Researchers at the University of Birmingham have created a perovskite catalyst that produces hydrogen from water at significantly reduced temperatures. The advance could allow industrial waste heat to generate clean fuel more affordably than current methods.
A team led by Professor Yulong Ding developed the BNCF perovskite material, which splits water into hydrogen at 150-500 degrees Celsius. Regeneration of the catalyst occurs at 700-1000 degrees Celsius, about 500 degrees lower than existing thermochemical systems. The findings, published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, show the material maintained stability across 10 production cycles. Preliminary economic analysis indicates the process could cost less than green hydrogen from electrolysis or blue hydrogen from methane with carbon capture. The University of Birmingham collaborated with the University of Science and Technology Beijing on the project. University of Birmingham Enterprise has filed a patent and is seeking partners for commercialization in the UK and Europe. Professor Ding noted that the lower temperatures could enable hydrogen production near renewable energy sites and industrial facilities with abundant waste heat, reducing needs for storage and transport infrastructure.