ITRI Net Zero Day 2024 Showcases Hydrogen Innovation and Green Financing Solutions

TAIPEI, April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) convened the 2024 ITRI Net Zero Day in Taipei, accelerating industry's transition to net-zero emissions. The event highlighted key innovations and successful business cases, focusing on the groundbreaking Hydrogen Innovation Hub and the crucial role of green finance. Prestigious enterprises and organizations, such as the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, TÜV Rheinland, TSMC, and Techman Robot, were invited to share insights on the challenges and opportunities presented by the net-zero transition.

ITRI Chairman Chih-Kung Lee emphasized ITRI's ongoing commitment to net-zero solutions through Net Zero Day, now in its third year with widespread industry and societal support. Recognizing hydrogen energy as a critical area, the Institute is leading the establishment of the Hydrogen Innovation Hub, fostering collaboration across the hydrogen supply chain. Moreover, ITRI is actively building a cross-disciplinary net-zero cooperation model with financial institutions and promoting intangible asset monetization. This aims to facilitate green financing for startups and small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) based on net-zero patents, enhancing industry competitiveness in critical areas like technology, talent, patents, and access to green finance.

ITRI President Edwin Liu noted significant progress in renewable energy and clean technologies, as highlighted in the IEA's 2023 update to the Net Zero Roadmap. This advancement, particularly the decreased proportion of technologies in prototype stages, is crucial for achieving the 2050 net-zero emissions goal. ITRI has developed a plan for Taiwan's Pathway to Net-Zero Emissions in 2050, fostering sustainable development and startups like Blade Hydrogen Green Technology. This company specializes in hydrogen fuel cell technology and clean energy generation, collaborating with industry leaders such as TÜV Rheinland. Another upcoming venture, POXA Energy, launching in 2025, will provide software-based energy asset performance management solutions to optimize electricity usage and power trading efficiency, reducing up to 20% electricity consumption.

Over 30 key technologies and industrial services were showcased at the event, including:

• Water Electrolysis Technology for Hydrogen Production: Utilizing patented nickel-based catalyst materials and low-impedance alkaline membrane electrode design, ITRI's electrolysis equipment produces hydrogen at 57 kWh per kilogram, outperforming the global standard of 60 kWh, while achieving higher efficiency and lower setup costs.
  
  
• Hydrogen Equipment Safety and Health Monitoring System: This system safeguards hydrogen production, transportation, and storage by providing early leak detection through real-time fault diagnosis and predictive maintenance technologies. Unlike existing technology that warns only after a leak occurs, it triggers immediate warnings when hydrogen concentration reaches a mere 0.004%, one-thousandth of the lower explosive limit.
  
  
• Kilowatt-Level Cooling Solution for AI Servers: This solution is designed to solve kilowatt-level heat dissipation of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) chips as well as the power usage efficiency (PUE) bottleneck of data centers. By integrating a vapor chamber lid into the chip module, it achieves a heat dissipation capacity of over 1,000 watts, three times higher energy-saving than the global average.
  
  
• Fabric Sorting and Decoloring Technologies for Garment-to-Garment Circularity: Leveraging Raman spectroscopy and AI models, ITRI's textile sorting technology identifies the material and blend ratio of a piece of clothing in just 0.7 seconds. Post-sorting, polyester purity exceeds 95%. This technology can couple with ITRI's water-based polyester fabric decoloring technology, which effectively restores polyester fabrics to their original color within 2-4 hours in an eco-friendly way, to achieve closed-loop garment recycling. This technology was recognized by the 2023 R&D 100 Awards and the 2024 Edison Awards and is undergoing industry-wide validation with textile manufacturers for its potential in textile recycling.

About ITRI

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) is one of the world's leading technology R&D institutions aiming to innovate a better future for society. Founded in 1973, ITRI has played a vital role in transforming Taiwan's industries from labor-intensive into innovation-driven. To address market needs and global trends, it has launched its 2035 Technology Strategy and Roadmap that focuses on innovation development in Smart Living, Quality Health, Sustainable Environment, and Resilient Society.

Over the years, ITRI has been dedicated to incubating startups and spinoffs, including well-known names such as UMC and TSMC. In addition to its headquarters in Taiwan, ITRI has branch offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan in an effort to extend its R&D scope and promote international cooperation across the globe. For more information, please visit https://www.itri.org/eng.

Media Contact:
Alex Chang
Office of Marketing Communications, ITRI
+886-3-591-8165
[email protected]

SOURCE Industrial Technology Research Institute