Electrochemical methods for hydrogen production

This book reviews experimental- and commercial-scale techniques and technologies for the electrochemical production of hydrogen gas in anticipation of a hydrogen economy to replace fossil fuel consumption.

The preface reads as a perfect summary of the book – stating the requirement to move away from fossil fuels as the world’s primary source of energy and towards more environmentally friendly alternatives, then proceeding to summarise what a reader can expect from the book.

The introduction explains the fundamentals of electrolytic production of hydrogen, as well as storage in such a way that this is an excellent source material for someone with experience in electrolysis and looking to move towards hydrogen production. It highlights some of the primary challenges associated with storage and transportation of hydrogen and some of the methods that have been developed to overcome or, at least, mitigate these.

Eight different electrochemical methods are analysed in detail, with dozens of studies referenced in each case. Throughout the analyses, the authors make significant efforts to summarise the performance and cost of the technologies comparably, whilst highlighting the limitations of these comparisons. In particular, some methods are commercial scale and others only experimental scale. In each case, the maturity of the technology is clearly highlighted and, if it has been demonstrated beyond initial development, the capacity is discussed, where possible.

The materials used for each technique are reviewed and discussed in detail, including the methods of preparation and assembly. There are clear statements in each chapter regarding areas that require further development to facilitate the use of the technologies at commercial scale. The authors also consider whether each technology is suitably efficient for use as replacement for fossil fuel in energy infrastructure.

The penultimate chapter introduces a USA Department of Energy (DoE) analysis tool, and the process of its use, for calculating a comparable cost of hydrogen production before reviewing studies concerning the technologies already reviewed throughout the book. Importantly, it compares these techniques to steam reformation of natural gas and coal gasification, though the authors highlight that there are no environmental considerations in this analysis, it is purely financial.

The grammar is quite inconsistent through the book, meaning that some chapters flow better than others. However, this does not hinder the quality of the content. Overall, it is a superb resource for researchers in hydrogen production or alternative fuels and gives significant direction on where each technique would benefit from research and development.

Reference

Electrochemical Methods for Hydrogen Production, ed. K. Scott, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1039/9781788016049