Energy Storage and Transmission PLATINUM CATALYSES CHEMICAL CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEM

Increasingly the energy needs of society will have to be met from renewable resources. The use of these is limited at present by their location, the technologies available to harness them and the major prob-lems associated with their storage. One possible solution to these difficulties has now been demonstrated, and is described here, while further development W L rk is continuing. Hydrogen produced by any con-venient means is used as a medium for energy storage and transmission. Close to its production site the hydrogen is catalytically reacted with toluene to yield rnethylcyclohexane; this is transferred safely by pipeline or container to the point of energy requirement where it is catalytically dehydrogenated. The hydrogen released is then available for use in a wide variety of ways, while the toluene is returned to the source for further hydrogenation, and the cycle is repeated. The use of hydrogen as a fuel is not a new idea, having been proposed by J. B. S. Haldan