Two applications could see green hydrogen used to supply the raw materials for new energy industry technologies.
The UK’s AMTE Power, which develops and manufactures of lithium-ion and sodium-ion battery cells has signed a memorandum of understanding with CalPac Resources, which is developing novel technology derived from green hydrogen manufacturing to refine copper from industry scrap.
It will see AMTE Power explore using CalPac Resources’ recycled copper technology to produce the anode material in its products. AMTE said the UK is the world’s fourth largest copper waste exporter and with no copper refineries in the country, millions of tonnes have to be imported for manufacturing. Both AMTE Power and CalPac Resources are planning to build facilities at the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP) in Dundee. Tom Anderson, Managing Director at CalPac Resources, said: “This move represents a solid shift towards a truly circular industrial economy. AMTE Power will be the first battery manufacturer to use 100% local and zero-process-emission copper in its batteries, a ground-breaking development in UK battery manufacturing.”
Meanwhile in Germany, chemicals company Evonik is investing in a pilot electrolyser to produce green hydrogen as a raw material for producing isophorone diamine (IPDA), used to make rotor blades for wind turbines.
At present, the hydrogen used by Evonik in Herne is fossil-based. In the future, green hydrogen should be produced directly at its site using a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser from Siemens Energy with rated power of 8 MW which could meet up to 45 per cent of the hydrogen and 100 per cent of the oxygen required at the site, reducing annual emissions of carbon dioxide by 12,000t. The project runs until mid-2025. It has received around €9.3 million of funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.