• Norwegian company Hydrogen Mem-Tech has developed palladium membrane technology, separating hydrogen from bio and natural gas
  • Strategic Elements has made a ‘breakthrough’ in generating electricity from moisture
  • ChemX Materials produces 99.7% manganese sulphate purity from initial test work, building on its battery materials strategy

 

International majors such as AP Ventures, Yara Growth Ventures, Shell Ventures, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures and SINTEF Venture are investing around NOK 170mn ($25m) into palladium membrane technology, which separates hydrogen from bio and natural gas.

Hydrogen Mem-Tech (HMT), a Norwegian company established in 2017, has developed a process where clean hydrogen is produced from bio and natural gas while the CO2 and other residual gases are captured and can then be utilised or sequestered, due to palladium being a hydrogen selective metal,

Building on more than 20 years of research from SINTEF, one of Europe’s largest research institutes with expertise in science and technology, HMT says the palladium membrane tech has been not only been extensively tested and piloted over the last 10 years but is patented technology that seperates hydrogen from CO2 prior to combustion, in a specially designed separator.

For Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures, this investment into HMT is very strategic – investment director Richard Riggs says hydrogen and capture technologies are “of the highest importance” to Aramco.

“HMT’s technology enables the adoption of hydrogen and ammonia and fuels the progress society needs for a cleaner energy future,” he said.

“We are excited to help them take the next steps and explore the many potential applications across industries.”

 

To ASX renewable energy news

Strategic Elements (ASX:SOR)

One of the top 10 at 10 winners this morning in early trade, venture tech firm SOR says it has made a ‘breakthrough’ in generating electricity from moisture, after demonstrating its battery technology has the potential to increase the electrical charge capacity from milliamp-hours (mAh) to ampere-hours (Ah).

“It wasn’t long ago that many said it was impossible to produce any usable energy from moisture,” the company said today in a market announcement.

“Our team experienced a lot of scepticism – for us to now realistically target the ampere-hour range generation of electrical energy solely from humidity in the air is a huge achievement.

“Our technology doesn’t rely on rare materials and carries no safety risks, and in addition, can provide flexibility to electronics.”

Applications for its trademark products EnergyInk and Powered by Moisture have been registered and will be adopted moving forward.

Unlike lithium-based batteries, Energy Ink uses green, sustainable materials that are safe and non-flammable and, when printed onto flexible plastic, can be flexed and bent around the human body or structures.

Flexibility characteristics of the technology are being measured and validated for use in electronic skin patch applications.

A technology demonstrator meeting both power and flexibility requirements is currently under development and intended to be completed in Q3, 2022.

 

Strategic Elements (ASX:SOR) share price today

 

ChemX Materials (ASX:CMX)

Manganese is an essential component of the lithium battery, in particular nickel-cobalt manganese (NCM) batteries which are the predominant battery chemistry utilised by major auto manufacturers including Volkswagen (the world’s largest vehicle maker), Tesla and Renault, all stating that manganese is a key part of their future development.

An important milestone has been achieved today by CMX – an initial test work program returned 99.7% manganese sulphate purity for its High Purity Manganese Sulphate Monohydrate (HPMSM) project.

The very positive result continues to build on ChemX’s South Australian battery materials strategy and supports plans for ongoing exploration at the Jamieson Tank Manganese Project on the Eyre Peninsula.

Jamieson is aimed at producing HPMSM for lithium battery cathodes, where assay results are pending before further processing testwork can be undertaken.

 

ChemX (ASX:CMX) share price today