Innovation Anthology #738:
Quantiam Technologies of Edmonton is developing a new way to create methanol using C02 captured from smokestacks.
But it needs hydrogen as a catalyst.
Dr. Jillian Buriak is working on that part of the process using solar energy. She’s with the University of Alberta and the National Institute for Nanotechnology.
DR. JILLIAN BURIAK: Alberta produces more hydrogen than just about every jurisdiction in the world and we use that for upgrading. So if we can produce hydrogen, we can use it to store solar energy, which would mean we could have a more constant source of power. But we can also use this hydrogen for upgrading of bitumen. Because that is of critical importance for Alberta. And where that hydrogen comes from now actually is from steam reformation of natural gas, which means you are still producing CO2 simply to produce H2, your hydrogen fuel. So if we can do this from water and do this using solar energy, then we have essentially a very clean source of hydrogen.
This project by Quantium Technologies is one of 24 chosen by the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation for its Grand Challenge competition.
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I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
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Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation
Program Date: 2015-12-08