hydrogen

the first large pure hydrogen turbine to fight renewable waste

by

Talking about renewable energies is talking about China. Although they continue to burn coal and gas and want to become an oil power, the country is positioning itself as the major player in renewables. Also of the ‘megastructures’. And, combining both, we have Jupiter I. It is the first 30 MW class turbine in the world that works with pure hydrogen, it has just been launched. light and they aspire for it to be the solution to one of the biggest renewable energy problems. Take advantage of surplus energy. Jupiter I. Like practically everything that has to do with energy and China, the numbers of this plant are, to say the least, striking. Now we will get into the fact that it is the first 30 MW class turbine that runs on pure hydrogen. There are others in the world that operate in pilot mode on a scale of 5 or 10 MW, but they are natural gas turbines that have been converted. Jupiter I has been designed from the ground up as a pure hydrogen machine that, in combined cycle mode, can generate 48 MWh. It is estimated that it is enough to satisfy the daily demand of more than 5,500 homes. Those responsible for the turbine they claim that the machine “can use more than 30,000 m³ of hydrogen per hour, which calculated annually is the equivalent of 500 million kWh.” In perspectiveit’s like filling the gigantic Hindenburg airship 25 times every hour. And the key to this is that it is electricity stored in the form of hydrogen pure hydrogen. Although it has not fully caught on in sectors such as utility vehicles, hydrogen has the potential to be one of the fuels that helps achieve decarbonization objectives. It all depends on its color: green is achieved through renewable energy and black through burning coal, for example. Turbines are classified according to the type of fuel they burn and the percentage of hydrogen in the mixture. There are those that use only up to 20% H2, others that use 50% H2 and those that use pure hydrogen, which operate entirely with this fuel. They are usually pilot or demonstration units, but Jupiter 1 is the first of its kind in which all its systems (combustion chamber, injection and flame control) are optimized for that fuel. Megaplant. The turbine is not isolated. It is located in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, and is part of a larger system. It is inside a 500 MW wind farm. It is not an astronomical figure considering what we are used to, but it is important to remember that not all the energy produced by renewables is stored correctly. Much of it is wasted, either because there are not enough batteries, or because it is not consumed when needed or because it is stored and lost. How it works. That’s where Jupiter I comes into play. The system works through a kind of closed cycle of electricity – hydrogen – electricity. When wind turbines generate more energy than the grid can consume and it is not going to be stored in batteries, turbines like this one can use that excess to produce green hydrogen. Once produced, it is stored in tanks, and at the Ordos plant there are a dozen of 1,875 m3 each. If the grid is stable and can operate well with renewables, that hydrogen is stored there, but in times of greater demand or when renewables cannot satisfy it, that stored green hydrogen comes into play to produce emissions-free and immediately accessible electricity. Fighting deserts. Placing a hydrogen turbine right in a renewable plant solves the challenge of wasting electricity, but also that of transporting hydrogen, which we have already seen is complicated. Precisely, that is where those responsible say that the technology has great potential. It is in the deserts where China has found an oasis of renewable energy, and having turbines of this style can further enhance those megascale energy projects – greater than 1 GW – that China is deploying. Now we have to see if it fulfills what it promises, since it is the first of a pilot project, but according to warned by the China National Energy Administration in June this year, it will not be the last. Image | FreePik and Pexels In Xataka | We have known for years that the future of wind power was in the sea and yet only one country has believed it: China

Toyota was determined to make hydrogen the perfect alternative to the electric car. Hyundai has just invested 563,800,000 euros

