Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) are a promising form to store hydrogen. However, the process of dehydrogenation has to be demonstrated for applications with proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells which require very pure hydrogen. Here we document the measured degradation effects due to CO contamination on a PEM fuel cell that is supplied with hydrogen from a LOHC and we want to use later in a maritime application.

The aim of the presented project is the technological development of hydrogen storage in methanol. This technology enables the carbon dioxide-based chemical storage of renewable energies as well as a decentralized supply of energy and hydrogen. Additional advantages are the very good compatibility with the existing infrastructure for liquid energy storage as well as the temporal decoupling of energy production and consumption. The latter can be managed independently, thus taking into account the fluctuating nature of wind and solar energy. The centrepiece is the use of new catalysts and processes that enable the chemical reactions in the methanol cycle under mild conditions.

Basing on the figure “Power to Hydrogen / Power to Gas”, shown by the authors at the last HTRSE conference, this time it will be illustrated, that green hydrogen - produced with renewable energy - has the potential to become a basic material in the economy at general instead of fossil one. Synergies are available. But the low price of hydrogen produced via steam reformation of natural gas prevents to reach business cases for environment friendly products as long as the European laws and regulations do not support production and use of green hydrogen for instance by a tax for CO2 emission.