New Zealand’s rapidly growing interest in hydrogen power has prompted the University of Otago to host the country’s first research-focused symposium, bringing together international expertise on hydrogen.
The New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium (NZHS-1) will be held next week (February 1-3) as a multidisciplinary meeting to discuss the latest research on hydrogen. It will bring together local and international speakers, and delegates from iwi, universities, government research agencies, policy and industrial partners.
Hydrogen fuel is a potential key component of a carbon-neutral future. When consumed in a fuel cell, it is a clean fuel producing only water, making it an attractive option for fuelling vehicles and powering houses.
It can be produced from a variety of domestic resources, such as natural gas, nuclear power, biomass and renewable power like solar and wind.
NZHS-1 co-chairwomen and University of Otago chemistry lecturers Prof Sally Brooker and Dr Anna Garden said the symposium was timely because of the surging interest in the production, storage, use and integration of hydrogen.
"We are thrilled that this new symposium series is being supported by ‘team NZ’, which includes, amongst others, the New Zealand Hydrogen Council, MacDiarmid Institute, Otago Energy Research Centre, [University of Otago] German-New Zealand Green Hydrogen Centre, all New Zealand universities and two Crown research institutes," Prof Brooker said.
Supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the German-New Zealand Green Hydrogen Centre is investigating safe, low-cost, hydrogen storage materials from New Zealand resources.
The centre is supporting a New Zealand-wide research team in collaboration with Helmholtz Zentrum Hereon researchers, investigating the production of materials that enable safe and compact hydrogen storage at close to ambient pressure and temperature.
Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon Institute of Hydrogen Technology materials technology group leader Dr Paul Jerabek said New Zealand was an "ideal collaboration partner" for the development, testing and establishment of green hydrogen technologies.
"At Hereon we have developed cutting-edge hydrogen technologies, and we are enjoying working with our New Zealand partners as New Zealand is innovation-friendly and rich on renewable energy sources, as well as having a ‘can-do’ attitude."
The symposium will include a public lecture by Hamburg University of Technology Prof Martin Kaltschmitt on the status, developments and implications of green hydrogen at the St David Lecture Theatre at 5.30pm on February 1.
One of the world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell cars, a Hyundai Nexo, will also be on display at the symposium.