by

Time passes and the hydrogen car continues to be the great promise of clean mobility. The problem is that, little by little, time passes and hydrogen seems to be at the same point: challenges that seem impossible to solve and the eternal promise of revolutionizing transportation. Along the way, a good handful of companies said they were joining the hydrogen wave. Toyota has been one of those that has bet the most but, in the midst of a decline, it has been Hyundai that takes a new step. Reconversion. Hyundai has confirmed which has already laid the first stone of its new fuel cell and electrolyzer production plant in Ulsan (South Korea). The company has invested 930 billion won. That is, 563.8 million euros to convert the space and give it a new industrial use. According to the company, starting in 2027 they will be able to manufacture 30,000 fuel cell units per year in a space that extends across 43,000 m2. The intention is to produce systems for hydrogen-powered passenger cars but also for heavy transport services. a bet. Hyundai’s commitment to hydrogen is not new. The company has on the market the Nexusone of the few hydrogen cars that can be purchased and that has no competition since the Toyota Miraithe other great hydrogen car, is a sedan with a totally different approach. At the end of last year, Hyundai also presented Initiumthe preview of what should be a new hydrogen car that will arrive in 2025. However, the company has not launched the new model on the market. The Nexo has not been the first car powered by a Hyundai fuel cell but, for now, it is the last despite the fact that in 2021 they announced that we would have the entire range on the street with hydrogen versions in 2028. The promise. For years now, hydrogen has been proposed as the great alternative to the electric car. Although, really, it is an electric car. In its operation, a fuel cell car is a vehicle that carries out the electrolysis process inside to generate electricity that is stored in the batteries. In this process, the car does not generate CO2 and only expels water vapor through the exhaust pipe. The great advantage is that its carbon emissions are non-existent while it recharges the tanks in a few minutes to travel hundreds and hundreds of kilometers. The problems. There are many and they are difficult to remedy. When it comes to bringing hydrogen to a street car, the technical difficulties are enormous. First, because hydrogen occupies a large volume for the energy it can later generate. That’s why the Toyota Mirai is, almost everything, huge tanks. The latter is solved by turning the hydrogen into a liquid state but requires keeping it at -30ºC. It is a solution that has been designed to be used as fuel in a combustion engine and to remember the sensations of a combustion engine but generates very polluting particles such as NOx. That is, hydrogen requires huge tanks or a good amount of energy to keep it at a very low temperature. When this is achieved, it requires a complex system to carry out electrolysis or burn it in the engine itself (which generates very polluting particles). And all this without counting the complexity of producing and transporting it to the service station on duty. Non-viable. What happens at this point? That hydrogen is, at the moment, very expensive. As expensive as in Germany the cost of filling the tank was as expensive as filling it with diesel. It does not seem so strange that service stations are being dismantled in Germany and that although Stellantis offered to convert electric vans to hydrogen to gain autonomy, has ended up abandoning his plans. For now, on the way BMW too says it is developing hydrogen cars. Renault says to do the same. And Toyota continues investigating with burn hydrogen in combustion engines while turning his back on his Toyota Mirai in the United States where he faces a class action lawsuit from owners who they feel cheated. a light. In addition to light transportation, Hyundai says it wants to focus fuel cell production on heavy transportation. The company has its hopes that this type of transportation can find a true use for hydrogen. Heavy transport can find some advantages over electric transport. To charge an electric truck in a short time, enormous infrastructure is needed with chargers as fast and powerful as those from BYD. If hydrogen poles are created in dry ports or large distribution centers, it could make sense with less dispersed and therefore less costly distribution. Also the cost of filling the truck with huge tanks is lower because in percentage terms it would not eat up as much space as in a car. And, at the same time, recharging would be faster for less clean transportation than purely electric but much cleaner than current diesel engines. Photo | Hydrogen In Xataka | Renault is clear that the electric car is not the only way. Your proposal for the future: a hydrogen plug-in hybrid

