Mustafa Anwar

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can efficiently convert chemical fuels into electricity, but stable anode operation with hydrocarbon and ammonia fuels remains challenging. Conventional nickel (Ni)-based anodes are prone to carbon deposition, sulfur poisoning, and redox instability, which has stimulated the development of nickel-free (Ni-free) alternatives. This review summarizes the electrochemical conversion pathways of hydrocarbon and ammonia fuels and the limitations of Ni-based anodes under these conditions. Ni-free anode materials are then evaluated against a common set of criteria: surface and defect chemistry, fuel activation, electrochemical performance, carbon tolerance, and structural stability. Within this framework, hydrocarbon activation, carbon formation and removal, and degradation under carbon-based fuels are discussed with particular attention. Among the Ni-free materials, perovskite and double-perovskite oxides provide compositional flexibility with good redox activity, whereas ceria-based fluorite oxides offer favorable oxygen storage and transport properties. Beyond these oxide families, exsolution-derived oxides and oxide composites can generate active interfaces that promote fuel conversion and carbon removal. However, no single material family currently combines high activity, carbon tolerance, and long-term stability under all operating conditions. Therefore, future work should focus on anode operation under realistic fuel conditions, long-term durability and interfacial stability during thermal cycling, and scalable manufacturing routes.

TiFe‐based alloys are attractive solid‐state hydrogen storage materials but their practical application is restricted by the formation of a stable surface oxide layer, which necessitates high‐temperature activation before the first hydrogenation. In this study, the synergistic effects of Mn and Ni substitution with activated carbon (AC) on the activation behavior and hydrogen storage performance of TiFe‐based alloys are systematically investigated. The mechanically milled TiFe‐based alloys are further characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). First‐cycle hydrogen absorption behavior of metal alloys is evaluated by Volumetric pressure–composition–temperature (PCT) measurements at 25°C and 5 MPa using Isorb HP‐1. Results showed that TiFe‐based alloys exhibited direct first‐cycle hydrogen absorption without the conventional high‐temperature activation treatment, revealing the effectiveness of mechanical activation in overcoming the surface oxide barrier. DSC analysis showed that Mn‐, Ni‐, and AC‐modified alloys reduced the hydride decomposition temperature from ≈400°C to 320°C. Among the investigated compositions, TiFe _0.8 Ni _0.2 + AC _0.4 exhibited the highest first‐cycle hydrogen uptake of 1.7 wt.% at 25°C and 5 MPa. These findings demonstrate that the combined effects of mechanical activation, transition‐metal substitution, and AC effectively eliminate the need for conventional activation while enhancing the first‐cycle hydrogen storage performance of TiFe‐based alloys, providing a practical strategy for room‐temperature solid‐state hydrogen storage.

Rapid integration of renewable energy sources poses a serious problem to the functionality of microgrids since they are characterized by underlying uncertainties and variability. This paper proposes a multi-stage approach to energy management to overcome these issues in a virtual power plant that combines heterogeneous microgrids. The solution is based on multi-agent deep reinforcement learning to coordinate internal energy pricing, microgrid scheduling, and virtual power plant-level energy storage system management. The proposed model autonomously learns the optimal dynamic pricing strategies based on load and generation dynamics, which is efficient in dealing with operational uncertainties and maintaining microgrid privacy due to its decentralized structure. The efficiency of the proposed solution is tested on comparative simulations based on real-world data, which prove the superiority of the framework to the traditional operation modes, which are isolated microgrids and the energy sharing scenarios. The findings prove that the suggested solution has a dual beneficial impact on both virtual power plant operators and involved microgrids, as it leads to profit enhancement and, at the same time, system stability. This process facilitates the successful balancing of conflicting interests among the stakeholders at a time when the operation is low-carbon. The study offers an overall solution to dealing with complicated multi-microgrids and brings substantial changes in the integration of renewable energy, as well as the distributed management of energy resources. The framework is a scalable model that can be used in the future perspective of power systems with high-renewable penetration to address both economic and operational issues of the contemporary energy grids.

Cross-border energy trading activity via interconnection has received much attention in Southern Asia to help the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region’s energy deficit states. This research article proposed a smart metering system to reduce energy losses and increase distribution sector efficiency. The implementation of smart metering systems in utility management plays a pivotal role in advancing several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), i.e.; SDG (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG Climate Action. By enabling real-time monitoring, accurate measurement, and data-driven management of energy resources, smart meters promote efficient consumption, reduce losses, and encourage sustainable behaviors among consumers. The adoption of a smart metering system along with Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis, socio-economic analysis, current challenges, and future prospects was also investigated. Besides the economics of the electrical distribution system, one feeder with non-technical losses of about 16% was selected, and the cost–benefit analysis and cost–benefit ratio was estimated for the SAARC region. The import/export ratio is disturbing in various SAARC grids, and a solution in terms of community microgrids is presented from Pakistan’s perspective as a case study. The proposed work gives a guidelines for SAARC countries to reduce their losses and improve their system functionality. It gives a composite solution across multi-faceted evaluation for the betterment of a large region.