UOG joins research efforts toward harnessing energy from the sea
UOG joins research efforts toward harnessing energy from the sea
UOG joins research efforts toward harnessing energy from the sea
1/12/2023
Guam households have historically been paying a high cost of electricity because most power plants on the island still use imported and expensive fossil fuel.
Imagine if seawater could be harnessed to produce hydrogen for electricity in Guam.
Researchers across the country have spent years looking into ways to split seawater, which Guam has an unlimited supply of, into鈥痟ydrogen and oxygen. It鈥檚 a process called "seawater splitting."鈥疻ith the split, hydrogen can be used for producing or delivering electricity.
But using seawater has also stumped scientists because, as National Science Foundation researchers and others have found,鈥痗hloride ions in seawater turn into toxic chlorine gas, and can quickly corrode equipment used to produce energy.
The challenge has been to figure out how to use seawater in a way that does not harm the environment, will not be costly, and will not cause power production equipment to degrade quickly.
Research related to this field is now reaching Guam shores.
The U.S. Department of Energy鈥�(DOE)鈥痠s providing鈥痶he 91快播鈥痺ith funding for faculty and student鈥痳esearchers鈥痶o work alongside鈥痚ngineers and scientists at DOE鈥檚 Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to gain a fundamental understanding of seawater electrolysis. The research鈥痮n鈥痳eductive and oxidative reactions鈥痺ill build鈥痑 foundation鈥痜or fundamental research and scientific training at UOG while expanding the fundamental knowledge necessary for carbon-neutral鈥痟ydrogen fuel鈥痝eneration and storage technologies.
DOE will also fund summer research experience at PNNL鈥檚 lab, starting with two UOG students and John Francis Limtiaco, assistant professor of chemistry, in 2023. Five UOG students will be allowed to experience PNNL research during the summer in 2024 and 2025.
$1.69M for UOG
DOE鈥檚鈥疧ffice of Science鈥痠s providing $1.695 million in research funding to UOG. PNNL will receive $555,000 for the three-year project through 2025. The laboratory is a leading center for technological innovation in renewable energy.
The research at UOG will be led by Principal Investigator Limtiaco. His group will seek answers to the question: 鈥淐an the organic compounds present in seawater protect the anode from deactivation by steering the selectivity of the electrolysis away from the chlorine鈥痚volution reaction while increasing selectivity towards the production of value-added energy carrier molecules?鈥�
The Office of Research & Sponsored Programs at UOG assisted Limtiaco, who applied for DOE research funding for the first time.
鈥淚t was very encouraging to see him commit to this very important project for our island,鈥� said Dr. Pamela Peralta Taitano, Director of Contracts and Grants, UOG.
$400K Ocean energy鈥痵ystems鈥痳esearch
The Water Power Technologies Office鈥痑t DOE also recently announced $400,000鈥痠n funding, initially for two years, that will be provided toward research at UOG to explore the potential for ocean energy systems鈥�(OES), such as ocean thermal energy conversion and wave energy technology,鈥痶o power a proposed Guam Aquaculture Innovation Center.
UOG will partner with鈥疍OE鈥檚 PNNL and鈥疭andia National Laboratories鈥痶o鈥痑ssess the infrastructure requirements, environmental impact considerations and the economic and regulatory viability of deploying ocean energy systems in Guam.
During the initial two years, UOG research will look at obtaining more information to solidify a plan of action for the best option and implementation of a marine energy system, said David Patrick Crisostomo, aquaculture specialist with the Sea Grant Program.
Ocean thermal energy is a strong possibility because Guam has access to deep ocean water relatively close to shore, Crisostomo said. And there is also the possibility for wave energy to be used as a source of energy, he added.
鈥淭he long-term dream is an Aquaculture Innovation Center that is reliant on clean energy. The expansion of this dream is to add ocean thermal energy or other marine energy systems to Guam鈥檚 ability to produce clean energy for the entire island,鈥� said Crisostomo.
