Hydrogen and FCEVs discussion thread

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Via GCC:
DOE and TARDEC to collaborate on hydrogen and fuel cells for military use
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/10/20181009-tardec.html

. . . Army TARDEC is the United States Armed Forces’ research and development facility for advanced technology in ground systems. Research is underway at Army TARDEC to develop fuel-cell-powered vehicles for tactical uses, among other activities.

The Energy Department’s Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO), within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, focuses on advancing an innovative portfolio of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies through early-stage applied research and development (R&D) of technologies. This R&D includes hydrogen production from diverse domestic resources including renewable, fossil, and nuclear resources, infrastructure development including hydrogen delivery and storage, and fuel cells for transportation, stationary, and mobile applications.
 
Via GCC:
Report: Hyundai to ship 5,000 hydrogen fuel cell cars to France by 2025
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/10/20181015-hyundai.html

. . . The carmaker plans to sign initial agreements with local companies to promote hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), the company said in a statement.

On Tuesday, Hyundai will sign a memorandum of understanding with Air Liquide and Engie for the spread of the emission-free car and charging stations in France. Under the deal, the two French companies will establish fueling stations for FCEVs across France by the target year. The fueling infrastructure is for both passenger and commercial vehicles that use hydrogen. . . .
 
Both via GCC:
Hydrogenics to supply large-scale PEM electrolyzer for H2 fueling station in Europe; more than 400 kg per day
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/10/20181016-hydrogenics.html

. . . The customer, Maximator GmbH, is a compressor manufacturer which is building a one megawatt facility in Wuppertal to cover the daily needs of more than 10 new fuel cell buses operated by WSW—the local public transit company.

WSW prefers hydrogen-fueled buses over battery ones due to their higher reliability in providing power throughout the day, even on the steep terrain of Wuppertal.

Surplus energy generated by a local waste incinerator will be used to power the electrolyzer and generate hydrogen. The Hydrogenics system will be delivered during 2019. . . .


Toshiba, Philippines government sign MoU on the promotion of autonomous hydrogen energy supply systems
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/10/20181016-toshiba.html

Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba ESS) concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with National Electrification Administration (NEA), an government organization of the Philippines, on the implementation of H2One, a hydrogen-based autonomous energy supply system with renewable energy and the use of hydrogen as a fuel for power generation in the Philippines. . . .

In the Philippines, half of the current energy supply is from coal and oil-fired thermal power. The country is also reliant on imports of these fuels, and increasingly sees renewable energy as a chance to improve the self-sufficiency of its energy supply. The country seeks solutions for remote islands with low electrification rates, and ways to reduce risk from typhoons and other natural disasters.

H2One is an integrated system that uses a renewable energy source to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen. . . .

One of the application of H2One is the “Off-grid solution” distributed energy system that allows the supply of clean and stable energy, without influence from the weather, to islands currently reliant on diesel and other generating systems such as thermal power.

Toshiba ESS has been conducting a survey project to develop applications for the H2One in remote islands in the Philippines and Indonesia. Toshiba ESS has already reached a partnership agreement with Badan Pengkajian dan Penerapan Teknologi, an Indonesian government organization, for the spread of H2One throughout Indonesia.
 
Via GCC:
Graforce plasma electrolysis for efficient generation of hydrogen from industrial waste water; partnering with Audi
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/10/20181018-graforce.html

Berlin-based Graforce Hydro GmbH, the developer of a plasma electrolyzer—the Plasmalyzer—is applying its technology for the highly efficient generation of hydrogen from industrial waste water.

Mixing in biogas produces hydrogen-enriched compressed natural gas (HCNG)—a cost-effective, environmentally friendly fuel for vehicles that also generates electricity and heat. The technology not only converts wastewater pollutants into valuable energy, but also reduces emissions (CO2, CO, HC) by 30 to 60 percent. Nitrogen oxide emissions are also reduced by up to 60%. Graforce’s partners include carmaker Audi and Berliner Wasserbetriebe. . . .

The current Plasmalyzer offers highly efficient water splitting. This means that hydrogen can be produced from water, in contrast to electrolysis processes currently on the market, at an affordable price using regenerative electricity for around €3/kg instead of €6-8/kg (assuming electricity costs of €0.08 per kWh).

Moreover, unlike other processes, it does not require the water to be purified; that means that non-purified water can also be used.

Graforce is producing hydrogen using the plasmalysis process in its demonstration plant in Berlin. The process uses electricity to split wastewater obtained from biogas, sewage treatment and industrial plants into oxygen and hydrogen. Mixing hydrogen with biogas produces HCNG, which can be used as fuel in natural gas vehicles and in block heating and gas power plants. Only purified water and oxygen remain as waste products.

