Advanced BioFuels USA

by Lexy Hamilton-Smith  (ABC News)  Two cars powered by hydrogen derived from ammonia will be tested in Brisbane today thanks to a Queensland breakthrough that CSIRO researchers say could turn Australia into a renewable energy superpower.

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For the past decade, researchers have worked on producing ultra-high purity hydrogen using a unique membrane technology.

The membrane breakthrough will allow hydrogen to be safely transported and used as a mass production energy source.

“We are certainly the first to demonstrate the production of very clean hydrogen from ammonia,” Dr Dolan said.

“Today is the very first time in the world that hydrogen cars have been fuelled with a fuel derived from ammonia — carbon-free fuel.”

Program leader David Harris said Australia has a huge source of renewable energy — sunlight and wind — that can be utilised to produce hydrogen.

But the highly flammable element is difficult to ship long distances because of its low density.

CSIRO researchers found a way to turn Australian-made hydrogen into ammonia, meaning it could be shipped safely to the mass market of Asia.

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It is converted back into hydrogen using their membrane, then pumped into hydrogen-powered cars.

As of now, there are only five such cars in Australia, but there are tens of thousands across Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

“The key here is we can transport the hydrogen from the place where it is produced from renewable energy — let’s say maybe that is in outback WA — and we can ship that form of ammonia anywhere in the world,” Dr Harris said. 

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Hyundai spokesman Scott Nargar said the main advantage of hydrogen over electric cars was they could be filled up in three minutes like a normal car and had a range of up to 800 kilometres.

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“Working in and out of South Korea quite regularly, I know Hyundai has a massive contract to provide hydrogen buses to the Korean Government.

“It just announced 16,000 hydrogen-powered cars will go on the road and 310 hydrogen refilling stations across the country under a five-year plan.

“They need to power those cars from somewhere so why can’t it be renewable hydrogen from Australia?”   READ MORE includes VIDEO

Australian scientists may have solved one of the biggest problems holding back hydrogen-powered cars (Business Insider Australia)

Ammonia-derived hydrogen fuel road-tested in a world’s first (New Atlas)

Missing link for solar hydrogen is… ammonia? (Solar Paces/Phys.Org)

CSIRO hydrogen breakthrough ignites fuel cell car potential (Cars Guide)

Hydrogen car future needs federal funding for fuel stations, car makers say (ABC News)

Excerpt from ABC News:  ‘Hydrogen fuel is energy and water intensive’
But University of Queensland civil engineering research fellow Dr Jake Whitehead sounded a note of caution about the efficiency of hydrogen cars.

“The main challenge with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is they are extremely energy and water intensive,” he said.

“You’re looking at the equivalent of more than $2 per litre compared to $1.50-$1.60 for petrol and diesel at the moment, or for a battery electric vehicle as little as little as 40c.”   READ MORE