Scientists may be one step closer to making hydrogen the fuel of the future after discovering a potential storage method for the innovative energy source. 

In a new study published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Washington State University Professor Bin Yang and colleagues at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and around the world demonstrated that a type of jet fuel developed by Yang can chemically bind hydrogen in a stable liquid form, a release said. This could make it easier for hydrogen to be used in applications such as transportation fuel. 

“This new, lignin jet fuel-based technology could enable efficient, high-density hydrogen storage in an easy-to-handle sustainable aviation fuel, eliminating the need for pressurized tanks for storage and transport,” Yang said in the release. 

One of the major challenges with using hydrogen as a fuel source is element’s low density and explosive nature make storage and transport technically challenging, inefficient, and expensive. 

The journal article details how the research team discovered the new hydrogen-storing process using chemical reactions that produced aromatic carbons and hydrogen from lignin jet fuel, which is based on lignin, an organic polymer found in plants. 

Funding for the work came from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and its Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office. 

The Pacific Northwest is one of the seven regions identified by The U.S. Department of Energy to kick-start clean hydrogen production in the country, cut down on carbon dioxide emissions and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs. Several projects have already been identified with the effort, including Atlas Agro’s $1 billion dollar zero-carbon green fertilizer plant in north Richland. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland is lending its expertise across several fields of study to support the regional hub. 

Next, WSU researchers will collaborate with scientists at the University of New Haven to design an AI-driven catalyst that enhances and completes the reactions, making them more efficient and cost-effective.