Hydrogen

Clean energy power plants will figure prominently as Queensland and Victoria bid to reset their economies for a post-coronavirus world. France suffered a hit to its new solar deployment figures in the first half of a Covid-hit year but its neighbor appears to have no such concerns.

Some 81% of the everyday folk asked how the U.K. should realize its net zero 2050 ambition said solar should be part of the mix and views were also aired on electric and hydrogen transport, home heating and how to incentivize companies to embrace a circular manufacturing model.

All the indicators are pointing gradually in the right direction as new owner Beijing Energy bids to put a torrid year behind the solar developer and the company has announced its intent to enter the European solar market and explore hydrogen and energy storage.

Green Hydrogen Australia Group has secured approval for three large-scale green hydrogen plants in its pipeline. The Bundaberg Hydrogen Hub, featuring an 80 MW hydrogen electrolyzer, will produce clean hydrogen for vehicle-developer H2X.

Government ministers Barbara Pompili and Bruno Le Maire today unveiled a national strategy for carbon-free hydrogen to the French Association for hydrogen and fuel cells and other major players in the state’s hydrogen economy.

As nations begin to move towards clean energy, fossil fuel exporting countries will need to rethink and reshape their economies. Taking Russia as an example, an MIT study has examined the likely impact on oil, gas and coal exports and the opportunities the energy transition could offer.

German company Wystrach has developed a 350-bar hydrogen refueling station for heavy duty vehicles which can be installed anywhere.

At Australia’s University of Newcastle hydrogen production starts with water extracted from the atmosphere and electrolysis powered by free energy from the sun; sucking CO2 from the air is the next step to filling Angus Taylor’s beloved gas infrastructure with green methane that can bring spuds to the boil and power the economy while helping to flatten the nation’s emissions curve.

The French government will use around €9 billion of its new €30 billion global investment package to support the development of a hydrogen economy, as part of the country’s Covid-19 recovery plan.

According to the 2020 Global Gas Report by Snam, the International Gas Union and BloombergNEF, public policies are required to support clean hydrogen reach industrial clusters and to facilitate large-scale use. The authors of the report acknowledged the advantages of using wind and solar to directly power electrolysis, but they do not discard the possibility of using gas power with carbon capture storage. The experts of the three parties also identified barriers to remove for future development.