German carmaker Audi has also been committed for many years to alternative, synthetic fuels. One of the biggest challenges to e-fuel production is the wastewater produced by biogas plants. It requires very expensive cleaning or disposal.

Integrating plasmalysis technology into Audi’s e-fuel plants repurposes the wastewater into hydrogen production while purifying it at the same time. This enables Audi’s systems to be used more efficiently. . . .
 
Via GCC:
Nouryon, Tata Steel, Port of Amsterdam to study feasibility of largest green H2 cluster in Europe; 100 MW water electrolysis facility
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/10/20181020-nouryon.html

. . . The three parties consider green hydrogen as vital for reaching climate targets and building a more circular economy—e.g., by combining it with emissions from steel manufacture to make new products.

As a first step, the parties will study the feasibility of a 100 megawatt water electrolysis facility to produce up to 15,000 tons of hydrogen per year as well as oxygen at Tata Steel’s IJmuiden site, near Amsterdam.

By using renewable electricity, the initial unit will enable a carbon saving of up to 350,000 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the emissions of more than 40,000 households. A final investment decision is expected in 2021. The partner companies have the ambition to further scale up the technology.

Nouryon will operate the facility, while Tata Steel will use the oxygen to further enhance the sustainability of its production processes. The parties will jointly explore different routes to use hydrogen for turning steel mill emissions into useful chemicals and products.

The Port of Amsterdam will focus on the infrastructure for further distribution of green hydrogen, which will be the basis for the development of new industries and zero-emission transport in the Amsterdam area. . . .

The recently presented Dutch Climate Law sets a CO2 reduction target of 49% by 2030 compared to 1990. The parties believe that green hydrogen can make a significant contribution towards this target and aim to reach sufficient scale to absorb all emissions from Tata Steel’s plant in IJmuiden and use it for the production of new materials.

The development of the green hydrogen cluster will also enable emissions-free buses and heavy transport in the entire Amsterdam area.

Nouryon already has 1000 MW of electrolysis capacity installed in various facilities, using three processes: chlor-alkali, sodium chlorate, and water electrolysis.
 
Via GCC:
Australia trials $15M power-to-hydrogen project
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/10/20181022-australia.html

A $15-million trial—the largest of its kind in Australia—will use international technology to convert solar and wind power into hydrogen gas, which will then be stored for use across the Jemena Gas Network in New South Wales—Australia’s biggest gas distribution network.

Jemena’s Managing Director, Frank Tudor, said Jemena’s Project H2GO will see a 500kW electrolyzer constructed in western Sydney which is able to generate enough hydrogen to power approximately 250 homes.

It is estimated Jemena’s New South Wales gas network—which delivers gas to 1.3 million customers—is capable of storing as much energy as 8 million Powerwall batteries without further investment or network augmentation.

Jemena’s Project H2GO will be co-funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) which has committed $7.5 million in funding for the project.
 
Via GCC:
Hyundai Motor, BTIRDI to establish $100M hydrogen energy fund in China; foundation for fuel cell vehicle market
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/10/20181030-hyundai.html

Hyundai Motor has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Beijing-Tsinghua Industrial R&D Institute (BTIRDI) to establish a Hydrogen Energy Fund. Under this agreement, the South Korean automaker and its Chinese counterpart expect to strengthen their influence in the hydrogen ecosystem while accelerating the advent of a Hydrogen Society. . . .

The binational initiative’s primary objective is to spur investment in the hydrogen industry and value chain while also fostering growth of promising startups in China and Korea. More specifically, the fund will seek for innovative companies that possess various hydrogen-related infrastructures and leadership in core hydrogen technologies. . . .

Hyundai Motor expects that the establishment of the Hydrogen Energy Industry Fund will pave the way for new hydrogen-related business opportunities in China. In particular, the Sino-Korean cooperation will lay a strong foundation for Hyundai Motor to make foray into the Chinese fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) market in the future.

Hydrogen is emerging as a key pillar for future growth in China. In February, the China National Alliance of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell (China Hydrogen Alliance) officially launched to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen in China and promote the construction of a hydrogen society in the country. The Chinese government is also targeting a large-scale deployment of one million FCEVs and one thousand refill stations by 2030. . . .

