According to MiningWeekly, Anglo American, a diversified mining and sales company, is cooperating with Umicore to develop a technology through its Anglo American Platinum (Anglo American Platinum) company, hoping to change the way hydrogen is stored, and Fuel cell vehicles (FCEV) provide power.
Anglo American Group said on Monday that relying on this technology, there will be no need to build hydrogen infrastructure and supplementary fuel networks, and transmission, storage and hydrogenation facilities are considered one of the main obstacles to the promotion of clean hydrogen energy.
This joint research and development plan aims to further advance the process of chemically bonding hydrogen to liquid (the so-called liquid organic hydrogen carrier or LOHC, Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier), and realize the direct use of fuel cell vehicles (FCEV) and other vehicles based on Catalyst technology for platinum group metals.
The use of LOHC enables hydrogen to be processed and transported through conventional liquid transportation pipelines such as oil tanks and pipelines, like petroleum or gasoline, without the need for complicated facilities for gas compression. This avoids new hydrogen energy infrastructure and accelerates the promotion of hydrogen as a clean fuel. With the help of the new technology developed by Anglo American and Umicore, it is possible to carry hydrogen from LOHC for electric vehicles at a lower temperature and pressure (called a dehydrogenation step), which is simpler and cheaper than the compressed hydrogen method.
Benny Oeyen, Director of Anglo American’s Platinum Group Metals Market Development Department, introduced how LOHC technology provides an attractive, emission-free and low-cost hydrogen fuel transportation method. The company believes that platinum group metals have special catalytic properties. Help simplify logistics and make it more convenient for users. In addition, supplementing fuel is as fast as gasoline or diesel, and has similar cruising range, while reducing the cost of the entire value chain.
Through advanced LOHC dehydrogenation catalytic technology and the use of hydrogen-carrying LOHC to power mobile applications, it can solve the difficulties faced by hydrogen infrastructure and logistics, and accelerate the promotion of FCEV. Lothar Moosman, Senior Vice President, Umicore New Business Department (Lothar Mussmann) said. Mooseman’s company is a supplier of proton exchange membrane FCEV catalysts.
Anglo American Group has always been one of the earliest supporters of the hydrogen economy and understands the strategic position of hydrogen in green energy and clean transportation. “Platinum group metals can provide extremely important catalysts for green hydrogen production and hydrogen-fueled transportation and other related technologies. We are exploring technologies in this area to create a long-term investment environment that fully utilizes the potential of hydrogen”, CEO of Anglo Platinum Tasha Viljoen (Natascha Viljoen) said.
With the support of the Anglo American Platinum Group Metals Market Development Team and the assistance of Peter Wasserscheid, a professor at the University of Erlangen and the co-founder of Hydrogenious LOHC Technology, Umicore will carry out this research. Hydrogenious is a leader in the LOHC industry and is also a portfolio company of AP Venture, an independent venture capital fund company invested by Anglo American Group. Its main investment directions are hydrogen production, storage, and transportation.
Anglo American Group’s platinum group metals market development team’s task is to develop and encourage new end applications of platinum group metals. These include clean and sustainable energy solutions, fuel cells for electric vehicles, green hydrogen production and transportation, vinyl absorbents that extend the shelf life of food and reduce waste, and develop anti-cancer therapies.