrodes: Development, Analysis, and Performance Investigation.” International Journal of Energy Research. 2022;46(15):24008-24020. doi:10.1002/ er.8699. [Online]. Available: https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com. proxy.library.stonybrook.edu/doi/full/10.1002/er.8699


9. Zhang X, et al. “Solar‐Driven Reversible Hydrogen Storage.” Advanced Materials (Weinheim). 2023;35(2):e2206946-n/a. doi:10.1002/adma.202206946. [Online]. Available:


https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.proxy.library.stonybrook.edu/doi/ full/10.1002/adma.202206946


10. Eberle U, et al. “Chemical and Physical Solutions for Hydrogen Storage.” Angewandte Chemie (International ed). 2009;48(36):6608-6630. doi:10.1002/anie.200806293. [Online]. Available: https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.proxy.library. stonybrook.edu/doi/10.1002/anie.200806293


11. H. Wang, et al. “Tuning kinetics and thermodynamics of hydrogen storage in light metal element based systems – A review of recent progress.” [Online]. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0925838815313463?pes=vor


12. National Grid. “The Hydrogen Colour Spectrum.” [Online]. Available: https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy- explained/hydrogen-colour-spectrum


13. Horisont Energi. “Our Projects.” [Online]. Available: https:// horisontenergi.no/


14. Baker Hughes. “Baker Hughes and Horisont Energi Sign MoU for Groundbreaking Offshore Barents Sea Carbon Capture, Transport and Storage Project.” [Online]. Available: https://investors.bakerhughes.com/news-releases/news- release-details/baker-hughes-and-horisont-energi-sign-mou- groundbreaking


15. Horisont Energi. “Polaris.” [Online]. Available: https:// horisontenergi.no/projects/polaris/


16. Horisont Energi. “Barents Blue.” [Online]. Available: https:// horisontenergi.no/projects/barents-blue/


17. Gnana, Jennifer. “What is Blue Ammonia?” [Online]. Available: https://www.thenationalnews.com/business/energy/what-is- blue-ammonia-1.1229125


18. Baker Hughes. “Update on Collaboration Efforts with Horisont Energi.” [Online]. Available: https://www.bakerhughes.com/ update-collaboration-efforts-horisont-energi


19. Energy-Pedia. “Norway: Horisont Energi Intends to Partner With PGNiG Upstream Norway as Operator in The Barents Sea CO2 Licence – Polaris.” [Online]. Available: https://www. energy-pedia.com/news/norway/horisont-energi-intends-


Authors


Dr. Raj Shah is a Director at Koehler Instrument Company in New York, where he has worked for the last 28 years. He is an elected Fellow by his peers at IChemE, CMI, STLE, AIC, NLGI, INSTMC, Institute of Physics, The Energy Institute and The Royal Society of Chemistry. An ASTM Eagle award recipient, Dr. Shah recently coedited the bestseller, “Fuels and Lubricants handbook”, details of which are available at ASTM’s Long-Awaited Fuels and Lubricants Handbook 2nd Edition Now Available (https://bit.ly/3u2e6GY). He earned his doctorate in Chemical Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University and is a Fellow from The Chartered Management Institute, London. Dr. Shah is also a Chartered Scientist with the Science Council, a Chartered Petroleum Engineer with the Energy Institute and a Chartered Engineer with the Engineering council, UK. Dr. Shah was recently granted the honourifi c of “Eminent engineer” with Tau beta Pi, the largest engineering society in the USA. He is on the Advisory board of directors at Farmingdale university (Mechanical Technology) , Auburn Univ (Tribology), SUNY, Farmingdale, (Engineering Management) and State university of NY, Stony Brook (Chemical engineering/ Material Science and engineering). An Adjunct Professor at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, in the Department of Material Science and Chemical engineering, Raj also has over 575 publications and has been active in the energy industry for over 3 decades. More information on Raj can be found at https://bit.ly/3QvfaLX


Contact: rshah@koehlerinstrument.com


Mr. Beau Eng is part of a thriving internship program at Koehler Instrument company in Holtsville, and is a student of Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook university, Long island, where Dr.’s Shah and Mittal are on the External Advisory Board of Directors.


Dr. Vikram Mittal, is an Associate Professor at the United States


Military Academy in the Department of Systems Engineering. He earned his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he researched the relevancy of the octane number in modern engines. His current research interests include various energy technologies, system design, model-based systems engineering and modern engine technologies. He has numerous publications in various peer reviewed journals


Beau Eng Vikram Mittal


to-partner-with-pgnig-upstream-norway-as-operator-in-the- barents-sea-co2-licence-%E2%80%93-polaris-192570


20. Suhail Basha, K, Swaroop Sinduluri, S, & Rao,. (2020, October 5). OB HydraCel Bioelectrolyzer: Retrofi ttable device for hydrogen generation as auxiliary power onboard ships. https://doi.org/10.24868/issn.2515-818X.2020.031. [Online]. Available: https://zenodo.org/record/4486836


21. The Economic Times. “Ossus Biorenewables raises $2.4 million in funding from Nikhil Kamath’s Gruhas, Rainmatter Climate.” [Online]. Available: https://economictimes.indiatimes. com/tech/funding/ossus-biorenewables-raises-2-4-million- in-funding-from-nikhil-kamaths-gruhas-rainmatter-climate/ articleshow/99269809.cms?from=mdr


Author Contact Details Dr. Raj Shah, Koehler Instrument Company • Holtsvile, NY11742 USA • Email: rshah@koehlerinstrument.com • Web: www.koehlerinstrument.com


PIN OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2023


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