Energy research wins Carbon Trust Innovation Award

May 2005

Dr Tiancun Xiao of Oxford’s Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory has received a 2005 Innovation Award from the Carbon Trust for his work turning methane from waste materials into hydrogen which can be used in fuel cells.

Dr Tiancun Xiao with his award

Dr Xiao received the award for his research into catalysts which extract hydrogen from waste methane. Working with Professor Malcolm Green in the Wolfson Catalysis Centre, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Dr Xiao has developed catalysts that work particularly well in low-pressure conditions that are suitable for widespread distributed use. The catalysts can be used to transform waste methane into hydrogen for use with fuel cells or into pure liquids that can be used for engines or heating and are easy to transport. The technology contributes to a reduction in two greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide and methane.
‘There are many sources of waste methane, ranging from agricultural waste and landfill to flare-off from oil production,’ said Dr Xaio. ‘The gaseous and contaminated nature of the methane usually requires it to be cleaned and compressed or piped away. However, capturing and using waste methane is usually uneconomical; installing pipelines is only affordable for very large production sites. Capturing the methane is important not only due to its high energetic value, but also because it is a very powerful greenhouse gas – 23 times worse than carbon dioxide - and its presence in the atmosphere contributes to global warming.’

The Carbon Trust Innovation Awards, which were presented at a ceremony in London last week, recognise individuals and both public and private bodies that are developing and deploying innovative technologies or energy efficiency measures that help reduce the UK’s carbon emissions. The Carbon Trust is an independent company funded by Government with the aim of helping the UK move to a low carbon economy by helping business and the public sector reduce carbon emissions now and capture the commercial opportunities of low carbon technologies.