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Creating carbon-negative ‘green’ hydrogen to fuel our world

University of Canterbury engineering researchers are developing a carbon-neutral – even carbon-negative – way to create clean ‘green’ hydrogen to power our world more sustainably.

University of Canterbury Chemical and Process Engineers Professor Shusheng Pang (left) and Associate Professor Alex Yip.

Professor Pang, who has a background in wood science and technology, explains: “One of our current projects is working on converting biomass into hydrogen. Hydrogen is clean energy with huge potential for creating a more sustainable future, however 95% of the hydrogen currently used in the world comes from fossil fuels.

“To replace these fossil fuels, derived green hydrogen requires multiple, renewable resources. New Zealand’s forestry industry is well positioned to meet this biomass demand. Currently New Zealand harvests 36 million cubic metres of logs annually and only 40% is processed within New Zealand, with the remaining 60% exported as raw logs. We can use biowaste from forest harvesting and wood processing, as well as low quality logs, for the value-added green hydrogen,” Professor Pang says.

“Working with Hot Lime Labs, a new starting company in Lower Hutt, we also capture CO² (greenhouse gas carbon dioxide) to make the whole process carbon-negative. We develop new catalysts – which is Alex’s expertise – to make the process more efficient.”

Carbon dioxide captured from this process could be used in plant greenhouses, fertiliser manufacturing and methanol or ethanol production.

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