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					</table>A group of researchers at the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Melbourne</a> have developed a way to generate hydrogen directly from the air, eliminating the dependency on freshwater resources and providing a new direction for a carbon-free future.
Green hydrogen is considered the ultimate clean energy because burning hydrogen does not release carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, unlike fossil fuels. Moreover, green hydrogen uses renewable energies — solar, wind, geothermal or tidal in its production. Hydrogen can also store the power produced by renewable sources and complements renewables by offering a continuous power supply.
The team of researchers successfully developed a working prototype of a device that produces hydrogen without consuming freshwater resources. The tech is called Direct Air Electrolyzer (DAE) and works by draining water directly from the air before going through the standard electrolysis process.
The idea came to the lead researcher, Kevin Gang Li while considering how water supply challenges hydrogen production.
Producing hydrogen via water electrolysis requires a very clean supply of water, which is scarce. While purification processes are available, they add complexity and cost to the overall production. According to an U.N.-Water report in 2021, around 2.3 billion people live in water-stressed countries. Moreover, industrial power plants, agriculture, and other industries consume a substantial amount of water.
“We see an area with no groundwater and think it is unsuitable for hydrogen production. But there is always abundant fresh water in the air,” said Gang Li. “Even Alice Springs (a town in Australia), which is part of the desert, has around 20% relative humidity. This is more than enough for us to produce hydrogen onsite using renewable energy,” he added.
What is Direct Air Electrolyzer?
In what appears to be the first report of pure hydrogen production directly from the air, the device produces hydrogen when exposed to air. Unlike electrolyzers that use liquid water, the air is used to feed the device.
Like any other electrolyzer, DAE is made of a panel of metal plates — the electrodes — which supply a current for the water splitting process. The innovation is the porous medium between the plates, soaked with a chemical &#8211; hygroscopic ionic solution that can absorb moisture from air spontaneously. The core of the invention is that this material can take water molecules from the air. Once taken from the air, it becomes liquid and is ready for electrolysis.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hydrogen.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-42075 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hydrogen.png" alt="Hydrogen" width="941" height="566" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hydrogen.png 941w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hydrogen-300x180.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hydrogen-768x462.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hydrogen-650x391.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hydrogen-624x375.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Hydrogen-600x361.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 941px) 100vw, 941px" /></a>
Possibilities with DAE 
The innovation decouples hydrogen production from the limitations of the world&#8217;s freshwater resources. It provides economic and environmental benefits and opens vast potential applications wherein pure hydrogen could be generated anywhere on earth.
“Renewables could still be used during the day, but DAE could convert part of the solar to hydrogen, which can be stored, to allow for a continuous supply of power that would remove any reliance on fossil fuels,” Li says.
In the context of high-carbon industries, the DAE may offer complete decarbonization by combining the technology with solar and other renewables currently used to lower emissions. Another large scale-opportunity that the innovation provides is integrating the technology with existing systems to further lower emissions. For instance, if it is paired with gas grids or boosts green hydrogen production. Energy companies could embed it within their existing solar farms and produce sustainable hydrogen for global export.
However, DAE is not set to replace conventional modes of hydrogen production entirely, but instead, be a “perfect complementary.” The device is believed to be capable of easily being upscaled and coupled with renewables. It can generate high-purity hydrogen continuously at a relative humidity as low as 4% and is technically and structurally viable and low maintenance.
A research team from the <a href="https://iisc.ac.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Institute of Science</a>, Bengaluru, has found a way to <a href="https://mercomindia.com/indian-researchers-extract-hydrogen-biomass/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extract</a> green hydrogen from biomass, a renewable energy source. In the first step, biomass is converted into syngas – a hydrogen-rich fuel gas mixture – in a novel reactor using oxygen and steam. In the second step, pure hydrogen is generated from syngas using an indigenously developed low-pressure gas separation unit.
A recent report by government think tank NITI Aayog, in partnership with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), <a href="https://mercomindia.com/niti-aayog-ten-steps-make-india-hydrogen-hub/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prescribed</a> ten ways India could emerge as the global hub of green hydrogen.

Melbourne University Researchers Build Device to Generate Hydrogen from Air

South Korea&#8217;s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) has announced that it would allow domestic electricity consumers to purchase electricity from renewable sources as part of the RE100 initiative.
<a href="https://www.there100.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">RE 100</a> is a global initiative by companies committed to using 100% renewable energy. The initiative had brought around 140 multinational companies together to fight climate change so far. Currently, the initiative has over 280 members.
Both industrial and general electricity consumers can participate in the K-RE100 (Korea- RE100) system through registration at the state-run <a href="https://dco.energy.or.kr/renew_eng/main/main.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Korea Energy Agency</a>. Electricity from renewable sources will be procured through a green premium system, third party power purchase agreement (PPA), purchase of renewable energy certificates (REC), or self-generation.
By participating in the K-RE100 system, the companies will be recognized for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Ministry of Environment is revising relevant guidelines on detailed energy sources and reducing emissions. Moreover, the government will prepare various support measures to promote renewable energy use.
According to MOTIE, when renewable energy is becoming a necessity, the K-RE100 system is expected to strengthen domestic companies&#8217; global competitiveness further and accelerate the energy transition.
Last year, the President of South Korea, Moon Jae-in, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/after-china-japan-pledge-carbon-neutral/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">declared</a> that South Korea would become carbon-neutral by 2050. In his speech in the national assembly of South Korea, Moon Jae-in said that 8 trillion Korean Won (KRW) (~$7.06 billion) had been invested in the Green New Deal to tackle the climate change crisis.
Recently, SK Group, South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate, including SK Holdings, SK Telecom, SK Hynix, SKC, SK Materials, and SK Siltron joined the RE100 initiative. These companies together cover a range of industries including chip manufacturing, chemicals and bio-pharmacy, and telecommunications. Together they have an enormous electricity demand of over 31 terawatts per year which is equivalent to over 5% of South Korea’s electricity use. SK Holdings is aiming to power its operations with 100% renewable power by 2030, while SK Hynix and the other companies are targeting 2050.
The Korean Society for New and Renewable Energy (KSNRE), a non-profit organization registered under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy) is working towards creating awareness about renewable energy. KSNRE is the campaign partner for RE100 in the Republic of Korea, providing information to companies about the benefits of RE100 and supporting the interests of Korean and international RE100 members locally.
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South Korea’s C&I, Residential Consumers to Buy Renewables as part of RE100 Initiative

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