45,000 tons of green hydrogen per year

by

For decades, the North Sea was synonymous with oil and gas, holding a good part of the European economy and energy supply. Today, in full transition to renewables, that same sea is emerging as the scenario of a change of era: there has not been discovered a hidden reservoir, but the production of 45,000 tons per year of green hydrogen. Is this possible? Some media They have replicated The same narrative of finding a natural hydrogen site in the North Sea, but the reality is very different. An official statement from Totalenergies and Air Liquide They announced two projects of electrolysis in the Netherlands and Belgium that, added, could produce that amount of green hydrogen every year from renewable electricity generated in the Oranjewind marine wind park. In short, there is no hydrogen deposit “under the sea”. What there is is production potential thanks to offshore wind turbines that provide energy to electrolyte capable of dividing water into oxygen and hydrogen. Electrolysis It consists of applying electricity (If it comes from renewable sources, such as wind, we talk about “green” hydrogen) to previously treated water to separate its oxygen and hydrogen molecules. Subsequently, hydrogen is compressed or transported by pipes towards its industrial or energy use. There are many plans in sight. The project mentioned above contemplates an electrolyzer of 250 MW in Zeeland with the capacity to produce up to 30,000 tons per year, it is scheduled for 2029. Also, there is one of “Tolling” with the Elygator electrolyzer in Maasvlakte, with 15,000 tons per year for the Refinery of Antwerp, operational within two years. This scheme means that Totalenergies does not build or opera directly that electrolyzer: yields its renewable electricity to air liquid, which transforms it into hydrogen, and totalenergies pay for that production capacity In addition, others develop in Europe projects like Hope (Hydrogen offshore production for Europe), coordinated by French Lhyfe. This will install a 10 MW electrolyzer off the coast of Belgium and hopes to produce its first four tons per day in 2026, demonstrating the viability of generating hydrogen directly on the high seas. But is there anything in motion? Pilots have been tested for three years Sealhyfea small offshore plant also from Lhyfe. However, making the leap to large -scale production faces several obstacles: High costs: a single electrolyzer such as Zeeland is about 600 million euros of investment. Technical challenges: corrosion, storms and maintenance in marine conditions. Environmental Impact: Offshore wind farms They can affect to marine biodiversity, fishing or provoking bird collisions with turbines. Fragmented regulation: Each northern sea country applies different norms, which delays common projects. A strategic sea. The European Union has marked as a goal to boost renewable hydrogen to decarbonize sectors that are difficult to electrify – such as steel, cement or heavy transport – and reduce dependence on fossil gas. By 2030 wants to have dozens of electrolyte gigawatts installed. In parallel, its offshore renewable energy strategy plans to reach up to 300 GW of marine wind capacity in 2050, Much in the North Sea. Now, the North Sea does not belong to the EU as a whole: it is distributed in exclusive economic zones (ZEE) from different countries, including Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, United Kingdom and Norway. That means that each project must first adjust to the country’s regulations in whose Zee is. To overcome this fragmentation and scale the energy transition, Brussels promotes cross -border cooperation initiatives such as the North Seas Energy Cooperationwhich seeks to harmonize rules and interconnect projects between neighboring countries. Goodbye gas and oil. The North Sea was for decades symbol of the European Black Gold and gas dependence. Today it could become a laboratory of the energy transition. The “Treasury” is not hidden in chests under the sea: it is a challenge that requires investment, political cooperation and technological advances. Only if these barriers are exceeded, the figures will cease to be striking holders to become a true energy revolution. Image | Freepik Xataka | How much electricity produces each country with renewable energy, exposed in a graphic

European cars manufacturers promised them happy with the hydrogen battery. Reality has hit them

