The Hydrogen Stream: UK consortium plans 10 MW offshore wind-hydrogen facility

ERM has chosen Principle Power to advance the front-end engineering design (FEED) for a Wind-to-Hydrogen 10 MW demonstrator project off the coast of Aberdeen,, Scotland. The contract was signed after ERM Dolphyn was awarded GBP 8.62 million ($9.78 million) from the UK government via the Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 Competition. “The ERM Dolphyn concept employs a modular design integrating electrolysis and a wind turbine on a moored floating semi-submersible platform,” said  California-based Principle Power. The two companies plan to start commercial operations by 2025.

The UK government is holding meetings with potential hydrogen exporters. “Uruguay presented its priorities and highlighted opportunities for investment and bilateral cooperation in the renewable energy sector, particularly green hydrogen,” the government said after the first meeting of the UK-Uruguay Trade Dialogue.

American Airlines has announced an equity investment in Universal Hydrogen, which is building a green hydrogen distribution and logistics network for aviation. “This investment makes American the first US airline to make two direct investments focused on the development of both hydrogen-electric propulsion technology and the future of hydrogen distribution logistics,” said the Texas-based airline. Universal Hydrogen’s fuel distribution network uses modular hydrogen capsules handled like cargo, eliminating the need for new fueling infrastructure at airports. American Airlines joins Airbus Ventures, G.E. Aviation, and Toyota Ventures as strategic investors in Universal Hydrogen.

The European Commission has approved a €220 million ($214 million) Spanish measure to support Cobra in the production of renewable hydrogen. Cobra, which is still not active in hydrogen production, plans to produce green hydrogen for external industrial off-takers, particularly in energy-intensive and hard-to-abate sectors such as refineries and ceramics in Spain. The two electrolyzers will have a total capacity of 205 MW and will produce about 8,550 tons of renewable hydrogen and 6,840 tons of oxygen per year. The commission said the electrolyzers will be built in stages, with the first set to start operating in 2023.

Enel and Eni  have revealed that two of their joint green hydrogen projects will receive public funding under IPCEI Hy2Use. The two electrolysis systems will be installed at the Eni Biorefinery in Gela, Sicily (20 MW electrolyzer), and near the Eni Refinery in Taranto, Apulia (10 MW electrolyzer).

Smartenergy has secured consent from the Sassari Provincial Industrial Consortium to build a three-phase green hydrogen plant in Sardinia, Italy, which should be completed by 2030. It “will be developed in three phases (target capacity between 20 MW up to 200 MW), with estimated delivery dates between 2026 and 2030,” said the Swiss investment company. “Smartenergy will start permitting activities in the first half of 2023.”

ACWA Power and Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) have signed a deal to develop green hydrogen and ammonia projects in the Middle East and other parts of the world to decarbonize Kepco's operations in South Korea. “The company intends to utilize the end product to operate its power plants in South Korea, on the proviso that KEPCO’s generation companies offtake the green ammonia from the potential project,” said the Saudi investor.

Hydro Havrand and H2 Green Steel have signed an agreement to jointly explore opportunities for large-scale green hydrogen production in Brazil and the Nordic countries. “If realized, the hydrogen production facility will enable approximately 5 million tons of green steel through direct iron reduction, in a plant owned by H2 Green Steel,” said the Norwegian company. 

Saic Maxus officially launched 80 hydrogen fuel cell multi-purpose vehicles on Xiangdao Robotaxi, a shared mobility platform held by Saix. The “Maxus Mifa” FCEV has a 130 kW stack and a 70 Mpa hydrogen storage system containing 6.4 kg of hydrogen. It has a range of up to 604 km, with a consumption of 1.18 kg H2/100 km, said China Orange Group.

Bavaria‘s economy ministry said that Gersthofen-based AgQuantron has received an order for 500 trucks with fuel cells in the United States, in a deal worth almost €1 billion. “This Bavarian-American framework agreement marks the start of close transatlantic cooperation in the market for climate-neutral mobility. In Europe, too, hydrogen trucks must make a breakthrough in the next few years,” said Minister Hubert Aiwanger.