hydrogen economy

Israel-based GenCell has unveiled an off-grid hydrogen power solution based on alkaline fuel cell (AFC) technology. Italian energy giant Enel and Russian technology company Rusnano want to set up Russia’s first green-hydrogen production project at a wind farm in the Murmansk region.

The murkiness of the federal government’s drive to make Australia an exporter of hydrogen, of any hue, gives rise to concerns.

Australia’s bid to establish itself as a major green hydrogen player has triggered a flood of state funding and new project announcements in recent months. But consultancy Rystad Energy sees potential obstacles for the nascent industry.

Ruchi Gupta is a research fellow at the University of Geneva’s Institute for Environmental Sciences. She focuses on how flexibility options, such as sector coupling with hydrogen production, can support renewable energy integration and decarbonize a wide range of sectors.

Furthermore, Swiss energy company Axpo and Swedish-Swiss electrical equipment giant ABB committed to combining their technologies and skills for several projects related to green hydrogen in Italy and Germany’s gas transmission system operators Gascade and Ontras announced a plan to set up a platform for the hydrogen industry in eastern Germany, with an initial grid to cover 475 kilometers of pipelines.

According to two new pieces of research, Europe is on track to reach 2.7 GW of operational hydrogen electrolyzer capacity by 2025 and most of this capacity is expected to be located in Germany. Furthermore, three European gas associations have assessed the competitiveness of the different transportation options for hydrogen and have found it depends on the distance over which hydrogen is transported, as well as on scale and end-use.

The government of Mauritania and renewable energy developer CWP Global have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a 30 GW power-to-X project. Danish power company Ørsted, and Copenhagen’s utility, Hofor, entered into an agreement that will secure green power in the framework of the wider, 1.3 GW, Green Fuels for Denmark project.

Australia’s hydrogen hype is raising questions about how to design the “future fuel” sector so it doesn’t become a fossil fuel lifeline. Nicky Ison, WWF Australia’s energy transition manager, lists ways to ensure that Australia’s hydrogen economy is cleanly built.

A new study commissioned by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation has indicated renewable hydrogen is already approaching cost competitiveness with that produced using fossil fuels but some in the industry say the government-owned green bank’s figures are much too conservative.

Spanish energy company Iberdrola and American power generation products producer Cummins have signed an agreement to promote a green hydrogen value chain in Spain by 2023. Denmark-based green hydrogen infrastructure company Everfuel has launched its H2 station roll-out plan for Denmark, targeting up to 19 fueling sites by the end of 2023. South Korean automotive manufacturer Hyundai Motor has said it would begin production of the world’s first mass-produced, heavy-duty truck powered by hydrogen, in August this year.