Metal borohydrides as chemical energy carrier

Non-fossil fuels are urgently needed for maritime and inland shipping applications to mitigate the sector’s adverse impact on the global climate. We investigate the performance of potassium borohydride (KBH4) as an alternative, carbon-free energy carrier. Hydrogen can easily be released from KBH4 through hydrolysis, i.e., through the reaction between KBH4 and water (H2O) producing hydrogen that can be converted to electricity in fuel cells. The produced KBO2 can in principle be regenerated using green hydrogen closing the carbon-free energy cycle.

Contact: Andrea Düll, Olaf Deutschmann

Funding: internal

Collaborations:

Electriq Global Energy Solutions Ltd.

Gadi Rothenberg (University of Amsterdam)

Publication:

A. Düll, P. Rohlfs, O. Deutschmann, M. Börnhorst. Performance evaluation of KBH4 as energy carrier for shipping applications. Chemie Ingenieur Technik 94 (2022) 747–759.
DOI: 10.1002/cite.202100193
KBH4 (potassium borohydride) as carbon-free energy carrier
KBH4 as energy carrier