With the world headed into a low-carbon energy future, Alaska, rich in fossil fuels, is trying to hitch a ride on the green bandwagon.

A joint project underway by the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is looking at whether ammonia could be made from vast proven natural gas reserves on the North Slope with the hydrogen in the ammonia used as a carbon-free fuel.

The research is being supported by the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office.

Hydrogen is increasingly seen as the fuel of the future because its emissions are essentially water, and industries and companies worldwide studying how to use it.

“There’s a huge amount of interest in hydrogen today, and some big money is flowing into research on how it can be used,” said Nathan Prisco, the principal investigator on the DOE/university project.

Daimler-Benz recently announced it will incorporate hydrogen-powered fuel cells in heavy trucks, reducing reliance on diesel. Read more here.