by

In search by Eliminate fossil fuels From cars, electrification seemed the best option. Have 100% electric, hybrids and plug -in. However, some companies They seemed not to be convinced at all with the electric ones, so they began to boost the development of cars moved by ‘pilas’ of hydrogen. Some are getting off the shipand the last one is a Stellantis that has been closely to the controversy These last years. BMW has another opinion and defends that the hydrogen battery is a strategic alternative for Europe. Against what? Against China. Short. In a brief releaseStellantis (which, remember, is the megacompañía that arises after the Fusion of Fiat, PSA and Chrysler) He confirmed a few weeks ago that he interrupted his hydrogen fuel cell technology development program. They affirm that “the hydrogen market remains a niche segment, without perspectives of economic sustainability in the medium term.” And this affects all the divisions they were developing: Cars. Small vans. Large vans. Next steps. The company comments that the personnel who were doing R&D work related to hydrogen technology will be redirected to other projects and that now what it is to focus on what it sells: hybridization and conventional electric batteries. “We must make clear and responsible decisions to ensure our competitiveness and meet the expectations of our customers, as well as continue with our offensive of electric vehicles and hybrids of both passengers and light commercials,” explains Jean-Philippe Imparato, Chief Operating Operating Officer for Enlarged Europe. Issues. The main argument that underwent the hydrogen strategy, with cars on the street such as the Hyundai Initium or the Mirai de ToyotaIt was the speed of loading. If the electric took some dozens of minutes to achieve a decent autonomy, one of hydrogen was closer to the times of a gasoline/diesel. The problem is that it is not entirely true. Toyota has been one of those who More has driven the hydrogen batteryeven competing with hydrogen -driven cars, such as GR LH2 Racing Concept or the Gr yaris rally2 h2 concept For rallies, but in everyday use, hydrogen looks like everything except practical, away from that more classic “plugging and reproducing” liquid fuel. The reason? GR LH2 Racing himself needs a cryogenic system at the cargo station that maintains hydrogen at -253 degrees Celsius. This implies advanced isolation and advanced manipulation, which makes it very little practical out of a very specialized competitive environment. Among other thingssince the energy density of hydrogen is almost nine times lower than that of gasoline and storage is complex. Without ‘hydrogeneras’ there is no FCEV. Returning to Stellantis, the group was not working with the hydrogen pile for the distant future, but immediately. This year they were going to launch a new range of vans, the Pro one fed by hydrogenthat evidently will not see the light. And although there are still companies that keep some hope for the hydrogen pile, the truth is that without refueling points, technology seems unsustainable. In the United States, Toyota has faced collective demand by Mirai owners who ensure that the brand lied to ensure that reposting would be as simple as in a gasoline. There are practically no load points, with just a thousand open hydrogeneras worldwide for public use. And last year they began to close in Germany because they were not used. BMW and his “hold me the cubata”. Trucks are another song. The numbers are there, With strong consecutive falls in 2023 and 2024 that seem to have punctured, at least for now, that fever for the hydrogen pile for conventional cars. However, the turn comes from BMW. The German company has publicly defended that hydrogen is an opportunity for Europe not to depend so much on the China’s battery industry. And others like Volvo maintain projects Hydrogen for trucks. It has been the CEO who has insisted that Europe must bet on multiple roads and that, in a scenario in which China controls the production of Rare earth Essential to create batteries, and they are also the most manufactured batteries, Europe must have a BM plan, BMW has no car with a hydrogen battery and is working on a SUV that They will launch at some point in 2028. We will see how the market is then. Image | H2 Mobility In Xataka | Nikola had everything to revolutionize the world of hydrogen trucks. Now is on the verge of bankruptcy

Walmart has already approved the first green hydrogen truck in Latin America. Its great limit: the load infrastructure

by

What if the future of heavy logistics in Latin America had already begun, and would have done it with a single truck? In a region where the transport of goods depends largely on diesel engines, Walmart has achieved homologation of the First Tonnage Tonnage Moved by Green Hydrogen. It happens in Chile, with a vehicle that, on paper, It can exceed 700 km of operation without issuing CO2. It is a test, for the moment. But one that marks the beginning of something much bigger. Chile has not only been the country chosen to test this truck: it has also been the engine of a public-private collaboration that seeks to open the way in heavy transport without emissions. Walmart participates in the Hidrohaul program, promoted by the Corporation for Production Promotion (Corfo), with an initial investment of 6.15 million dollars and a clear goal: Check if this technology can climb. An experiment that can mark a before and after For Walmart, the experiment fits with Its global objective to decarbonize all its logistics operation before 2040. For Chile, it is a general essay of what could become a National Transportation Network Green hydrogen driven. Manufactured by the Chinese company Feichi Technologythe truck uses a hydrogen fuel battery that generates the electricity that feeds its engine. Can transport up to 49 tons and is designed to travel up to 750 km per full load with 75 kg of hydrogen. Although it does not seem, this truck is also an electric vehicle. The difference is how that electricity generates. Instead of loading a battery connecting to the network, use a Hydrogen fuel battery: A system that mixes hydrogen with oxygen to produce electricity, water and heat. That electricity feeds an electric motor that drives the truck. There is no combustion, there is no CO2. And as a byproduct, it only emits water vapor. It is a different way to reach the same destination: a heavy transport without emissions. It all starts in Quilicurain the metropolitan area of Santiago. There, Walmart Chile installed in 2023 The first green hydrogen industrial plant in the countryin collaboration with Engie. The installation has a 0.6 MW electrolyzer which uses electricity from renewable sources – solar and wind – to separate water molecules and generate hydrogen. That plant not only supplies the new truck: it also feeds a fleet of hydrogen lifting wheelbarrows that already operate in the logistics center. The refueling, the great challenge for this to climb The autonomy of the truck is sufficient to operate within the central area of the country, but not beyond. Today there is no public network of trucks for trucks. The challenge is not only technical, but also logistical and economic: how many trucks will need to justify a hydroiner? ¿Where to place them To cover routes without wasting resources? In scenarios like Californiathe order of dozens of high volume stations is projected to serve several thousand trucks towards the beginning of the next decade. Chile will have to solve its own puzzle. The big question is not whether hydrogen works, but it is worth betting on it. In long -running trucks, it has clear advantages: autonomy, quick recharges, zero emissions and lower impact of weight than in pure electric. But it is still a expensive technology, with a limited refueling network and a lower energy efficiency compared to other options. It is not a universal solution, but a useful tool on the right place. That is precisely what Chile is trying to find out: if the hydrogen fits on its real logistics map. Images | Walmart Chile In Xataka | Welcome to the silent collapse of energy: In the US, AI is beginning to drain the country’s electricity

