Caldas hydrogen facility presented
The Government of Spain is supporting Iberdrola and Foresa in their effort to build a green hydrogen plant in Caldas de Reis. This Thursday, Jose Minones, the Executive in Galicia’s representative, unveiled the proposal during a visit to the town.
During the first ten years of operation, the Caldas facility will result in a reduction of 58,000 tons of CO2.
In addition to Beatriz Lagares, the director of the Caldas facility, Juan Manuel Rey, the mayor of Caldas de Reis, Juan Manuel Rey, members of Foresa’s management, Begoá Gómez and Jess Gómez, and other representatives from both firms, visited the plant with the central government representative.
One of the three new green hydrogen plants being promoted by the government in Galicia with a 32 million euro investment is the Green Umia – H2 Galicia project. The other two are being planned for As Pontes and the Port of Vigo, respectively.
Ex-minister Downer’ hydrogen start-up Gold Hydrogen makes a debut
Alexander Downer, a former Liberal politician, is the chairman of a “natural hydrogen” start-up that has floated on the Australian stock exchange.
Due to the fact that the 50 cent per share offering from Gold Hydrogen was fully subscribed, the firm debuted on Friday with a market value of $70 million. In early afternoon trading, shares of Gold Hydrogen were up three cents, or six percent, at 53 cents.
The company claims that by drilling for subsurface hydrogen across nearly 8000 square kilometers of South Australia, it hopes to aid in the transition to a decarbonized economy.
Despite Australia’s emphasis on the creation of green hydrogen through the use of renewable methods, supporters of natural hydrogen claim that it might be a low-carbon substitute for electricity generation, heating, and transportation. In South Australia, Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island will be the subject of Gold Hydrogen’s site exploration.
Bavarian town tests heating with hydrogen
The existing natural gas network in the Bavarian town of Markt Hohenwart, close to Ingolstadt, is being largely converted to green hydrogen.
The experiment, which will the first of its kind in Germany, will start in the summer of 2023 and test the viability of using hydrogen for heating with ten residential buildings and one commercial building for at least one heating season.
The energy providers Thüga and Energie Südbayern are carrying out the H2Direkt pilot project, which is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Using just green hydrogen as an energy source, a climate-neutral heat supply is to be accomplished in the future. This hydrogen is created through electrolysis with the help of renewable energy sources. The Mena region is one potential provider for this, per a study by the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the Wuppertal Institute, and the Institute for Future Energy and Material Flow Systems (IZES) (Middle East and North Africa).
Brandenburg funding for hydrogen projects
The so-called Heidekrautbahn, as well as the buses and trash trucks in the Barnim area, will all be converted to hydrogen drive according to financing decisions made by Brandenburg’s Economic Minister Jörg Steinbach (SPD).
The ministry said on Thursday that the Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn AG may switch its workshops to the green hydrogen drive with 2.5 million euros. 1.5 million euros will be given to the Barnimer Energiebeteiligungsgesellschaft to build a hydrogen refueling station for motor vehicles.
According to the ministry, the project required a total investment of almost 110 million euros. The Federal Ministry of Transport will contribute a total of 25 million euros toward the project. Additionally, the state would contribute roughly 19 million euros as co-financing. With the 4 million euros, the state has now distributed all of its financing decisions.
GRTgaz solicits hydrogen transport infrastructure bids in Fos-sur-Mer
GRTgaz requests confirmation of interest from mobility and hydrogen-related project leaders in constructing a pipeline to transport hydrogen between the Manosque-based HYnframed storage facilities and the industrial and port sector of Fos-sur-Mer.
Hydrogen storage is strategically located in Fos-sur-Mer. Many heavy industries, including steel, petrochemicals, refining, and energy, are located in its industrial-port zone and might decarbonize their operations by using low-carbon hydrogen. Additionally advantageous to this region are nearby gas storage projects and BarMar, the first hydrogen pipeline connecting France and Spain.
A feasibility study for a shared transportation network, carried out by GRTgaz in 2022, established the viability of an infrastructure linking hydrogen production and consumption plants to storage projects. The network manager will now issue a call for interest, which will remain open until March 10, 2023.
It is directed at all project managers working on hydrogen-related initiatives, as well as everyone involved in developing future infrastructure for the industrial-port region (industrial users, producers, or storage project developers). Everyone is encouraged to indicate their interest by filling out a specific questionnaire.
National Grid wraps up hydrogen powered substation trial
National Grid tested a hydrogen-powered generator to power its substation at Deeside Centre for Innovation for 10 weeks (DCI).
DCI’s 400kV modified substation is a unique testing facility for novel technologies and techniques.
DCI constructed a GeoPura 250kW hydrogen power unity (HPU) in a 7.2m by 2.5m shipping container for the trial. This powered low-voltage innovative testing and site operations equipment.
National Grid tested HPUs as direct replacements for backup diesel generators, which it employs with batteries at over 250 substations, over 10 weeks. This power powers substation cooling fans, pumps, and lighting if main power fails.
Changing from diesel to low-carbon emission backup generators could cut carbon intensity by 90% and save over 500,000kg of carbon emissions.
The experimental HPU can produce 100kW continuously or 250kW for 45 minutes. It uses 100% green hydrogen and can safely store its hydrogen canisters.
The study data will be analyzed and shared later this year.
Vitesco takes first hydrogen steps
Vitesco is already taking its first moves in the rapidly expanding hydrogen sector.
Vitesco, an automotive supplier, and Sunfire, a business in Dresden, have decided to collaborate strategically.
At its Limbach-Oberfrohna facility in Saxony, Vitesco plans to begin Sunfire electrolyser series production in the first quarter. Hydrogen can be made by splitting water in electrolyzers.
The young business intends to make it possible for the series manufacture of the electrolysers to begin this year.
Toyota retro concept cars get electric and hydrogen power
To reassure automobile aficionados that they won’t be left behind in the electric era, the Japanese automaker Toyota has introduced a pair of retro concept cars. To do this, two 1980s Corolla AE86 coupes have been converted to run on both hydrogen and electricity.
Toyota claims that the vehicles, which were unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon auto show, demonstrate how it intends to preserve classic collector cars on the road by giving them contemporary, zero-emission engines.
One of the vehicles is solely powered by batteries, while the other has a gasoline engine that has been modified to run on hydrogen.
The two AE86s are now just ideas, but Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda hinted in a presentation that the hydrogen and electric systems would ultimately be offered as conversion kits for current vehicles.