Also see:
China Electric Vehicles
BEV/FCV
https://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/htac_feb18_08_flood.pdf
 
Via GCC:
ABB and SINTEF test fuel cells for main ship propulsion potential
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/11/20181103-abbsintef.html

. . . The testing methodology, to be developed at SINTEF Ocean’s Trondheim-based laboratory, will use two Hydrogenics 30kW fuel cells, set up to model the operation and control of a complete marine power system in a megawatt-scale propulsion plant. ABB’s own software together with SINTEF Oceans vessel simulator capabilities will imitate and play back different load profiles and diesel/battery/fuel cell combinations, and tested in a scaled down laboratory environment. . . .

Another key objective will be establishing how to enhance the control of fuel cell plant in combination with energy storage, and how to optimize efficiency, reliability and the lifetime of fuel cell stacks.

[list]We will be seeking the decisive and practical solutions to develop fuel cell technology for main propulsion. Research will focus not only on fuel flow and fuel handling, but on what a hydrogen ship bunkering infrastructure might look like.

—Kristoffer Dønnestad, R&D engineer, ABB Marine & Ports, Trondheim[/list]
 
Via GCC:
Toyota partnering with Melbourne council for Australian first hydrogen FCEV trials
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/11/20181105-mirai.html

. . . From today, three Toyota Mirai Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs), the first of their kind to be driven by members of the public in Australia, will be provided to Hobson’s Bay City Council in Melbourne’s inner west for a 12-week trial.

During that period, the Mirais will be driven by council staff under a range of conditions and at different times of the day. . . .

The trial FCEVs will be refueled at a mobile hydrogen refueler based at Toyota’s former manufacturing site in nearby Altona—a 13-minute drive to Hobson’s Bay City Council.

The trial with Hobson’s Bay City Council will be the first of several trials run by Toyota Australia over the next three years, with Australia’s number one car company planning to loan the Mirai FCEVs to participating companies or organizations for up to 12-weeks at a time.

Forklift Trials. Two hydrogen fuel cell (FC) forklifts are also being trialed at Toyota Australia’s former manufacturing site in Altona. The Toyota Material Handling FC forklifts are the first to be used by Toyota outside of Japan.

Toyota Material Handling Australia’s General Manager of Corporate Compliance and Project Development, Bob Walmsley, said the hydrogen FC forklifts will be used to move parts around the Toyota Parts Centre at the Altona site. . . .
 
Via GCC:
California Energy Commission approves $8M grant for H2 fueling station at Port of Long Beach
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/11/20181108-cec.html

. . .The station is to dispense enough fuel at 700 bar pressure for 10-15 fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs) per day. . . .

The station will source hydrogen from 100% renewable biogas. . . .

The newly funded project will provide evidence of scalability by delivering station performance data for very large capacity stations (800 kg of hydrogen in 12 hours and 1,000 kg/day), which will augment current data collection efforts managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). . . .
 
Via GCC:
ICL team assesses relative costs of carbon mitigation for 12 H2 production paths; trade-off between cost and level of decarbonization
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/11/20181119-icl.html

A team at Imperial College London has examined the relative costs of carbon mitigation from a lifecycle perspective for 12 different hydrogen production techniques using fossil fuels, nuclear energy and renewable sources. An open-access paper on their work is published the RSC journal Energy & Environmental Science.

  • As with all comparisons between fossil routes and renewables, cost and emissions data are frequently misused by advocates of all parties to push policy-makers and public opinion further along the polarizing debate of the role of fossil fuels in a low-carbon system. The best approach to decarbonizing hydrogen supply at least cost is not to champion or demonize specific technologies, but to jointly provide evidence to policy-makers to support higher levels of climate ambition.

    Ultimately, the development of low-CO2, large-scale and economically competitive hydrogen production processes is fundamental to the production of low-carbon fuels, fertilizers and other petrochemicals. To achieve this, there is a significant amount of research going on to improve the performance of existing methods and to find new promising routes to generate hydrogen.


    —Parkinson et al.

Their results show a trade-off between the cost of mitigation and the proportion of decarbonization achieved. The most cost-effective methods of decarbonization still utilize fossil feedstocks due to their low cost of extraction and processing, but only offer moderate decarbonization levels due to previous underestimations of supply chain emissions contributions.

Methane pyrolysis may be the most cost-effective short-term abatement solution, but its emissions reduction performance is heavily dependent on managing supply chain emissions while cost effectiveness is governed by the price of solid carbon.

Renewable electrolytic routes offer significantly higher emissions reductions, but production routes are more complex than those that utilize naturally-occurring energy-dense fuels and hydrogen costs are high at modest renewable energy capacity factors.

