SRTIP, AUS to launch applied research ecosystem Green Hydrogen

A team of researchers, comprising faculty members and post-graduate students of the Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) Program, is conducting unique experiments and research in order to develop low-cost technologies for the generation of Green Hydrogen and synfuel through direct electrolysis of sea water. The team is also in the process of developing research for producing new and durable materials for electrolyzers, that can help minimize the cost of these processes, with further developments to enhance the performance of electrolysis devices. Moreover, they seek the innovation of other ways to use hydrogen and develop hands-on solutions for its transport. 

A proposed solution is to convert the generated hydrogen into fuels and chemicals for easier transportation. Green Hydrogen can be converted into carrier molecules e.g., ammonia, methanol and formic acid. AUS scientists are researching the production and use of various hydrogen-carrying molecules in industry, power generation and transportation applications.

Being interested, SRTI Park is attracting a new type of companies and entrepreneurs in this discipline to promote investment in technology sectors and set up future companies specialised in the synfuel sector and its solutions and based in the SRTI Park, which is attracting companies and investments specialised in hydrogen generation, storage, distribution and final use technologies.

"This cooperation with AUS is targeting to transform these research and experiments into an applied reality through the integration between the academia and the private sector under the patronage of the government.", said Hussain Al Mahmoudi, CEO of the STRI Park. "There is a lot of advanced research done by researchers in AUS laboratories and in many sectors and disciplines. Our role in the STRI Park is then to find appropriate mechanisms to apply and turn such research into investments. This is well translated by this cooperation; we promote the research and conduct direct communication and negotiations with investors and businesses. This further enables us to bring specialised world-wide research, get pilot projects and initiate a wide-scale testing phase".

This is an invitation to entrepreneurs and investors to seize this opportunity and get to their work under SRTI Park to become part of a vital and integrated center for energy innovations, providing them with all facilities in a scientific investment environment that keeps them alerted of the latest updates and scientific developmental research in this sector through existing in a university town that enables them to directly communicate and interact with many experts in research and development facilities specialised in hydrogen-generating research, making it easier for them to access business opportunities, approach their target leads in various promising markets and further enhance their businesses regionally and globally.

Adopted as a source of energy, hydrogen will bring about many opportunities. Green Hydrogen is relied upon under the strategy to diversify energy sources and create a solid ground to be a basis for clean and renewable energy, located at the core of the UAE Next 50 Vision, which helps to achieve its goals for sustainable development and promoting its leadership in the future industries sector, including Hydrogen, being a promising future-proof sector. It will make a qualitative leapfrog in green endeavors for strengthening the foundations of sustainability and consolidating the pillars of Green Economy under the ever-growing global trend towards reducing the emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs).

Dr. Mahmoud Anabtawi, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at AUS, stressed the need to cooperate with the SRTI Park to address major global challenges in energy and rapid environmental changes and identify alternative sustainable energy sources.

"AUS is committed to developing the next generation of experts and researchers in science, engineering and design through its various research programs to find solutions to the effects of these crises. Our partnership with SRTI Park offers tremendous opportunities in this regard", added Dr. Anabtawi.

AUS researchers are working in various research areas relating to energy and environment materials, including green technologies. Dr. Anabtawi explained that those research endeavors help to promote the efforts exerted by Sharjah and the UAE to move forward towards a knowledge-based economy, which will have a positive impact on improving the overall quality of life.

SRTI Park and AUS are consolidating their efforts to keep pace with global efforts of the energy transformation track and launch new solutions that will accelerate diversification and decarbonization strategies through developing plans and insights on how the energy industry will respond to the resulting challenges of Covid-19 and how it adapts more broadly in the face of rapid energy transformations and the growing global ambitions of sustainable energy integrated value chains, along with reaching net zero emissions.

Global reports say that Green Hydrogen can meet up to 25% of the world energy requirements in less than 30 years, with a market value of +$10 trillion. There are two types of hydrogen: Blue Hydrogen and Green Hydrogen. The former is derived from natural gas and oil, while the latter comes from of solar energy and water.

The global market for Green Hydrogen is expected to reach $300 billion by 2050, and to help to provide about 400,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector all over the world. The global demand for Green Hydrogen will reach about 530 million metric tons by 2050 to be a substitute for burning about 10.4 billion barrels of oil.

With the increasing importance of the Green Hydrogen sector along with the growing international efforts to reduce carbon emissions and build up a more sustainable future, the new fuel has gained growing interest from governments and investors for its role in creating promising investment opportunities. Green Hydrogen will also have significant contributions to global energy transformations in the future. It is a safe alternative to fossil fuels with lower carbon emissions.