The Israeli startup QD-SOL, founded in 2021 by Blue Ocean Sustainability (with Ashton Kutcher among the partners), Yaron Kaiser, Lior Yedidya, and Lilac Amirav, has developed a revolutionary technology for producing green hydrogen without using electricity. This advanced technique, the result of 15 years of research, was developed by Professor Lilac Amirav at the Technion Institute in Haifa. This new method of hydrogen production is both affordable and environmentally friendly, offering a sustainable solution that is expected to play a significant role on the international stage in the next decade. Using special panels, the technology generates hydrogen directly from sunlight through nanoparticles that catalyze the separation of water.
A Promising Technology
"We use the sun as a renewable resource with high efficiency by converting solar energy into green hydrogen production. By eliminating the need for electricity to separate water, we are challenging the green hydrogen market, which is entirely dependent on green electricity and fluctuations in electricity prices. Our process is economical, clean, and has little to no emissions. Therefore, we aim to establish ourselves as an alternative to electrolysis for hydrogen production in the coming years," says Asaf Abramov, Head of Business at QD-SOL.
"Today, the world uses hydrogen, but most of it is not green at all. Hydrogen itself is not polluting, but the way we obtain it is highly polluting. For example, producing one kilogram of hydrogen requires generating 12 kilograms of CO2, which is very harmful to the planet," explains Asaf Abramov. "It is our duty to protect the environment for future generations, and our technology provides a competitive alternative," he adds.
Sustainable and affordable hydrogen production creates a source of renewable fuel that can be used in transportation, industry, or heating. Greenhouse gas concentrations are higher than they have been in two million years, leading to a global average temperature increase of 1.1°C compared to the 19th century. The last decade has been the hottest ever recorded, with temperature records being set worldwide. The enormous CO2 emissions from energy, industry, and other sectors are rapidly pushing us toward a tipping point.
The world has become aware of the magnitude of this problem and has united through the Paris Agreement of 2015. Today, nations and industries are moving toward a coordinated solution at all levels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net-zero emissions. QD-SOL's revolutionary hydrogen production process will help meet new energy needs as well as existing industrial demand by providing an alternative to hydrogen production from fossil fuels.
"The nanoparticles that catalyze the separation of water can generate a lot of energy. Our photocatalytic panel, which already works under real conditions in the lab, proves that we can use sunlight to separate water with nanoparticles and produce green hydrogen. The process is highly advanced and ultimately eliminates the need for electricity in hydrogen production. We are currently seeking business collaborations to showcase our technology," says Asaf Abramov.
The patented technology is expected to be finalized by 2026 and then commercialized in the following months.
Conquering the World
Next year, the QD-SOL team will conduct several demonstrations in Israel and Europe to promote the product and gather feedback for its refinement.
"The problem with green hydrogen is not its production but its current high cost. The world is far from closing the price gap, but with our technology, we estimate that a cost of around $2.70 per kg of hydrogen is achievable by the end of 2026. We will therefore be in a very strong position in the market," states Asaf Abramov.
According to Asaf, European countries will be the first to show interest in this cutting-edge technology, especially due to the energy shortage in Europe and the disruption of Russian gas supplies caused by the war in Ukraine.
"Europe has realized that it needs to act to secure sufficient energy and increase its budget for hydrogen-related technologies. As a result, a lot of public funding has been allocated to the green energy transition, particularly to hydrogen, in recent years. Our goal is to collaborate with industry leaders, and we see several opportunities coming from leading countries such as France and the Netherlands. France is the most advanced country in terms of hydrogen and will therefore be interested in this new process, as will Greece, Portugal, and Spain," says Asaf Abramov.
Asaf believes that Israel is an "ideal place to develop the technology" and will serve as a platform for the pilot project, but he remains convinced that the first commercializations will take place in Europe in the coming years.
Caroline Haïat
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