The Hydrogen Stream: EU auction attracts 132 bids for 8.5 GW electrolyzer capacity

The European Hydrogen Bank’s pilot auction has drawn 132 bids, exceeding the available budget, while Australia has finalized an agreement to build a hydrogen hub.

Image: Andrzej Rembowski, Pixabay

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The European Hydrogen Bank has attracted 132 bids from projects in 17 European countries, surpassing the available €800 million ($866.2 million) budget. The bids for 8.5 GW of planned electrolyzer capacity could yield 8.8 million metric tons of renewable hydrogen over the course of a decade, said the European Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment (CINEA), which is currently evaluating their admissibility and eligibility. Applicants will receive evaluation results by May, and grant agreements will be signed by November 2024, with selected projects required to start renewable hydrogen production within five years.

Oracle Power has launched an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for a renewable power plant project in Jhimpir, Pakistan. This comprehensive study covers 1.3 GW of renewable power, including an 800 MW solar project, a 500 MW wind project, and a 450 MWh battery energy storage system, said the UK-based developer. Oracle said in a separate press release that the plant is part of its plan to develop a green hydrogen and green ammonia project, targeting a 400 MW green hydrogen production facility with an annual production of 55,000 metric tons of green hydrogen.

The Australian government has finalized a AUD 140 million ($92 million) agreement with the Western Australian state government to build a hydrogen hub in the Pilbara region. Construction will start this year, aiming for operational status by mid-2028, with plans for a pipeline to facilitate hydrogen production of approximately 492,000 metric tons per year, said the government of Western Australia.

Gasunie and Storag have revealed plans to develop hydrogen storage in the Etzel salt dome in the German state of Lower Saxony. “The aim, following a feasibility study, is to develop and operate a multi-cavity storage facility with a total capacity of up to 1 TWh of hydrogen,” said Gasunie. The storage caverns in Etzel are connected to the Dutch and German hydrogen market, close to Gasunie's future Hyperlink hydrogen network and the Energy-Hub port of Wilhelmshaven, Germany.

Enapter has secured new orders for its AEM Electrolyzers EL 4 in Germany, Belgium, India, and the United States. The company said it will deliver 121 AEM Electrolysers EL 4 to Stadtwerke Nienburg in Germany to fuel local public transport and heavy goods vehicles. Vrije Universiteit Brussel has ordered 40 AEM Electrolyzers EL 4 for the “Hydrogen Living Lab” project, while H2 World will deploy 50 water-cooled AEM EL 4s for testing in the United States. Additionally, Enapter has received further pre-orders for its megawatt-class electrolyzer, the AEM Nexus.

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