HTC President Jeff Allison, speaking at a June 25 news conference and signing ceremony, said the three-year, $480,000 agreement marks a milestone for the company. “We’re excited about combining our resources with those of the University,” he said. “The opportunity to work with the physical and intellectual resources at the International Test Centre for Carbon Dioxide Capture means true collaboration – academically and financially – between a university and a private corporation.”
University President David Barnard noted that the agreement represents the University’s first engagement in significant hydrogen fuel research. “Not only does this underscore this University’s strategic commitment to research in the areas of energy and environment,” Barnard said. “By providing financial support for development of human resources, and for research infrastructure, it will also build on our capacity to educate students and serve our community.”
The intellectual property developed under the collaboration will be owned by the University, and licensed exclusively to HTC Hydrogen Thermochem for commercial product development.
The research, under the direction of University of Regina’s Dr. Raphael Idem, of the Faculty of Engineering, will aim to develop a cost-effective and reliable hydrogen fuel delivery system. Idem’s team will design a low-cost prototype to produce hydrogen gas from natural gas. The prototype will initially scale the process for small residential use, but subsequent development could result in larger industrial applications.
The potential for hydrogen fuel to play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions has captured global interest. When hydrogen burns it produces large amounts of energy, emitting only water vapour. Developing an economical source of commercially available hydrogen, and the means to deliver it to market, have been cited as the two major roadblocks to its development as an alternative fuel to power automobiles, heat homes and run industrial processes.
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