The big problem of green hydrogen is the dependence of fresh water. We have found the solution in the sewers

by

In the great darking puzzle, Green hydrogen points ways to become one of the most important pieces. Has become one of the Great bets of the European Union For the Energy transitionbut although renewable energies such as solar or wind are used to produce it, it has a big problem: Consume a huge amount of fresh water. Some researchers want to stop this problem using something we produce in industrial quantities. Sewage. The water problem. Talking about clean energy implies looking at some initial point of the process to realize that there is still an ecological footprint. Electric cars do not emit, but make their batteries yesFor example. Something similar happens with green hydrogen. Solar or wind energy is which is used to perform the electrolysis process With which hydrogen is generated to use as a source of energy, but as we said, a lot of water is consumed, a resource that is increasingly scarce For millions of people. That is why we are investigating alternative ways to generate green hydrogen without those huge amounts of fresh water. For example, using seawaterbut there is a type of fresh water that had not been considered for the process and that has now entered the equation. Trash Treasury in wastewater. These waters contain a series of pollutants that, according to logic, would make it difficult to Electrolysis process. They have nickel, platinum, chromium and other metals that, until now, had to be extracted from water in an expensive purification process before using that water in electrolysis. However, a team from the School of Sciences of the Australian Rmit has found a way to take advantage of these metals to accelerate the production of green hydrogen. In electrolysis, electrodes are a key component because it is the one that facilitates the reaction that separates water in its base components: hydrogen and oxygen. To do this, an anode is used (where water breaks down releasing oxygen and electrons) and a cathode (protons earn electrons and form hydrogen molecules). In the anode and cathode metals such as nickel, platinum or iride are used as those found in wastewater, and what they have done from the RMIT is … take advantage of them. The invention. To do this, the electrode is manufactured with an absorbent carbon surface that attracts those metals present in wastewater, as if it were a magnet. When they “catch them”, form catalysts that conduct electricity and start that task of dividing water into its components. Nasir Mahmood is one of the researchers and, as we read in Miragenewsexplains the reaction as follows: “The catalyst accelerates a chemical reaction without consumed in the process, allowing metals to interact with other elements present in wastewater and enhancing the necessary electrochemical reactions to divide water into oxygen and hydrogen. And, beyond the theory, the team devised a device that managed They expose in ACSa stability of 95%. This pilot device, connected to a small solar plate, is the one you can see in the image that opens this article. And the waters look at everything … except purified water. Potential. Now, it is not as easy as taking the wastewater and using it directly. The team Confirm which used wastewater that had been subjected to some treatment to eliminate solid waste, organic matter and other nutrients. Not metals, yes. The water used for the experiment comes from agricultural waste, which opens another door to the circular economy of the materials. HE esteem that more than 80% of wastewater return to the planet without any treatment (although other sources They point at 50%), but if we started using a part to produce green hydrogen, we would be reducing that percentage, giving a breath to areas with drought problems and allowing to inject energy into those areas without affecting their Drinking water deposits. In developing countries it would have great potential. An upcoming step is to try more types of wastewater, since not all have the same amount of metals in their composition, and as professor Nicky Eshtiaghi, another of the authors of the study, comments, the plan now is to look for partners to climb technology and find commercial applications. Images | Rmit, Hightail Xataka | In Peru, a company has had an idea to take wind energy directly to your home: turbines as a lay way

