Open AccessPerspective—Electrochemical Gasification: Revisiting an Old Reaction in New Perspective and Turning “Black” Hydrogen to “Blue”
Author(s) -
Turgut M. Gür
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of the electrochemical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 271
eISSN - 1945-7111
pISSN - 0013-4651
DOI - 10.1149/1945-7111/ac3853
Subject(s) - hydrogen economy , power to gas , hydrogen production , renewable energy , hydrogen , hydrogen fuel , hydrogen technologies , fossil fuel , electrolysis of water , energy carrier , high temperature electrolysis , coal gasification , electrochemistry , electricity , polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis , electrolysis , environmental science , process engineering , electricity generation , waste management , chemistry , coal , engineering , power (physics) , electrical engineering , physics , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , electrode , electrolyte
Hydrogen is an essential component of the clean energy economy aimed at mitigating climate change. However, fossil fuel-based conventional technologies for hydrogen production require expensive post-separation operations to purify H 2 and capture the resulting CO 2 emissions. “Green” hydrogen is highly desirable, but renewable energy currently lacks sufficient capacity, reliability, and cost advantage for water electrolysis. This perspective article introduces the novel concept of electrochemical gasification in solid oxide fuel cells, where electricity for electrolysis is replaced with cheaper chemical energy. This scheme turns otherwise “black” (or, brown) hydrogen to “blue” by spontaneous co-production of carbon-free hydrogen, capture-ready CO 2 and electrical power.