Nuclear routes are highly cost-effective mitigation options, but could suffer from regionally varied perceptions of safety and concerns regarding proliferation and the available data lacks depth and transparency.

They note that better-performing fossil-based hydrogen production technologies with lower decarbonization fractions will be required to minimize the total cost of decarbonization but may not be commensurate with ambitious climate targets. . . .
What you'd expect.
 
GCC:
CSIRO to partner with Fortescue on hydrogen technologies; focus on metal membrane technology
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/11/20181123-csiro.html

CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, will partner with Fortescue Metals Group (Fortescue) on hydrogen technologies to support the development of new industries, create jobs and pave the way for low emissions export opportunities.

The centerpiece of the $20-million partnership is an investment in CSIRO’s metal membrane technology, which enables ammonia to be used as a carrier material for hydrogen storage and transport. (Earlier post.)

CSIRO will work with Fortescue to identify, develop and commercialize technologies to support the creation of an Australian hydrogen industry and future global uptake.

The agreement includes commercialization arrangements for the membrane technology, with a subsequent five-year investment in hydrogen R&D.

CSIRO’s National Hydrogen Roadmap, released earlier this year, provided a coordinated blueprint for growing Australia’s hydrogen industry and found that an economically-sustainable hydrogen industry could soon be a reality. (Earlier post.) . . .
 
GCC:
Air Liquide to build $150M liquid hydrogen plant in US; long-term agreement with, investment in FirstElement Fuel
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/11/20181127-airliquide.html

Air Liquide expects to invest more than US$150 million to build a liquid hydrogen plant in the western United States, with construction to begin in early 2019. Further, Air Liquide has signed a long-term agreement with FirstElement Fuel Inc (FEF), a leader in retail hydrogen infrastructure in the US, to supply renewable hydrogen to FEF’s retail liquid hydrogen fueling stations in California.

The plant will have a capacity of nearly 30 tons of hydrogen per day—an amount that can fuel 35,000 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs). Through this investment, Air Liquide will enable the large-scale deployment of hydrogen mobility on the west coast, providing a reliable supply solution to fuel the 40,000 FCEVs expected to be deployed in the state of California by 2022.

The plant will also support other fuel cell vehicle and transportation markets in the region, such as material handling and forklifts and heavy duty trucks. . . .

The pace of FCEV deployment has now reached a level requiring a growing scale of investment and is paving the way for the growth of zero emission mobility in other geographies.

In addition to the long-term supply agreement, Air Liquide and FEF have entered into an agreement outlining Air Liquide’s intent to make an equity investment in FEF, following previous assistance to the company by Toyota and Honda.

With these agreements, Air Liquide also builds upon its existing collaborations with Toyota and Honda to further enable a robust hydrogen fueling infrastructure and, along with others, bolster the deployment of fuel cell electric vehicles and the retail fueling infrastructure in California. . . .

Currently FirstElement operates 19 of its True Zero retail hydrogen stations with 12 more under development. The True Zero Network of stations spans from San Diego, throughout Orange County, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, and out to Santa Barbara and Lake Tahoe.

Since the opening of its first station in January 2016, the True Zero Network has completed over 230,000 successful fills, eliminated more than 52 million gasoline miles and replaced them with zero emission fuel cell miles, and avoided over 32 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions (in CO2 equivalence).
 
GCC:
Nuvera sells its PowerTap hydrogen generator assets to OneH2
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/12/20181205-nuvra.html

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc. announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Nuvera Fuel Cells, LLC, signed a definitive agreement to contribute substantially all of its PowerTap hydrogen generator assets, excluding related intellectual property, to OneH2, a hydrogen fuel company. The terms of the agreement also provide OneH2 with a limited license to produce PowerTap hydrogen generators.

In exchange, Nuvera will receive an approximately 15% ownership interest in OneH2 and a seat on OneH2’s Board.

OneH2 has developed an innovative, delivered hydrogen solution that provides a simple, low-cost installation option for hydrogen infrastructure to allow for the rapid deployment of fuel cell solutions. OneH2’s solution enables a fast and seamless transition from battery or internal combustion power to fuel cell power for most lift truck users, while other solutions generally require high fixed costs and long installation periods.

This simplified solution enables users to gain the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell power more quickly and allows customers the flexibility to increase their use of fuel cells at a pace which meets their needs. The OneH2 system also provides users a convenient pathway into on-site hydrogen fuel availability for over the road trucks and passenger vehicles. . . .