one with its own underwater hydrogen factory

by

When electric cars still crawled, a series of manufacturers launched Develop another propulsion technology: The hydrogen fuel battery. It is something that You have experienced comings, coming and changes of plans in recent years, but although it seems that It is not the future of utilitiesIt makes sense in industrial and commercial vehicles. And another sector in which it has potential is … in the submarines. The Spanish Navy is so sure that its Crown jewelthe S-80 class submarinesthey will be the only ones in the world that work with a system that manufactures their own hydrogen. Class S-80. Manufacturing a submarine from scratch is not simple, and Spain knows it well. The Carthaginense Isaac Peral was the inventor of the electric submarine, a precursor of the modern submarine, but Spain did not have its own underwater models during the expansion of this transport class. Since the 60s, the country built submarines under foreign licensebut at the beginning of this century, something changed and it was decided that it was time to have its own model: the Class S-80. After years of development, delays, flotability problems and billions of euros of extra costs that forced to prolong the useful life of obsolete submarines, the first submarine of this class, the S-81 Isaac PeralHE delivered to the Navy for its assessment in November 2023, with three others planned for the coming years. The mess of propulsion. Although in a submarine there is no more important system than another, we can say that propulsion technology directly affects the type of missions they can undertake. And there are three great technologies right now. The cheapest is conventional: submarines diesel-electricalthat can be submerged a few days because they need to recharge fuel, being a limitation for stealth operations. On the other hand, propulsion submarines through a nuclear reactor. It is the most expensive and also the most advanced for stealth operations. France, for example, has the Barracudawhich can be submerged up to 270 days. It is a complex technology to develop a submarine from scratch. There are also purely electric, such as those who They are adopting Japan and South Korea with batteries that offer a underwater autonomy of two or three weeks, or those that assemble AIP systems. Aip. Called independent air propulsion systems, AIPs generate electricity to feed the engine and recharge submarine batteries. The most common systems include fuel batteries that convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. There are variants, such as Stirling engines that use liquid fuels in this process and closed cycle vapor turbines. It is a system that allows submerged autonomies of 20 days or more, and this is where the S-81 Isaac Peral is special because it does not store hydrogen in its batteries: it manufactures it. As? Using Bioethanol That, by means of a reformer, it becomes hydrogen that is used in a fuel pile together with liquid oxygen to produce electricity. Diagram of an AIP system of the submarines of India Best Aip. They are funny acronyms that respond to Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology and is not really new, but of interesting application in a submarine. As our partners comment Motorpasionit was in 1991 when, in the laboratory of catalytic processes of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Buenos Aires, they developed a method for obtain hydrogen from ethanol. In a submarine, it makes all the meaning: the risk of storage hydrogen is eliminated, aboard is produced and the waste (CO₂ and water) is expelled to the ocean in the form of carbonated water that does not increase the acoustic or thermal firm of the ship. This system, according to Manuel Corral Iranzo, under the command of the S-81 since the delivery in 2023, in statements to The debateit is “worldwide pointer” and it is something that has many advantages. Ethanol “is a matter not as dangerous as hydrogen and is easily obtained. It is a revolutionary system and no other country or any other submarine has this hydrogen production system on board,” he says. It is not yet mounted … There is a problem: this revolutionary system, which is clearly the jewel of the Crown of the S-80 class, is not prepared. As we read in Defensein parallel to the delivery of the first submarine in November 2023, the factory tests of the Best Aip system began to pass. The submarine was delivered without this oxygen generation system, which will be installed in its first large technical stop. When? Well this update is planned by 2029-2030. At the moment, the submarine has three diesel generators of 1,100 kW each and a main electric motor of 3,500 kW. After the S-81, the next one that will be delivered at some point in 2025, and after Another delayis the S-82 Narciso Monturiol. Nor will the Best Aip system will have, but it will be implemented in its technical stop of 2031 if there are no delays. Those who will have the factory best AIP will be the S-83 and S-84, dated by 2026 and 2028 respectively. Images | Angeldr88, To Guy Named Nyal, Navy, Martinvl, India Ministry of Defense In Xataka | In the nineteenth century, Spain designed the first “launcher” to defend against the US: the submarine of Sanjurjo Badía

