Green Steel World November 2023 | Page 26

� TECHNOLOGY �
in yield or peak rate , any sublimation , or any change in structure . For conservatism , we project active material replacement every two years . As the active material can be synthesized for <$ 1 USD / kg , material replacement does not appreciably affect process economics .
Due to the use of low-cost , common materials and the fact that syngas can be made in a single step , commercialscale CAPEX is predicted to be much lower than competing renewable approaches for hydrogen or syngas production .
Advancements in thermochemical hydrogen and fuels production
The concept of two-step thermochemical water splitting or fuel production from CO 2 has been researched for decades , but progress towards successful commercialization has been impeded by a number of factors . Perhaps the most severe factor is low thermal efficiency . The active materials used in most efforts to date require massive temperature swings (> 500 ° C ) between the endothermic reduction and exothermic oxidation steps , resulting in large unrecuperable solid sensible heat losses .
The active material , an iron- and aluminum-based metal oxide .
The University of Colorado as several other advancements ( CU ) Boulder discovered from CU Boulder . i an earth-abundant active material that not only exhibits Another one of those important class-leading yields but also advancements is the discovery allows for the reduction and of improved yields by operating oxidation steps to be operated the oxidation step at higher at the same temperature . This pressures than that of the breakthrough opens the door reduction step . Pressures as for a highly efficient process high as 35 bar have been studied . that has OPEX markedly better Not only does operating at such than competing renewable pressures increase yields , but approaches . OMC was formed doing so also mitigates losses around the exclusive license otherwise associated with to this breakthrough in active downstream product ( e . g ., H 2 or material formulation , as well syngas ) compression . ii i https :// doi . org / 10.1039 / D1EE02679H ii https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / j . joule . 2023.07.016
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Green Steel World | Issue 9 | November 2023