ABOUT THE OU CHEPS PROJECT
We propose to harvest hydrogen from stranded natural gas sources with net-zero carbon emissions, and to store the produced hydrogen in abandoned oil or gas reservoirs. Existing infrastructure at abandoned wells, as well as existing natural gas pipelines, can be repurposed to transport hydrogen across the country generating the opportunity for on-demand hydrogen availability and for growth of hydrogen energy use. While green hydrogen production is currently achieved through expensive electrolytic processes, cheap hydrogen is currently produced through the so-called blue or gray hydrogen processes that involve the process of steam reforming of natural gas with carbon dioxide emissions.
We propose to use catalytic technologies developed in the last three years to produce green hydrogen from natural gas, achieving zero carbon emissions. We have plenty of these polluting natural gas sources in Oklahoma and across the country, adding vast amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (both methane and carbon dioxide are extreme greenhouse pollutants). We want to produce green Hydrogen in a safe, cost effective, and efficient manner, with support from local communities. We will explore the storage of hydrogen not only in its pristine form, but in a chemical compound form, such as methanol or ammonia. We intend to identify and model potential concerns of our communities and work together with them to enjoy the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of our innovations. Together, we can bring transformative solutions to our State and the Nation and prepare Oklahoma to be energy diversified and environmentally friendly in the future.
Figure 1. Production of pure H2 from methane in a molten metal reactor (left) and carbon production of value-added products (center: single-walled carbon nanotubes; right: carbon nanotube forests on spheres.
References
[1] Bezdek, R.H., “The hydrogen economy and jobs of the future”, Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability, 4, Art 1, 2019.