As temperatures climb and extreme weather events pummel various parts of the world, nations are starting to realise that greener ways of powering cities and economies are needed.
Renewable energy, such as that from the sun, wind or tides, is a solution that has been widely deployed around the world.
But alternative “clean fuels” such as hydrogen gas have also been gaining attention from the research community, including Singapore.
Renewable energy sources are often intermittent. Even in sunny Singapore, solar energy has its limits. Overcast days, for instance, make it harder for solar panels to do their job.
But if excess electricity produced during sunny, cloudless days can be stored, such zero-emissions electricity can power offices and homes even when there is no sunlight.
In Singapore, SP Group is testing a hydrogen energy system at its concept lab in Woodleigh.
The system, developed in partnership with investment firm Marubeni Corporation and Tohoku University in Japan, generates green hydrogen through electrolysis powered by solar energy.
The hydrogen is then stored in special tanks comprising a metal alloy. Hydrogen atoms bind to the metal alloy, allowing it to be stored safely at low pressure.
Since October 2019, the building, which consumes about 2,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month – equivalent to the monthly usage of five four-room Housing Board flats – has been able to operate independently from the national grid.
SP Group said this makes the building the first zero-emission building in South-east Asia.
There are other “net-zero” energy buildings here, which typically harness solar energy. These buildings produce more energy than they consume, but may still draw from the national grid at night.
While the cost of such hydrogen energy systems is high today, more research and greater deployment would bring costs down, Mr Goh said, pointing to a similar trend in solar photovoltaic technology.
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Source: The Straits Times, 29 February 2020