The Hydrogen Stream: Toyota demonstrates its liquid-hydrogen racing prototype

Toyota Racing will conduct the first public demonstration drives of its liquid hydrogen-fuelled TR LH2 Racing Prototype next week at the Circuit de la Sarthe, in Le Mans, France. “The TR LH2 Racing Prototype is based on the same chassis as the TR010 HYBRID Hypercar which will compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours on 13-14 June. It is intended to advance the development of hydrogen technology in motorsports,” said the Japanese automotive manufacturer.

A research team at China’s Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics proposed a novel hydrogen-electricity co-storage system by coupling a gas-solid hydrogen batteries (g-HIB) with a secondary battery, saying the system achieves a capacity of 1,526 mAh/g, and a wide operating temperature range (−20 C to 90 C). “Compared with other hydrogen storage technologies, this co-storage system delivers high hydrogen energy efficiency and may find great uses in mobile or stationary hydrogen utilization scenarios,” said the researchers in the paper published in Joule, adding that the system also achieves good cycling performance.

The University of California Riverside (UCR) is testing a van imported from France with a hydrogen combustion engine. Originally a diesel-powered vehicle, the international company Phinia retrofitted the Fiat Ducato van with a hydrogen internal combustion engine. The researchers will conduct laboratory and on-road testing of the van to evaluate its performance, emissions characteristics, and overall operation. “The results will be presented at scientific conferences and ultimately published in academic journals,” said the university in a press release.

T&E, Hydrogen Europe, and the H2Global Foundation launched the e-SMF Early Movers Initiative, meant to request EU Member States to commit funding for the production and offtake of shipping e-fuels. “It calls for the creation of a double-sided auction mechanism for shipping fuels, by purchasing e-fuels from producers and selling them to maritime offtakers with a subsidy. This would bridge the gap between the price producers need to set to make their projects profitable, and the one that shipping companies are willing to pay for these fuels. It would de-risk early-stage projects and create viable business cases for e-fuel producers,” said T&E, a Bruxelles-based non-profit organization.

Protium Green Solutions and ITM Power have formalized a strategic partnership to develop and operate industrial-scale green hydrogen production plants across the United Kingdom. “The first area of collaboration being actively explored under this framework is the flagship Cromarty Hydrogen Project in the Scottish Highlands. Recently acquired by Protium, the project successfully secured government-backed funding through Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 (HAR1)”, said the two companies speaking about the 15 MW electrolyser capacity project, whose Final Investment Decision is “currently targeted” for December 2026.

Orlen has opened its seventh publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling station in Gdynia, Poland. The Polish oil and gas company explains that the station on the Baltic city is equipped with a dispenser featuring two refuelling points: one operating at 350 bar for passenger vehicles and another at 700 bar for buses and trucks. The facility has a daily capacity of 630 kg of hydrogen. Refuelling a passenger car takes around five minutes, while a bus can be fuelled in approximately 15 minutes.