Johnson Matthey Technology Review - Volume 64, Issue 3, 2020

To date, the world has been making a massive shift away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources. For the past decade, polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) powered by hydrogen have attracted much attention as a promising candidate for eco-friendly vehicles, i.e. fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), owing to their high power density, high efficiency and zero emission features. Since the world’s first mass production of Tucson ix35 FCEV by Hyundai in 2013, global automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have focused on commercialising FCEVs. In 2018, Hyundai also unveiled the second generation of the mass-produced FCEV (i.e. Nexo) with improved performances and durability compared with its predecessor. Since then, the global market for PEMFCs for a variety of FCEV applications has been growing very rapidly in terms of both passenger vehicles and medium- and heavy-duty vehicles such as buses and trucks, which require much higher durability than passenger vehicles, i.e. 5000 h for passenger vehicles vs. 25,000 h for heavy-duty vehicles. In addition, PEMFCs are also in demand for other applications including fuel cell electric trains, trams, forklifts, power generators and vessels. We herein present recent advances in how hydrogen and PEMFCs will power the future in a wide range of applications and address key challenges to be resolved in the future.

Within the 28 member states of the European Union (EU-28), 71.7% of transport emissions in 2017 were due to road transport and a policy commitment was made to reduce emissions from the transport sector as a whole by 60% by 2050 (against a 1990 baseline) (1). Going forward, and supported by policy, a stratification of passenger car powertrain options is anticipated, with customers able to choose from a zero-tailpipe emission battery electric vehicle (BEV), fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) or a selection of hybridised vehicles ranging from a mild to a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Further to this, technology improvements and connectivity between vehicle and energy generation and supply offer further opportunities to accelerate reduction in carbon emissions in the transport sector. The structure of this new transport paradigm is pathway dependent. Multiple conflicts exist, pulling the system in different directions and threatening its sustainability. This paper explores the link between policy and the impact this has upon the direction that road transport is taking, focusing on technology options and highlighting some of the dichotomies that exist between policy and the requirement for a sustainable road transport solution.

Aviation fuel demand is expected to continue to grow over the next decades and continue to rely heavily on kerosene fuel for use in jet engines. While efficiency and operational improvements are possible ways to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, decarbonisation will need to heavily rely on low carbon kerosene drop-in alternatives. Currently, alternative fuels make up a very small share of fuel used in aviation, but their commercialisation is making good progress. Hydrogen offers a longer-term alternative fuel option but requires aircraft design and fuelling infrastructure changes. Electrification is emerging as an option for providing propulsion in aircraft, either in pure form in small aircraft or in hybrid mode in larger aircraft. This paper reviews the status, challenges and prospects of alternative fuels and electrification in aviation.

The market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) continues to grow worldwide. At present, early adopters rely on a sparse refuelling infrastructure, and there is only limited knowledge about how they evaluate the geographic arrangement of stations when they decide to get an FCV, which is an important consideration for facilitating widespread FCV diffusion. To address this, we conducted several related studies based on surveys and interviews of early FCV adopters in California, USA, and a participatory geodesign workshop with hydrogen infrastructure planning stakeholders in Connecticut, USA. From this mixed-methods research project, we distil 15 high-level findings for planning hydrogen station infrastructure to encourage FCV adoption.

With the electric vehicle (EV) market set to grow rapidly over the coming years, the industry faces a challenging ramp-up of volume and material performance demands. From the current trend towards high-energy high-nickel cathode materials, driven in-part by consumer range anxiety, to the emergence of solid-state and beyond lithium-ion technologies, herein we review the changing requirements for active materials in automotive Li-ion battery (LIB) applications, and how science and industry are set to respond.

Following the global trend towards increased energy demand together with requirements for low greenhouse gas emissions, Adaptable Reactors for Resource- and Energy-Efficient Methane Valorisation (ADREM) focused on the development of modular reactors that can upgrade methane‐rich sources to chemicals. Herein we summarise the main findings of the project, excluding in‐depth technical analysis. The ADREM reactors include microwave technology for conversion of methane to benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) and ethylene; plasma for methane to ethylene; plasma dry methane reforming to syngas; and the gas solid vortex reactor (GSVR) for methane to ethylene. Two of the reactors (microwave to BTX and plasma to ethylene) have been tested at technology readiness level 5 (TRL 5). Compared to flaring, all the concepts have a clear environmental benefit, reducing significantly the direct carbon dioxide emissions. Their energy efficiency is still relatively low compared to conventional processes, and the costly and energy-demanding downstream processing should be replaced by scalable energy efficient alternatives. However, considering the changing market conditions with electrification becoming more relevant and the growing need to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the ADREM technologies, utilising mostly electricity to achieve methane conversion, are promising candidates in the field of gas monetisation.

