This report describes progress in this project’s development of cost-effective hydrogen production using a solar thermochemical process, a solar thermal beam-down collector and new catalyst materials. It also reports on a parallel stream of the project that is investigating options for converting this hydrogen to methanol, using captured CO2.
Report extract
Thermochemical hydrogen production offers a low cost, thermal pathway for the production of hydrogen via a two-step processes that splits water into Hydrogen and Oxygen. The project has three programs that cover different aspects of the technology, demonstration of the complete water splitting process under a new solar thermal beam down concept, development of new catalyst materials to improve performance and a technoeconomic feasibility study of a methanol pathway for export of hydrogen.