China has a new hydrogen pump. It is so destructive that it seems nuclear

by

The hydrogen pump is The most terrifying weapon created so far by the human being. A conventional atomic bomb as the ones that launched the USA about the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and with which The Second World War concluded In 1945, it triggers a very powerful explosion and the release of a huge amount of energy by firing a uranium -235 or plutonium -239 nucleus. However, a hydrogen pump is even more devastating. It is also known as the thermonuclear weapon, and, very broadly, it uses a small atomic fission pump as a detonator device for induce fusion of the fuel composed of two hydrogen isotopes: deuterium and tritium. The energy that is able to release one of these bombs can be much higher than that of a conventional atomic weapon. In fact, the “Tsar bomb”which is the most powerful thermonuclear weapon so far, was thrown by the Soviet Union on the Barents Sea in 1961 and reached a power of 50 megatones. China has just tested a new type of hydrogen pump To understand with some precision how the bomb that China has developed works and why it is not a nuclear weapon it was necessary to briefly review what are the principles of operation of atomic bombs and thermonuclear weapons. The Complete Prohibition Treaty of Nuclear Essays approved by the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 1996 prohibits any type of nuclear test. Unfortunately, this agreement has not come into force because it has not been ratified by all countries that have nuclear weapons. This weapon uses magnesium hydride (MGH₂) because it is a chemical compound capable of storing hydrogen in a solid way In any case, as I mentioned, the bomb that China has tried is not a nuclear weapon. Unlike the hydrogen pump in which we have investigated a few lines above this weapon uses as a magnesium hydride fuel (MGH₂) because it is a chemical compound Able to store hydrogen in solid way. This fuel is stable from a thermodynamic point of view, but it has a peculiarity: it reacts in a violent way when it comes into contact with water or acidic substances, releasing hydrogen. Once its release has occurred, this chemical element enters into combustion, reaching a temperature of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. However, its destructive capacity is not the consequence only of the temperature reached by the fireball it produces; His devastating power is also linked to the fact that he calls her lasts for more than 2 seconds. It may seem little time, but it is not. It is a long time. In fact, the flame of a TNT explosion hardly lasts 0.12 s, so its destructive capacity is much lower. Of course, the explosion of this hydrogen pump is approximately 60% less powerful than that of a TNT device in terms of pressure. What China has carried out for the moment is just a test, but this country already has a factory capable of producing 150 tons of magnesium hydride per year. It is evident that this nation is serious with this weapon. Presumably it can be used to destroy drone swarms, end objectives endowed with state -of -the -art shields or ravage a wide area of ​​land, among other possibilities. Hopefully neither China nor any other country decides to use this type of weapons in the future. One last note: we do not know what the appearance of this pump is, although it weighs 2 kg, so it is not very large. Of course, the explosion you can see in the cover image of this article is real. Image | 705 Research Institute | PFC Lukas J. Blom More information | SCMP In Xataka | In the Cold War, USA designed something more intimidating than the atomic bomb: a nuclear missile that pursued goals

Green hydrogen consumes huge amounts of water. A new incredibly simple invention allows you to use seawater

