On Target for Affordable Clean Energy from Hydrogen

In the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, next-generation hydrogen technology can help tap an abundant supply of zero-emission renewable energy. The Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that as much as 50% of the world’s energy-related carbon emissions are from sectors with potential to shift to clean hydrogen.

Production of hydrogen using low-temperature electrolysis makes the dynamic and high-current performance needed for fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), manufacturing operations, and long-duration energy storage possible, in addition to offering greater system efficiency. However, the methods that show the most promise of producing electricity from hydrogen at commercial scale, through water-splitting electrolysis, remain relatively expensive and are only fabricated in small volumes.

A team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) was recently awarded DOE Hydrogen Shot funding to help reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per kilogram (kgH2) over the next decade. Sponsored by DOE’s Basic Energy Sciences (BES) Office, the research conducted by the new Center for Ionomer-based Water Electrolysis (CIWE) will build a better understanding of the structure, evolution, and chemistry of the single-ion-conducting polymer (ionomer) interfaces that play key roles in hydrogen-generating water electrolyzers. 

“The Hydrogen Shot stakes couldn’t be higher,” said CIWE Principal Investigator and Berkeley Senior Scientist and Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Program Manager Adam Weber. “Reaching the Hydrogen Shot target requires not only scale up but also rapid innovation and leveraging fundamental science discoveries, something that CIWE is built to do.” 

The challenge stems from the dynamic and complex nature of ionomer interfaces, which act as both membrane separators and ion-conductive binders in electrodes. While low-temperature electrolysis using ionomers exhibits strong potential for producing hydrogen at a commercial scale, the properties of this interface are not fully understood. The smallest, most subtle materials changes can result in exponentially different interface behavior, which has made it tough to ensure the technology’s stability and durability.

CIWE builds on Berkeley Lab’s extensive portfolio of hydrogen research, including its collaboration with other national laboratories on the Hydrogen from Next-generation Electrolyzers of Water (H2NEW), Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT), Hydrogen Material Advanced Research (HyMARC), and HydroGEN consortiums. The CIWE multidisciplinary team of two national laboratories and six universities includes Colorado School of Mines, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Texas Tech University, University of Oregon, and three University of California locations.

Berkeley Lab is also co-leading with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and partnering with Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories to launch the Clean Hydrogen Technology Alignment Cooperative (CHyTAC). The goal of the project is to bring together stakeholders across industries and communities to identify, disseminate, and drive application of clean hydrogen solutions by facilitating discussion and overcoming around market liftoff barriers.

In addition, Berkeley Lab has joined the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Sources (ARCHES), California’s public-private hydrogen (H2) hub consortium to accelerate the development and deployment of renewable, clean H2 projects and infrastructure. Berkeley Lab is spearheading the critical system analysis part of ARCHES as well as providing leadership expertise to the organization.

CIWE, CHyTAC, and ARCHES are just a few of the many clean energy innovations under exploration at Berkeley Lab. Read more about DOE’s Hydrogen Shot initiative, and visit the Berkeley website to learn more about the lab’s clean hydrogen research and other Energy Technologies Area undertakings.