AGN has commenced blending renewable hydrogen into part of its natural gas distribution network in Adelaide and Snam tested a 30% hydrogen/natural gas blend in the forging processes used in industrial steelmaking. Furthermore, Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) and other potential Brazilian partners participated in an evaluation mission to develop the hydrogen-focused technical cooperation project H2 Brazil with German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

A Greek consortium is also planning to invest €8 billion in the domestic production of hydrogen and the French city of Dijon is launching a €100 million euro green hydrogen project to reduce the CO2 emissions of the territory’s public transport starting in 2023.

Aurora Energy Research reports that the size of electrolyzers is increasing. Furthermore, Chile moves forward with its first green hydrogen project and German car manufacturer BMW said it would unveil a hydrogen fuel cell SUV in 2022.

Furthermore, Canadian integrated energy company Suncor and Canadian holding company ATCO are looking into a potential “world scale clean hydrogen project” in Alberta, and Japanese energy company Eneos and Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer Toyota Motor, are exploring hydrogen applications at Woven City, a prototype city in Japan.

The Italian PV world remains cautiously skeptical about the €220 billion post-pandemic recovery plan that Rome presented last week. It outlines steps for agrivoltaics, but retains preferential treatment for the gas sector (biomethane and hydrogen), and notes the marginal role of batteries and pumping systems. However, the green policies are not final and could still be shaped by related decrees and non-financial measures.

Australia and Chile are both granting funds to green hydrogen projects and Denmark is exempting pilot power-to-gas projects from complying with its energy legislation. Furthermore, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP is working to find solutions for private customers to produce hydrogen.

International investments in large-scale solar plants, combined with repowering and current support schemes, could trigger a PV boom in Italy, says Germany-based technical advisor PI Berlin.

Moreover, the Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology has announced it is progressing with its research to reduce the cost of PEM water electrolysis and the Spanish government has established the criteria for its first pre-selection of renewable hydrogen projects.

Land scarcity and renewables prices have been long considered significant hurdles for renewable developments in the hilly Balkans. Still, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) sees solid opportunities in floating PV on public dams, PV modules on rooftops, and renewables projects in landfills and disused coal mines.

BP, Iberdrola and Enagás will power a 20 MW electrolyzer with 40 MW of solar in Spain. Automotive manufacturers Hyundai, Stellantis, Toyota and BMW sent a letter to European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans asking to support the continued expansion of a 700 bar hydrogen refuelling network in Europe.