Author: Arnes Biogradlija

TotalEnergies has announced its entry into the “Japan Hydrogen Fund,” becoming the only non-Japanese investor in the fund’s first round of investments. The fund, backed by over $400 million from major Japanese companies, aims to accelerate the development of the low-carbon hydrogen value chain in Japan and globally. Prominent Investors Join Forces The fund’s initial contributors include key players in Japan’s industrial and financial sectors: Toyota Motor Corporation, Iwatani Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, MUFG Bank, Tokyo Century Corporation, Japan Green Investment Corporation for Carbon Neutrality, and the Bank of Fukuoka. Together, they are positioning Japan at the forefront of…

Thermax has collaborated with Ceres Power Holdings plc to advance green hydrogen production. The companies have a non-exclusive, global license agreement allowing Thermax to manufacture and sell solid oxide electrolysis (SOEC) modules. This partnership aims to enhance the hydrogen production landscape in India and beyond. Enhanced Efficiency and Integration Thermax will use its experience in heat integration and waste heat recovery to manufacture pressurized stack array modules (SAM) and develop SAM balance of modules (SBM). The goal is to create multi-megawatt SOEC electrolyzer modules. These systems are up to 25% more efficient than current low-temperature electrolysis technologies and use industrial…

Italy unveiled its National Hydrogen Strategy in December 2020, aiming to achieve complete decarbonization by 2050. This strategy is a key policy for Italy’s energy transition and sustainable economic growth, focusing on promoting hydrogen usage in industries, transportation, and energy production. One of the primary goals is to meet 2% of Italy’s final energy demand with hydrogen by 2030 and increase this to 20% by 2050. In June 2024, the Italian government submitted the 2024 Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan to the EU, further strengthening its hydrogen policy. According to this plan, Italy aims to increase the production and…

The US Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) has announced $87.5 million in funding for the initial phase of three hydrogen hubs. This is part of a $1.2 billion cost-sharing initiative to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs). The announcement marks the beginning of a significant investment in renewable and clean energy projects across the United States. California Hydrogen Hub OCED has allocated $30 million to the California hydrogen hub, led by the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (Arches). This public-private partnership aims to create a sustainable, clean hydrogen market by 2030. The project involves…

German LNG terminal operator Deutsche ReGas announced the completion of the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) phase for its planned hydrogen hub in Lubmin. This project, which started in September 2023, focuses on creating a large-scale electrolysis plant. This facility will use renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen Hub Details The hydrogen hub project, known as H2-Hub Lubmin, is divided into two phases. Phase one aims to construct a 200 MW electrolyzer plant by the end of 2026, intending to produce up to 30,000 tons of green hydrogen annually. Phase two plans to expand the capacity…

Scotland Invests in ZeroAvia The Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) has put £20 million into ZeroAvia, a hydrogen-electric aviation firm. This investment is part of a larger $150 million Series C funding round. Other contributors include Alaska Airlines, Airbus, and Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund. ZeroAvia aims to develop zero-emission, hydrogen-electric engines for commercial planes. ZeroAvia’s Ambitious Plans Founded in California, ZeroAvia is exploring future flight routes in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands and possible manufacturing sites in the country. Earlier this year, ZeroAvia partnered with ScottishPower to investigate green hydrogen supply options at Scottish airports. They plan to market their engines…

Mauritania’s Parliament has passed the Green Hydrogen Code Bill, tapping into the country’s rich solar and wind resources to become a leader in clean energy. Minister of Energy and Petroleum Mohamed Ould Khaled stressed the importance of green hydrogen in the country’s strategy for a sustainable energy future. Mauritania’s Energy Potential Mauritania’s renewable energy potential has been extensively studied. A March 2024 report by renewable energy firm Chariot outlines the Nour project, developed in collaboration with TotalEnergies. This ambitious project aims to generate 88 GW of renewable energy and produce up to 150,000 tons of green hydrogen annually. Background of…

Recently, the hydrogen truck startup Hyzon has been facing significant challenges. To ensure its survival in a competitive market, the company has taken the dramatic step of ceasing its production of hydrogen trucks. This may seem counterintuitive for a hydrogen truck company, but the strategy aims to preserve resources and focus on other potential growth areas. Decision to Halt Production Hyzon has opted to temporarily halt its truck manufacturing operations. The company plans to leverage this pause to reassess its strategies. This move is not just about cutting costs but also about redirecting efforts toward research and development. The competitive…

The Zhongguancun-Deutz hydrogen internal combustion engine power demonstration project was recently launched in Beijing’s Economic and Technological Development Zone. This significant project, which aims to advance hydrogen energy, is notable for being the world’s first large-scale hydrogen internal combustion engine power generation project. In July 2023, Zhongguancun Development Group signed an agreement with Germany’s Deutz, planning to complete the co-venturer’s hydrogen internal combustion engine power unit by August 2024 in Beijing. Continuous Production The project leader introduced the demonstration project’s capability to support continuous production operations. The annual electricity generation can reach up to 1 million kilowatt-hours. Additionally, each unit…

Methanol has become increasingly recognized as a viable source of hydrogen production, which is important for sustainable development. Researchers have developed an experimental setup and a simulation model using Aspen Plus, which includes an evaporator and cracker for hydrogen production. The study highlights factors such as the length and diameter of the cracker, temperature, and pressure and their effects on hydrogen production and methanol conversion. The optimal hydrogen mole fraction achieved in the experiments was 0.52, and methanol conversion was over 60% under specific conditions. However, these numbers improved significantly after the cracker was redesigned using Aspen Plus. Hydrogen as…