Prof Sally Brooker Seminar

"German-New Zealand Green Hydrogen / He Honoka Hauwai & Catalysts for H₂ production and CO₂ reduction"

MOAC Seminar Room, Senate House, 16:00, Thursday 4 September 2025

Abstract

The increasingly severe impacts of climate change demand us to: (a) reduce energy use (b) decarbonise existing high emissions industrial processes and (c) rapidly replace of our present range of carbon-emitting fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) by a suite of carbon-zero and carbon-neutral fuels. The best carbon-zero fuel is direct electrification (from renewable generation), followed by batteries and green hydrogen, both of which are also carbon-zero fuels. New Zealand is very well placed to take up this amazing economic opportunity, and become an exporter of green, energy-intense, high value products. After setting the scene, I will introduce the German-New Zealand Green Hydrogen Centre / He Honoka Hauwai and summarise NZ-wide industry green hydrogen activities, before focussing on my team’s research into improved catalysts for H₂ production from water (Figure, top right), and CO₂ reduction into commodity chemicals (Figure, bottom right).

Distinguished Professor Sally Brooker | University of Otago

Department of Chemistry / MacDiarmid Institute / He Honoka Hauwai, University of Otago,

Dunedin 9054, New Zealand; sbrooker@chemistry.otago.ac.nzLink opens in a new window