Electric vehicles (EVs) can help decarbonise both transport and electricity supply. This is both via reduced tailpipe emissions and due to the flexibility in charge and discharge that EV batteries can offer to the electricity system. For example, smart charging of EVs could enable the storage of roughly one fifth of the solar generation of Great Britain for when this energy is needed. However, to do this, the market needs to align vehicle charging behaviour to complement renewable generation and meet system needs.

The world is at the start of an energy revolution: the biggest energy transformation since the Industrial Revolution. The growing recognition that the carbon dioxide emissions associated with the combustion of fossil fuels leads to a dramatic increase in global temperatures is driving the need to implement strategies to reduce the carbon footprint across power- and energy-hungry sectors such as power generation, domestic heating, industrial processes and transportation. This article looks at the moves that the global passenger car and commercial vehicle segments will need to make to minimise the CO2 and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the sector, which is one of the largest contributors to the global CO2 inventory today. A number of countries have already pledged to meet net zero GHG emissions by 2050, and more are set to follow, so this article also considers what is necessary for the ground transportation sector to hit net zero.

The energy transition paradigm consists in a substitution of fossil energy for renewable resources, and low carbon transportation is one of the most important issues within this process. The oil century introduced modern mobility to society and since then petroleum supply has been a key to control transportation services. Energy security and environmental issues, as well as business aspects of implementing innovative technological chains at national and international levels, are major drivers for decarbonisation of transportation services for East Asian economies. Policy, institutions and technological patterns toward lower carbon footprints for the transportation sector are overviewed in this article. The emphasis is on hydrogen technologies, the corresponding drivers and the ambitions of industrialised East Asian economies to establish hydrogen infrastructure at a national level. The major factors for hydrogen technologies and hydrogen infrastructure developments in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan are briefly discussed. The role of road transportation systems in such development is highlighted. Current energy consumption for transportation is described, some official documents are reviewed and a snapshot of recent developments is provided for each of these economies.

As public pressure to limit global warming continues to rise, governments, policy makers and regulators are looking for the most effective ways to achieve the target set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to keep the global temperature increase to below 1.5°C above pre‐industrial levels. This will require the world to move to net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, and numerous governments have committed to reach net zero by this date, or even earlier. It is widely recognised that achieving net zero at the state, country and regional levels will necessitate a systems-wide approach across all the major sources of GHG emissions, which include power generation, transport, industrial processes and heating. Land use is also critical with billions of trees needing to be planted and a change in the amount of meat eaten. There is a growing realisation that hydrogen has a vital role to play, particularly to decarbonise sectors and applications that are otherwise extremely difficult to abate, such as industrial processes, heavy duty freight movement, dispatchable power generation and heating applications. Hydrogen will also provide long-term (for instance seasonal) energy storage, enabling much greater uptake of renewable power generation, which itself is a key prerequisite of the clean energy transition. Hydrogen can play a role in the decarbonisation of all major segments, and this means it can facilitate cross-sector coupling, enabling the exploitation of synergies between different key parts of the economy. This article discusses the different production routes to low and zero carbon hydrogen, and its uses across numerous applications to minimise and eliminate carbon dioxide and GHG emissions, building a picture of the key role that hydrogen will play in the energy transition and the broader global move towards decarbonisation and climate stabilisation. An overview of some of the ongoing and planned demonstration projects will be presented, outlining the importance of such activities in providing confidence that the hydrogen approach is the right one for multiple geographies around the world and that there are technologies that are ready to be deployed today.

One of the more evocative cases of disruptive innovation is how steam powered vessels displaced sailing ships in the 19th century. Independent of wind and currents, shipping entered a new age. Faster shipping enabled more efficient trading and easier international travel. It fuelled economic growth and wealth creation. This transition was not rapid, taking half a century to evolve, a period in which hybrid vessels, those using sails and steam generated power were a common sight. The age of steam brought a period of change which affected many aspects of shipping, not only its appearance and practices but also its environmental impact. It facilitated further disruption and the emergence of what has become the industry standard for a ‘prime mover’: the diesel engine. Achieving the decarbonisation of the shipping fleet as soon as possible this century will be one of the most significant disruptions the shipping sector has had to manage. Meaningful change by 2050 requires strategic development and decisive action today, made all the more complicated by the immediate demands that the sector manages both the current and longer term impact that the COVID-19 pandemic will have on the shipping industry. This paper looks briefly at the transition from wind power to carbon based fuel power to gain insight into how the shipping sector manages disruptive change. It also reviews some technology options the shipping sector could adopt to reduce its environmental impact to meet a timetable of international requirements on ship emissions limits. The paper will focus on how the engine room might evolve with changes in: (i) energy conversion, how power is generated on board, i.e. the engine; and (ii) energy storage, i.e. choice of fuel.