The University of Wyoming recently announced a new research paper published in a scientific journal about blue hydrogen production and ways to possibly bring down costs while still utilizing fossil fuels.
Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the University, Chad Baldwin, says one of the potential future energy sources is hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is produced using “fossil fuels paired with carbon sequestration”.
“This is a way to benefit our extremely important fossil fuel industry in Wyoming,” Baldwin said. “Looking into the future that fossil fuels could still play a role.”
He says Dr. Haibo Zhai, professor at UW’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences has led on the research and is a real expert in this area. Baldwin says he has looked at federal incentives in the area such as the Department of Energy’s program called the Energy Earthshots Initiative which aims at making clean energy more abundant and affordable. Baldwin says what it comes down to is making economically viable.
“Maybe they’re possible to do in theory and concept,” Baldwin said. “But they just don’t make sense when you start to crunch the numbers.”
He says what Zhai has found is that the numbers work for this.
“This is a viable future energy source here in Wyoming using our fossil fuels,” Baldwin said.
He says the University of Wyoming is looking at everything they can to support the state’s legacy industries, find a future for them, but still offer innovative research and technology advancement in energy.
