Author: Arnes Biogradlija

With over 14% of the Netherlands’ total CO₂ emissions stemming from its chemical industry, the sector is under mounting pressure to pivot toward sustainable alternatives. Now, €45.7 million in funding for the HyCARB project signals a strategic escalation in the country’s industrial decarbonization efforts, targeting a systemic shift from fossil-based feedstocks to green hydrogen and electrified processes. Industrial Context and Strategic Imperatives Despite Europe’s push for net-zero emissions by 2050, the chemical industry remains one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize due to its dependence on fossil hydrocarbons not only for energy but also as feedstock. In the Dutch context,…

Air pollution is the second leading cause of death globally, contributing to nearly 7.5 million premature deaths each year. The economic cost of this pollution is staggering — approximately $30 trillion annually, according to Stanford professor Mark Jacobson. Despite this, the global energy transition remains sluggish, hindered not by a lack of technology but by political inertia and what Jacobson categorizes as strategic distractions. WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE The Distraction Economy: Funding the Wrong Technologies Jacobson’s central critique lies not in the technological capability to transition but in the political and economic misalignment of priorities. “Burning is the problem.…

In 2023, global investment in hydrogen technologies surpassed $200 billion, yet the gap between academic research and scalable solutions remains stark. The issue isn’t just one of funding—it’s about research that overpromises and underdelivers. According to four hydrogen scientists from Southeast Europe—Dalibor Karačić, Nejc Hodnik, Igor Pašti, and Sanjin Gutić—the vast majority of hydrogen research will never see commercial light. Their warning is blunt: complexity, vanity metrics, and misplaced priorities are stalling the sector’s potential. WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE Operating under NATO’s Science for Peace and Security framework, this lab panel is approaching hydrogen from a different angle: functional…

Despite a 15 percent year‑on‑year increase to just over 100,000 fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) worldwide in 2024, global adoption remains less than 0.2 percent of the total electric vehicle fleet. That sluggish momentum has prompted Honda Motor Company to push back the start‑up of its next‑generation fuel cell module plant in Moka City, Tochigi Prefecture, and cut its inaugural capacity from 30,000 to 20,000 units per year. Originally set to begin production in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2028, Honda’s dedicated facility—which would have reutilized part of its former Powertrain Unit Factory—will now come online on an undetermined later date. By opting out…

Europe has set its sights on deploying 40 GW of renewable hydrogen electrolysers by 2030—a target that now hinges as much on financial resilience as on technical prowess. With the €7 million acquisition of the insolvent HH2E Werk Lubmin project, H2Apex Group stakes its claim on what may be Germany’s most promising green hydrogen cluster, but inheriting a sunk‑cost site raises critical questions about execution risk and market timing. By taking full ownership of the 1 GW Lubmin project through its Apex Nova Holding subsidiary, H2Apex gains not only the rights to repurpose a former nuclear site but also a ready‑made grid connection…

Gold Hydrogen’s shares rallied 22 percent after announcing a A$14.5 million investment package led by Toyota Motor Corporation, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, and Eneos Holdings. The three Japanese conglomerates will acquire 20.7 million new shares at A$0.70 each—pricing that represents a 22 percent premium over the stock’s closing price on July 2, 2025—underscoring their confidence in the company’s flagship South Australian project. The funds will underwrite Gold Hydrogen’s next drilling campaign later this year on the Yorke Peninsula, targeting natural hydrogen and helium gas deposits in the Ramsay permit area. As a junior explorer with a focus on naturally occurring hydrogen—an energy vector that bypasses…

The European Commission has tabled a proposal to legally cement a 90% net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2040, compared to 1990 levels, framing the ambitious goal as a direct driver of economic growth and industrial competitiveness. This move amends the European Climate Law, seeking to provide long-term predictability for investors and industry as the bloc navigates its transition to climate neutrality by 2050. The proposal, dated July 2, 2025, is not just a climate target but a cornerstone of a broader economic strategy encapsulated in the “Clean Industrial Deal”. This deal aims to secure the EU as an…

By 2025, hydrogen’s promise as a clean energy vector rests heavily on overcoming storage challenges. Metal hydrides (MHs) offer regulated release and lower‑pressure operation, yet persistently lag in gravimetric density and safety validation—a tension highlighted in a recent review of 173 peer‑reviewed studies on MH storage risk assessment. Hydrogen’s High‑Density Appeal Meets Material Limits Hydrogen’s gravimetric energy density (33.33 kWh/kg) surpasses that of gasoline (12 kWh/kg) by nearly threefold, while its volumetric density in MHs can approach 10 wt% % for compounds like NaBH₄ and LiAlH₄. Yet system‑level densities—and the heavy reactors needed to manage high desorption temperatures (up to 400 °C)—cause overall energy‑in‑storage per…

As EU heads of state prepare to land in Beijing for the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties, energy cooperation occupies a rare place of consensus amid broader geopolitical friction. Bilateral trade now exceeds €2.3 billion each day, yet the relationship is strained by China’s restrictive rare‑earth export regime and Europe’s pending electric‑vehicle tariffs. Nowhere is this tension more pronounced than in the realm of decarbonization: Europe needs China’s minerals for wind turbines, batteries, and electrolyzers even as Berlin slashes its own green‑hydrogen subsidies. Trade Scale vs. Strategic Anxiety China remains the EU’s second‑largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 15 percent of goods…

Atmos Renewables and Nomad Energy have finalized financing for the 100 MW / 400 MWh Merredin battery energy storage system (BESS)—a $220 million project that translates to roughly $550 000 per MWh in capital costs, more than triple the 2024 global median turnkey price of $165 000 / MWh. CapEx Premium Reflects Remote Connection and Scale At $220 million for 400 MWh of storage, Merredin’s capital expenditure works out to $550 000 / MWh. By comparison, BloombergNEF’s 2024 survey found global average turnkey BESS pricing at just $165 000 / MWh—down 40 percent year‑on‑year to US$165 / kWh (equivalent to US$165,000 / MWh). The Merredin site’s higher cost likely reflects its location eight kilometres from Merredin town, the need for new grid interconnection…