Maetec LLC on behalf of the tiny South Pacific islands of Tonga has created a deep water wind turbine and buoy combination for producing hydrogen through electrolysis of seawater. The hydrogen will then be piped underwater along the seabed to a power generation station where it will replace diesel fuel for producing electricity for the grid.
The hydrogen will be used inside internal combustion engines at the power plants. The hydrogen may also be used as a future transportation fuel for vehicles on the island. Hydrogen is seen as a clean storage alternative for wind and solar rather than lead acid batteries that are not as efficient and not as environmentally friendly as hydrogen.
Officially known as the Kingdom of Tonga, the islands like many other places around the world struggles with how to produce clean energy. Tonga is just north of New Zealand and just east of Australia about one-third of the way to Hawaii.
According to a letter to the editor from Johnny Kraczek, Director of Engineering at Maetec LLC who speaks of hydrogen safety, “Personally I have made hydrogen not only in the lab but even in large quantities in my garage at home. There is an acquaintance of mine, an author, who has run his car on homemade hydrogen for nearly twenty years. He even generates hydrogen off of his treadmill for use in his lawn mower or car.”
So, to sum up, it’s not just the large first world nations like the U. S., Japan and Germany who are turning to hydrogen as a clean energy resource, but also second and third world nations are wise to the need for hydrogen as well. If Tonga can do it, this gives hope for many other countries big and small.
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