Japanese researchers have developed a green rust–based catalyst for sodium borohydride, while South Korean scientists have created a framework to assess liquid hydrogen storage tanks for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
September 26, 2025
Sergio Matalucci
Japanese researchers have created a low-cost catalyst from “green rust” that efficiently releases hydrogen from sodium borohydride. “We report that a mixed-valent [FeII–FeIII] iron hydroxide, which we term green rust (GR), treated with a CuCl2 solution shows a good solar-light-assisted catalytic activity toward SBH hydrolysis at room temperature that is higher than those of existing catalysts, including Pt nanoparticle-modified titanium dioxide (TiO2),” the researchers wrote in “Catalyst for Sodium Borohydride Dehydrogenation Based on a Mixed-Valent Iron Hydroxide Platform,” published in ACS Catalysis. The team said that even without solar light, the GR-based catalyst shows turnover frequency of up to 5,000 min–1 for SBH hydrolysis at higher temperatures, “which is comparable to or one or two orders of magnitude higher than those of existing catalysts based on precious and noble metals under similar or identical conditions.”
JERA has begun demonstration testing of hydrogen production at its Shin-Nagoya Thermal Power Station with Denso. The companies are using Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) systems developed by Denso, with 200 kW of electrolysis power. “The two companies have now begun Japan’s first demonstration testing at a thermal power station,” they said. JERA and Denso plan to scale the electrolysis capacity from 200 kW to several thousand kW.
South Korean researchers have developed an integrated analytical framework to evaluate the performance and structural integrity of liquid hydrogen storage tanks in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Team leader Nak-Kyun Cho said the framework is the first holistic system to integrate thermal, structural, fatigue and impact analyses, designed for UAV operations. Thermal analysis showed that vapor-cooled shield implementation cut boil-off rates by 15% to 30%. Structural analysis identified pipes and supporters as weak points under UAV-specific conditions. Fatigue analysis found the vessel exceeded the 10,000-cycle requirement of ISO 21029-1 standards, achieving an effectively unlimited fatigue life. The findings were detailed in “Analytical framework for liquid hydrogen storage tanks in UAVs: Thermal performance validation and structural integrity assessment,” published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
The European Hydrogen Bank said seven of the 15 projects selected for grants in its second auction round have been withdrawn. The projects represent 1.88 GW of new electrolyzer capacity, most of the 2.3 GW awarded in May, when €992 million ($1.16 billion) of the €1.2 billion available was allocated. The withdrawn projects include four in Spain, two in Germany and one in the Netherlands, with fixed premium bid prices between €0.20/kg and €0.60/kg.
The H2med Alliance has welcomed 40 new members across the hydrogen value chain, bringing total membership to 49. Established in December 2024 by five promoters in Portugal, Spain, France and Germany, the alliance aims to develop a hydrogen corridor from Portugal to Germany. “In the coming months, the H2med Alliance will step up its efforts and continue to serve as a vital platform to grow synergies, launching working groups and fostering strategic business relationships,” it said.
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