Also GCC:
Hydrogenics awarded contract for aircraft fuel cell development & supply
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/12/20181205-hydrogenics.html

Hydrogenics Corporation has been selected to design and supply fuel cell power modules for a new lightweight aircraft. Under development by a customer that wishes to remain undisclosed for competitive reasons, this electric air mobility vehicle will be used for daily commuting and other applications.

Over the course of 2019 Hydrogenics will develop and supply an ultra-light fuel cell system which will be the main propulsion unit for this aircraft. . . .
 
GCC:
Hyundai Motor outlines FCEV Vision 2030; $6.7B investment in fuel cells by 2030; 700K fuel cell systems annually by 2030
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/12/20181211-hyundai.html

Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), which includes automotive brands Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation, announced its long-term roadmap for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology: FCEV Vision 2030. Aligned with the roadmap, Hyundai Motor Group (The Group) will boost its annual fuel-cell systems production capacity to 700,000 units by 2030 and explore new business opportunities to supply its fuel-cell systems to other transportation manufacturers of automobiles, drones, vessels, rolling stocks and forklifts. . . .

The Group plans to secure a 500,000-units-a–year FCEV production capacity by 2030, including passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, in anticipation of high demand for global FCEVs expanding to around 2 million units a year within that timeframe.

As the first step to fulfill the FCEV Vision 2030, HMG’s fuel-cell system manufacturing affiliate Hyundai Mobis Co. held a groundbreaking ceremony for its second fuel-cell system plant in Chungju, South Korea. The second factory will help Mobis increase annual fuel-cell system output to 40,000 units by 2022, up from the current 3,000 units. . . .

In December, Hyundai Motor Group established a dedicated division to develop and support fuel-cell system businesses.
 
GCC:
Port of Valencia to incorporate fuel cell vehicles in operations as part of €4M H2Ports project
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/01/20190103-valencia.html

The Port of Valencia will be the first port in Europe to incorporate hydrogen energy in its operations as part of the European H2Ports project.

A reach stacker and a terminal tractor for ro-ro operations will be the first machines propelled by hydrogen fuel cells. The pilot project also includes the installation of a mobile hydrogen supply station which in the initial phase of the project will work in the Grimaldi (Valencia Terminal Europa) and MSC terminals in the Port of Valencia.

The H2Ports project will entail a total investment of €4 million . . . This project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint undertaking (FCHJU).
 
All GCC:
RONN Motor Group signs two JV partnerships in China to develop hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and hydrogen infrastructure
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/01/20190118-ronn.html


AFC Energy demonstrates EV charger based on hydrogen fuel cell technology
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/01/20190118-afc-1.html

. . . The demonstration of AFC Energy’s CH2ARGE system took place at Dunsfold Aerodrome, with a BMW i8 as the first car to be recharged with power generated by a hydrogen fuel cell.

CH2ARGE includes AFC Energy’s small-scale fuel cell connected to an inverter. The inverter transfers energy created by the fuel cell to a charger. The system is supported by a 48V battery pack to assist with peak power demands. The solution can also be tailored for both on- and off-grid applications and scale up as required.

The demonstration CH2ARGE system was sized to provide sufficient power to charge two EVs concurrently at recharging levels 1, 2 or 3. The system’s inverters are controlled via AFC Energy’s fuel cell control system; product solutions can be implemented with Smart Charging capabilities. . . .

DOE to issue a funding opportunity announcement on H2@Scale
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/01/20190118-hsscale.html

. . . The focus of H2@Scale is to enable affordable and reliable large-scale hydrogen generation, transport, storage, and utilization in the United States across multiple sectors. . . .
SQL errors, so I can't quote more.
 
Is there a way to liberate hydrogen that's more efficient than the steam reforming of natural gas?
 
Oilpan4 said:
Is there a way to liberate hydrogen that's more efficient than the steam reforming of natural gas?
One of the most promising I have read about is (very) high temperature electrolysis but I think it awaits advances in metallurgy to handle the high temps at reasonable cost over prolonged use. It would appear to be a natural fit for Solar thermal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-temperature_electrolysis

Hydrogen is not idiocy per se, although the usual discussions are.
If electricity is the main energy source used to make it -- don't. Use the electricity directly
If fossils are used to make it --- just don't.
If the hydrogen is used preferentially to make electricity -- don't. The conversion losses are too high and reliable, inexpensive fuel cells are no where on the horizon.
HOWEVER, hydrogen is almost a drop in replacement for NG, and its natural role is for heating.
Once hydrogen can be made efficiently it can be long term electricity storage, and heating when electrically driven heat pumps are inefficient.
 
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