Climate change: Hong Kong university claims key breakthrough in durable, cost-effective hydrogen fuel cells
- A new formula for the electrocatalyst in fuel cells reduces the use of expensive platinum while enhancing performance and durability, university claims
- Breakthrough would brighten the outlook for fuel-cell electric vehicles as Hong Kong gets ready for net-zero emissions by 2050
Shao Minhua and his team at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) have generated a new formula that cuts the proportion of platinum in the cell’s electrocatalyst by 80 per cent, according to a paper they published in Nature Catalysis in July.
The new hybrid catalyst succeeded in maintaining its activity at 97 per cent after 100,000 cycles of accelerated stress testing, versus current catalysts that typically lose 50 per cent over 30,000 cycles. A separate test of the new fuel cell did not show any performance decay after running for 200 hours.
The results suggest the fuel cells are the most durable in the industry to date, with the potential of generating up to 30 per cent savings in raw material costs, said Shao, chair professor of the department of chemical and biological engineering.
“The research can help improve the lifespan and overall cost effectiveness of hydrogen fuel cells,” Shao told the Post in an interview. “This can contribute significantly to the commercialisation of hydrogen.”
Hydrogen is deemed a zero-emission, next-generation fuel to generate electricity, an alternative to fossil fuels to overcome pollution and global warming. Hong Kong aims to achieve zero vehicular emissions and zero carbon emissions in the transport sector by going electric before 2050.
The city will stop new registration of fuel-propelled and hybrid private cars in 2035 or sooner, the government has said. It will also collaborate with the bus companies and other stakeholders in the next three years to test buses and heavy vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
The HKUST team’s new formula, containing atomically dispersed platinum, iron single atoms and platinum-iron nanoparticles, could also lead to hydrogen fuel cells with greater power delivery thanks to increased catalytic activity. The composition can accelerate reactions and achieve catalytic activity 3.7 times higher than the platinum itself, according to test results.
The research is funded by Hong Kong’s HK$400 million Green Tech Fund, which targets research and development projects that support the city’s decarbonisation and environmental protection agenda. China Merchants Group and Beijing-based venture capital firm ZhenFund have shown interest in supporting the research group, Shao added.
The hydrogen fuel cells using the team’s new formula do not require any new equipment for manufacturing, Shao added. His co-researchers are now working to fine-tune the new discovery for large-scale production, something the government is looking forward to, Hong Kong’s chief secretary, Eric Chan Kwok-ki, said last month.
“If the hydrogen used in powering the vehicle is ‘green hydrogen’, then the vehicle is truly zero emissions,” said Ram Chandrasekaran, head of road transport at Wood Mackenzie, a research consultancy.
Subsidies and government support are crucial to promote fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), in competition with cheaper but dirtier vehicles run on internal combustion engines, according to Ankit Sachan, a hydrogen analyst for Asia at S&P Global Commodity Insights.
“Their operating costs could be lower than the internal combustion engines, but the additional costs associated with the repair and maintenance arising from low reliability is a major hurdle,” Sachan said. The industry will have to tackle the durability issues for large-scale commercialisation of FCEVs, he added.
Hydrogen fuel still faces risks and hurdles to reach mass production and wider applications, Shao admitted. There is insufficient infrastructure for storage, transport, and production, he said, while the missing link for FCEVs is the hydrogen refuelling stations.
“Hydrogen fuel cells are an energy conversion device essential to our aspiration of achieving a carbon neutral world,” he said. “There is a need to expand its use amid our fight against climate change. We are delighted to see our research findings bringing this goal a step closer.”
