HYDROGEN PRODUCTION WITHOUT EMISSION

[Anchor Lead]

Hydrogen is gaining attention as the source of clean energy, but hydrogen used as fuel actually emits significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Domestic researchers have developed a method that doesn't produce carbon dioxide by electrolyzing water using sunlight.

[Pkg]

Hydrogen used as fuel comes from natural gas, which is a fossil fuel. 10 kilograms of carbon dioxide is emitted to produce one kilogram of hydrogen, so it's not entirely a clean fuel. When an artificial sun is directed, bubbles rise up toward an electrode submerged in water. This method does not produce CO2 because hydrogen is generated by electrolyzing water using sunlight. This method is not new, but has drawbacks, such as the corrosion of the electrode. Also, the application of a protective cover made the process much less efficient. However Korean researchers have now developed a new protective cover using titanium dioxide.

[Soundbite] Kim An-sun(Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science) : "In a world-first, we found that power flows through the protective cover. We developed an optimum cover with high conductivity that stops the electrode‘s corrosion."

Here we see a stark contrast in the surface condition of electrodes that used the protective cover and another one that did not. In the case of an electrode without protection, the efficiency level in hydrogen production dropped to 20% after one hour of operation. But this figure was 85% even after 100 hours for a covered electrode.

[Soundbite] Hong Seong-woong(Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science) : "By raising the hydrogen production rate using solar energy, we have inched closer to commercializing green hydrogen technology without carbon emission."

The latest finding has been published as the cover story in an international academic journal.