Climate change is a burning issue in every country, and there are ways to reduce carbon emissions by using a hydrogen carrier. Honeywell has introduced a new hydrogen carrier that enables a more efficient and safer way to ship and store hydrogen. According to the carrier, this mode of transport can also match the international demand.
Introducing Honeywell Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier
The hydrogen carrier is also aimed at dealing with the challenges of hydrogen transportation for the future. Honeywell says the LOHC vessel can cut costs and will also play a crucial role as most economies shift to carbon-neutral economies.
While this shift cannot just happen overnight and immediately owing to various reasons. One example is due to the existence of important economic, technological and institutional barrier that shall be overcome.
One of these technological barrier that has been getting attention recently is to improve the storage through Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC).
With its history recorded in over a century, Honeywell UOP has skilled engineers who have shaped the refining and gas processing industries.
As a member of the American Chemistry Council and Responsible Care, this conglomerate says that is the foundation for sustainability in its business.
Looking at its footprint, Honeywell UOP operates in several continents such as the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East making it a reputable business partner.
How Hydrogen is transported
For valid reasons when it comes to challenges facing the transportation of hydrogen, there is an immediate need to technologically improve the storage through Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC).
“It is important to emphasize that, although the research of LOHC for hydrogen storage has started recently, these chemical reactions that involve hydrogen have been successfully used in the industry for decades, for example, for the modification of vegetable oils and petroleum products,” says H2Vector.com.
“A hydrogenation reaction consists of the addition of hydrogen to a compound. Moreover, during this process, it is produced a compensation of the energy. The hydrogenation reaction is exothermic, while the dehydrogenation is endothermic.
“This implies the liberated energy in the first reaction is equal to the energy that it is necessary to be added for the second reaction to happen, achieving ideally an energetic requirement equal to zero.”
Why choosing a hydrogen carrier is the best option
In every situation, there are pros and cons when it comes to considering the best solution in a business space. We also take a look at why choosing opting for a hydrogen carrier can be recommended.
Honeywell further reports that this is the best option as it offers an odourless and comes with low density but there are risks.
“Hydrogen is usually transported as either a liquid or in ammonia or methane over long distances. There are fewer flammable fluids and it is relatively cheaper to transport than liquid hydrogen, which is highly explosive, suffers a high boil-off, and requires costly vessels and new dedicated infrastructure,” reports LOHC while looking at the shortcomings.
“High purity, unlike hydrogen recovered after reconversion from methanol. Non-toxic, unlike ammonia with its safety and environmental concerns, with at least as cost-effective reconversion, without purity concerns.”
With such challenges being addressed, LOHC is still a cost-effective and safer carrier for clean hydrogen, which can even use existing refinery assets1.
As the company takes the safety of its workers and the environment as a priority, it’s possibly high time to consider this hydrogen carrier as it is a path towards the future.
At the same time, Honeywell says by introducing a Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier, it now also aims to overcome the challenges of hydrogen transportation while observing the effects on nature.