Page 155 - CW E-Magazine (31-12-2024)

News from Abroad

unstable and hard-to-store renewable
energy can be transformed into green
hydrogen, which is relatively easier
to store and utilise. Moreover, this
process conserves precious freshwater
resources, offering a new pathway for
the development of the hydrogen energy
industry.

Despite its advantages, seawater
hydrogen production comes with chal-
lenges. Seawater contains approxi-
mately 3% salt, and impurities, such as
chloride ions, can corrode electrolytic
electrodes, while cation deposits may
clog equipment channels, reducing
efficiency and causing damage. Sinopec logy, high-performance electrode plate search and application of hydrogen
said the Qingdao refinery, in collabo- design, and a seawater circulation system, technologies across the entire industry
ration with the Dalian Institute of enabling a seamless integration of chain. It has already achieved several
Petroleum and Petrochemicals, has over- research and practical applications. milestones, including the successful
come these challenges through a series deployment of a megawatt-scale PEM
of specialised equipment innovations Sinopec is accelerating its efforts electrolyser and the commissioning of
and unique process designs, including to become China’s leading hydrogen China’s first 100-kilowatt Solid Oxide
chlorine-resistant electrode techno- energy company by advancing the re- Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) project.
UAE’s first lithium battery recycling plant coming

up at Khalifa port

Khalifa Economic Zones Abu
Dhabi – KEZAD Group, UAE’s largest
operator of integrated economic zones –
and Singapore-based commodity trad-
ing firm, Witthal Gulf Industries, have
signed a memorandum of understand-
ing (MoU) to establish the UAE’s first
lithium battery recycling plant.

The plant, scheduled to be fully
operational by Q2 2027, will have the
capacity to recycle 5-ktpa of battery
waste, preventing ~20-ktpa of green-
house gas emissions. It will also reduce battery production, and incorporating into battery manufacturing. We wanted
reliance on energy-intensive mining advanced carbon capture and material to find a gap where we could play our
and generate local employment oppor- recovery technologies. part that matched KEZAD’s automotive
tunities. hub ambition.” He added that the recyc-
Commenting about the project, ling facility will serve as a cornerstone
The facility will play a key role in Mr. Sugumaran Devaraja, Advisor at for Witthal’s growth while enabling the
the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem Witthal Gulf Industries said, “We are development of technologies such as
by supporting renewable energy stor- already involved in the battery trade carbon capture and value-added manu-
age, lowering the carbon footprint of segment and the supply materials that go facturing within the KEZAD ecosystem.

Chemical Weekly December 31, 2024 155

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