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A bold move to hydrogen?
POLICY NEWS
A bold move to hydrogen?
Fuel for thought
Chris Clark, chief executive of specialty chemical company Johnson Matthey, adds his voice to the calls for a move toward a hydrogen economy. Speaking in London on his acceptance of the Society of the Chemical Industry's Centenary Medal, he called on legislators to prioritize sustainable energy technology. "Whilst fuel cells and the hydrogen economy are not with us today, the time to define the change is now," he said. "The need for sustainability is more widely recognized, bringing with it the requirement for processes to be increasingly energy efficient, producing fewer by-products, and less harmful emissions. It is clear that a hydrogen economy would make… environmental sense, being truly sustainable." The time has come, he said, for legislators to grapple with the issue and set "bold, technology-forcing targets".
A new report on the demands in raw materials for batteries and fuel cells predicts mixed fortunes. Batteries and fuel cells are well used for backup power, industrial vehicles, and starting cars, and are finding new applications in military systems, electric vehicles, and power generation from hydrogen and other clean fuels. Despite this, the study by Business Communications Company, Inc. found that the market for materials fell slightly in 2001 from S1.45 billion to $1.37 billion. The report, RGB-266A Materials for Large Size Batteries and Fuel Cells, nevertheless predicts an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 12% over the next five years. A breakdown of the figures reveals that lead components and other materials used in lead-acid batteries are predicted to show fairly flat growth rates over this period 0.8% and 1.7%, respectively. Because of this trend, the market for organic materials, which are used as electrolytes
Sustainability was also high on the agenda at the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association conference in Adelaide. While CSIRO petroleum chief Adrian Williams did not go so far as advocating a hydrogen economy, he did highlight the challenges ahead. "The challenge for all of us, including the science community, is to determine how we can take advantage of a rich endowment of energy and minerals, enhance sustainability across the full energy system and continue to improve air quality and address greenhouse gas emissions. All of this without compromising our material well being and competitiveness," he said. Williams outlined his argument for Australia to move towards more gas-based fuels – and the use of saline aquifers to deal with the CO 2 emission problem.
Milestone for materials A new Materials Physics Laboratory at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, represents “a major milestone” according to its director Neville Greaves. The £2 million facility features three state-of-the-art spectrometers, a Class 1000 cleanroom, and a ceramics laboratory. A £1.7 million virtual reality visualization facility is planned for 2003. Research will be focused on practical materials, says
24
July/August 2002
Greaves, “including glasses and semiconductors, as well as the new materials of the 21st century: nanocrystals, zeolites, composite materials, quantum dots, and organic light emitters.” The University has established links with Pilkingtons, Bruker, Sopra, De Beers Industrial Diamonds, and NASA, and is a partner in a e1.4 million European effort to develop organic semiconductor devices for displays.
and battery separators, is not predicted to grow from its current $40 million value. Non-lead-acid battery materials such as the platinum group metals, titanium, zirconium, lithium, carbon, and rare earth compounds are predicted to grow at a much stronger AAGR of 66%. Such a growth rate means that by 2006, if predictions are correct, the market for these high demand materials will be approaching that of lead ($936 million compared with $1188 million in 2006). Other battery and fuel cell materials like chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, aluminum compounds, nickel and iron compounds, halogens, silver, cobalt compounds, vanadium, tantalum, barium, strontium, boron compounds, indium, gallium, sodium, potassium, and zinc will represent a market of $167 million in 2006, representing an AAGR of over 36%. For further information: www.bccresearch.com
Silicon for solar applications Advanced Silicon Materials LLC (ASiMI), US manufacturer of polycrystalline silicon, and Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) of Norway are joining forces to supply silicon for solar applications. The letter of intent agrees that ASiMI will provide its Moses Lake silane gas plant and related facilities, while REC will provide financing for granular polycrystalline silicon technology development
and working capital. “The joint venture should become a major milestone to reduce future shortages of silicon for the solar industry,” says Reidar Langmo, president of REC. “It will also offer an opportunity for the solar industry to grow with minimal impacts of semiconductor market conditions and lead to stabilization of silicon raw material prices.”