by

Green hydrogen is the missing piece in the puzzle of decarbonization. In a day like today, in which Spain It has produced 107.3% of the country’s energy demand From renewable sources, a greater storage capacity (batteries or pumping centrals and a more flexible demand is needed. Produce green hydrogen When electricity is very cheap It is the country’s commitment to take advantage of that surplus. There is a problem. While green hydrogen It occurs with solar or wind energy (That is why it is said that it is an energy vector that stores clean energy), the process to produce itwater electrolysis consumes huge amounts of fresh water, an increasingly scarce resource for billions of people in threatened regions For chronic drought. The obvious solution is to use seawaterthe most abundant resource on the planet. But of course, salt and impurities run the equipment and reduce the efficiency of the process. External desalination makers are needed, adding costs and energy consumption; or super -resistant electrolyzers, which are still under development. There is a third way. MIT researchers, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University and Michigan State University joined forces to find an alternative that nicknamed the “triumph of sustainability.” The system, detailed in Energy & Environmental Scienceproduces green hydrogen directly from sea water. It does so using solar energy with impressive efficiency, and generating drinking water as a byproduct. How they have done it. Taking advantage of the entire solar spectrum. The central idea of ​​this new approach, officially called HSD-We (Hybrid Solar Distillion-Water Electrolysis), is to squeeze the maximum solar energy. We know that photovoltaic panels convert only part of sunlight into electricity (The most efficient are around 25% efficiency). The rest of the energy dissipates as a residual heat. What if that heat, instead of wasted, will be used for something useful? Eureka! Simpler than it seems. Like many other systems for the production of green hydrogen, the HSD-We integrates solar panels that turn light into electricity and an electroly of protons exchange membrane (PEM) that breaks down the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The secret is at the rear of the solar panels, they are where the HSD-We has an interfacial thermal distiller coupled that uses the residual heat of photovoltaic cells to evaporate seawater. A simple membrane that absorbs salt water. It is a genius. The best thing is that it works. The electricity of the solar panels directly feeds the electrolyz. At the same time, the residual heat of the panel heats sea water in the interfacial distiller, evaporating it. This pure water vapor (already without salt) is transported by a small air space to the electrolyz, where it is directly condensed in the anode, adding ultra -patrol water for electrolysis. The prototype, tested by the MIT both in laboratory conditions, under simulated sunlight, and outdoors, on a partially sunny day, threw impressive figures. They achieved 35.9 liters of dry hydrogen per square meter of solar panel per hour, using real sea water. In terms of efficiency, The system turned 12.6%a comparable rate or even above current green hydrogen production technologies with drinking water. Cheap hydrogen finally? Beyond technical feat, preliminary economic analysis is also promising. Not depending on external supplies of electricity or purified water, the operating cost is minimal, so the price of hydrogen produced with this system could drastically fall with the scale. While conventional electrolysis fueled by the electricity grid and using drinking water It costs about 10 per kilothis HSD-We system, in exchange for a slightly larger initial investment, could reach 5 dollars per kilo after 3 years of operation and lower the kilo at 1 dollar in 15 years. A price that would undoubtedly change the rules of the game. Image | Nickelgreen In Xataka | Europe waste so much renewable energy that needs green hydrogen. And the country that leads it is Spain

The doors of green hydrogen from Spain have found its starting point: the Basque Country

by

While Spain account With several hot green hydrogen points, infrastructure for distribution, such as H2Med, still Keep in development. However, the Basque Country has emerged as a new channel. Short. The H2BIDEA project, coordinated by Nortegas, aims to boost the development of a pure hydrogen distribution network in the Basque Country. The initiative will have the aid of the company Tubos gathered, in charge of creating the special tubes where high pressure hydrogen (160 bar) will be transported. A great initiative. Through a consortium of Basque companies, H2bidea It is cemented The pillars for the Basque Corridor of Hydrogen (BH2C). With this corridor they seek to establish an interconnected green hydrogen infrastructure that facilitates its transport and distribution, both regional and European. In three years, H2BIDEA hopes to have a distribution network demonstrator called H2TESTLAB, which will allow evaluating the efficacy of the installed infrastructure, according to has had notic access from Álava. Mass support. The project has the support of the Basque Government and the European Union, as well as with the collaboration of the Basque Companies Consortium, such as Arizaga, Bastarrica and Company (ABC Compressors), Orkli, Commercial of Electronic Applications (FIDEGAS) and Calcinor Servicios. It is not the only one. Because Spain continues to advance in the creation of more projects, such as the Mediterranean corridor (H2Med). This development initiative intends to interconnect Spain, France and Portugal by 2030 in what will be the first European hydrogen infrastructure. However, in recent weeks, has faced a controversy In Zamora on the use of water in the production of green hydrogen. More challenges at European level. A recent study by West Wood Energy consultant has estimated that only 17% of green hydrogen projects in the continent will materialize within five years. In that context, According to a Global Energy Monitor reportEurope faces difficulties to fulfill its decarbonization strategy due to the shortage of hydrogen produced in a renewable way. The limited amount of available green hydrogen and the slow progress of the announced projects question the viability of the energy transition plans of the continent. From another perspective. The Basque Corridor is an initiative that has emerged as a strategic point for the production and export of green hydrogen. In this way, it joins the ambitious plans of Spain to become a European green hydrogen leader. In fact, recently, the Spanish nation launched A hydrogen project with an investment of 1,214 million euros from the NextGneu funds. Image | TUBOSREUNIDOS Xataka | The Plan of Spain for leading green hydrogen has been faced with an unexpected problem: Zamora

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.