Hydrogen stored in solid form:

A new safe method for hydrogen storage has been developed thanks to the collaboration between Oxford University, Cardiff, Cambridge and King Abdulaziz University (KACST) in Saudi Arabia.

According to one of the authors of the study, Peter Edwards, “this finding of a material for the efficient storage of hydrogen can open the door to the large-scale application of fuel cells in vehicles.”

Details about the new form of storage:

The researchers say that hydrocarbon wax releases large amounts of hydrogen rapidly when activated with catalysts and microwaves, which could be a solution to store that gas stably.

For those who do not know, hydrocarbons are natural resources rich in hydrogen with well-established infrastructures. The team has developed highly selective catalysts with the help of microwave irradiation, which allows the extraction of hydrogen from hydrocarbons very quickly through a non-oxidative dehydrogenation process.

I think this new form of storage can eliminate the main disadvantage of hydrogen, find a material that is light and at the same time allows to store hydrogen without any risk.

Sustainable or unsustainable process?

Developers say that wax can be made from sustainable processes, it does not catch fire and it does not pollute the environment, so it is safe for both drivers and passengers.

In my opinion the storage method is very interesting but “sustainability” should be demonstrated with clearer data because it is a wax from hydrocarbons that gives us back to the problem, where do these hydrocarbons come from?

This new hydrogen storage technology, which has been paralyzed for years, can help launch the long-awaited hydrogen economy. I hope that in a few years we can talk about a new source of clean energy.