A bold move to hydrogen?
Fuel for thought
Chris Clark, chief executive of specialty chemical company Johnson Matthey, adds his voice to the calls for a move toward a hydrogen economy. Speaking in London on his acceptance of the Society of the Chemical Industry's Centenary Medal, he called on legislators to prioritize sustainable energy technology. "Whilst fuel cells and the hydrogen economy are not with us today, the time to define the change is now," he said. "The need for sustainability is more widely recognized, bringing with it the requirement for processes to be increasingly energy efficient, producing fewer by-products, and less harmful emissions. It is clear that a hydrogen economy would make… environmental sense, being truly sustainable." The time has come, he said, for legislators to grapple with the issue and set "bold, technology-forcing targets".
A new report on the demands in raw materials for batteries and fuel cells predicts mixed fortunes. Batteries and fuel cells are well used for backup power, industrial vehicles, and starting cars, and are finding new applications in military systems, electric vehicles, and power generation from hydrogen and other clean fuels. Despite this, the study by Business Communications Company, Inc. found that the market for materials fell slightly in 2001 from S1.45 billion to $1.37 billion. The report, RGB-266A Materials for Large Size Batteries and Fuel Cells, nevertheless predicts an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 12% over the next five years. A breakdown of the figures reveals that lead components and other materials used in lead-acid batteries are predicted to show fairly flat growth rates over this period 0.8% and 1.7%, respectively. Because of this trend, the market for organic materials, which are used as electrolytes
Sustainability was also high on the agenda at the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association conference in Adelaide. While CSIRO petroleum chief Adrian Williams did not go so far as advocating a hydrogen economy, he did highlight the challenges ahead. "The challenge for all of us, including the science community, is to determine how we can take advantage of a rich endowment of energy and minerals, enhance sustainability across the full energy system and continue to improve air quality and address greenhouse gas emissions. All of this without compromising our material well being and competitiveness," he said. Williams outlined his argument for Australia to move towards more gas-based fuels – and the use of saline aquifers to deal with the CO 2 emission problem.
Milestone for materials A new Materials Physics Laboratory at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, represents “a major milestone” according to its director Neville Greaves. The £2 million facility features three state-of-the-art spectrometers, a Class 1000 cleanroom, and a ceramics laboratory. A £1.7 million virtual reality visualization facility is planned for 2003. Research will be focused on practical materials, says
24
July/August 2002
Greaves, “including glasses and semiconductors, as well as the new materials of the 21st century: nanocrystals, zeolites, composite materials, quantum dots, and organic light emitters.” The University has established links with Pilkingtons, Bruker, Sopra, De Beers Industrial Diamonds, and NASA, and is a partner in a e1.4 million European effort to develop organic semiconductor devices for displays.
and battery separators, is not predicted to grow from its current $40 million value. Non-lead-acid battery materials such as the platinum group metals, titanium, zirconium, lithium, carbon, and rare earth compounds are predicted to grow at a much stronger AAGR of 66%. Such a growth rate means that by 2006, if predictions are correct, the market for these high demand materials will be approaching that of lead ($936 million compared with $1188 million in 2006). Other battery and fuel cell materials like chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, aluminum compounds, nickel and iron compounds, halogens, silver, cobalt compounds, vanadium, tantalum, barium, strontium, boron compounds, indium, gallium, sodium, potassium, and zinc will represent a market of $167 million in 2006, representing an AAGR of over 36%. For further information: www.bccresearch.com
Silicon for solar applications Advanced Silicon Materials LLC (ASiMI), US manufacturer of polycrystalline silicon, and Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) of Norway are joining forces to supply silicon for solar applications. The letter of intent agrees that ASiMI will provide its Moses Lake silane gas plant and related facilities, while REC will provide financing for granular polycrystalline silicon technology development
and working capital. “The joint venture should become a major milestone to reduce future shortages of silicon for the solar industry,” says Reidar Langmo, president of REC. “It will also offer an opportunity for the solar industry to grow with minimal impacts of semiconductor market conditions and lead to stabilization of silicon raw material prices.”