Hydrogen and FCEVs discussion thread

[GRA]

<Snip>

This isn't a solar powered car. sailboats with solar + batteries and electric motors (in place of the diesel engines and generators) are already plying the waters. This is reality, not "an even longer shot".

Are any being used for cargo hauling, which is the requirement? AFAIA, no one is even considering using PV/batteries plus wind for trans-oceanic commerce.

 

[Oils4AsphaultOnly]

<Snip>

This isn't a solar powered car. sailboats with solar + batteries and electric motors (in place of the diesel engines and generators) are already plying the waters. This is reality, not "an even longer shot".

Are any being used for cargo hauling, which is the requirement? AFAIA, no one is even considering using PV/batteries plus wind for trans-oceanic commerce.

Neither was that proof of concept boat in that article. And if you think no one's considering PV+batteries+wind for commerce, that's because you're blinded by your own bias: https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/energysails-harness-wind-sun-clean-up-cargo-ships

 

[GRA]

<Snip>

This isn't a solar powered car. sailboats with solar + batteries and electric motors (in place of the diesel engines and generators) are already plying the waters. This is reality, not "an even longer shot".

Are any being used for cargo hauling, which is the requirement? AFAIA, no one is even considering using PV/batteries plus wind for trans-oceanic commerce.

Neither was that proof of concept boat in that article. And if you think no one's considering PV+batteries+wind for commerce, that's because you're blinded by your own bias: https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/energysails-harness-wind-sun-clean-up-cargo-ships

The proof of concept boat is just that, looking ahead to developing a full-fledged version for cargo use if the numbers work. The example you linked will be using PV to "supply electricity for onboard lighting and equipment", not propulsion. As I stated a few posts back, using PV "for running auxiliary loads is a different matter."

Once again, I'm curious as to how you arrive at the conclusion I'm biased, apparently against PV and battery systems now, despite having designed and/or sold a couple of hundred PV/battery-based systems for off-grid power, including a few systems for sailboats. Personally I'm all for solar car roofs and hoods to run hotel loads, thus saving more of the battery for propulsion.

The power demands of propulsion and auxiliary loads like lighting typically differ by a few orders of magnitude. As with solar-propelled cars it's possible to build solar-propelled ships, provided you don't have to go fast or far, or carry a useful load while doing so.

 

[Oils4AsphaultOnly]

Are any being used for cargo hauling, which is the requirement? AFAIA, no one is even considering using PV/batteries plus wind for trans-oceanic commerce.

Neither was that proof of concept boat in that article. And if you think no one's considering PV+batteries+wind for commerce, that's because you're blinded by your own bias: https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/energysails-harness-wind-sun-clean-up-cargo-ships

The proof of concept boat is just that, looking ahead to developing a full-fledged version for cargo use if the numbers work. The example you linked will be using PV to "supply electricity for onboard lighting and equipment", not propulsion. As I stated a few posts back, using PV "for running auxiliary loads is a different matter."

Once again, I'm curious as to how you arrive at the conclusion I'm biased, apparently against PV and battery systems now, despite having designed and/or sold a couple of hundred PV/battery-based systems for off-grid power, including a few systems for sailboats. Personally I'm all for solar car roofs and hoods to run hotel loads, thus saving more of the battery for propulsion.

The power demands of propulsion and auxiliary loads like lighting typically differ by a few orders of magnitude. As with solar-propelled cars it's possible to build solar-propelled ships, provided you don't have to go fast or far, or carry a useful load while doing so.

You're biased against batteries for powertrains. You're hung up about the weight of the battery systems that you've got direct experience with, without realizing that there's more involved in propulsion (both on land and at sea) than just weight alone. You said that "no one is considering using PV/batteries + wind for transoceanic commerce", and I provided proof that someone is. You're biased against batteries as being an essential part of any powertrain, that's why you think that hydrogen will solve the zero-emissions commercial shipping problem first.

Don't forget that the Turanor already navigated around the world on solar+batteries alone (no wind).

 

[WetEV]

The power demands of propulsion and auxiliary loads like lighting typically differ by a few orders of magnitude. As with solar-propelled cars it's possible to build solar-propelled ships, provided you don't have to go fast or far, or carry a useful load while doing so.

One for three would be fairly good in baseball.

Fast isn't realistic. Fastest I know of is 55 km/h on solar power (30 knots). Daytime, not sustained. Light boat, calm conditions. Under most ocean conditions, a sailing ship is likely to outrun a similar sized and massed solar ship. More so in high latitudes and far from the equator. Near the equator and passages into the wind would be advantage solar.

https://solarboatteam.nl/en/onze-zonneboot/


Far, on the other hand is realistic. Food for the crew is the physical limit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%BBranor_PlanetSolar


Useful load is also realistic, but not yet economic. Consider a "chinamax" sized ship. These are 65 meters by 360 meters. At 50W daily average per square meter, that is about 1,170 kW. As wavemaking drag predominates, the speed would be around 4 knots, less than that a Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C (80,000 kW) would propel the ship, around 25 to 30 knots. Shipping times to/from China to the USA would increase more than the difference in speed, as the solar ship would want to stay closer to the equator.

When we totally stop using fossil fuel, some combination of wind and solar/batteries would likely be the most economic for most ocean transportation. Hydrogen or biofuels might make sense for ice breakers and similar high latitude/wintertime, or nuclear.

 

[GRA]

Neither was that proof of concept boat in that article. And if you think no one's considering PV+batteries+wind for commerce, that's because you're blinded by your own bias: https://spectrum.ieee.org/energywise/energy/renewables/energysails-harness-wind-sun-clean-up-cargo-ships

The proof of concept boat is just that, looking ahead to developing a full-fledged version for cargo use if the numbers work. The example you linked will be using PV to "supply electricity for onboard lighting and equipment", not propulsion. As I stated a few posts back, using PV "for running auxiliary loads is a different matter."

Once again, I'm curious as to how you arrive at the conclusion I'm biased, apparently against PV and battery systems now, despite having designed and/or sold a couple of hundred PV/battery-based systems for off-grid power, including a few systems for sailboats. Personally I'm all for solar car roofs and hoods to run hotel loads, thus saving more of the battery for propulsion.

The power demands of propulsion and auxiliary loads like lighting typically differ by a few orders of magnitude. As with solar-propelled cars it's possible to build solar-propelled ships, provided you don't have to go fast or far, or carry a useful load while doing so.

You're biased against batteries for powertrains. You're hung up about the weight of the battery systems that you've got direct experience with, without realizing that there's more involved in propulsion (both on land and at sea) than just weight alone. You said that "no one is considering using PV/batteries + wind for transoceanic commerce", and I provided proof that someone is. You're biased against batteries as being an essential part of any powertrain, that's why you think that hydrogen will solve the zero-emissions commercial shipping problem first.

Don't forget that the Turanor already navigated around the world on solar+batteries alone (no wind).

You know, if you're going to just make up claims about me with no basis in fact, you should throw in a mention of "Dominion" and "Venezuela" to raise your credibility to that of Trump's legal team; they may be looking for new recruits given Rudi's hospitalization.

I'm not biased against batteries for powertrains, I'm a fan of them when they're the best technology for the job compared to the available alternatives. Currently, they're well suited for local and intra-regional use with dedicated overnight charging, moderately suited to weekend trip use with no more than 1 enroute QC each way, and poorly suited to long trips requiring multiple enroute QCs, especially in colder temps, where time is a major factor. Again, when compared to the available alternatives.

If/when batteries improve to the point that they're well suited for more transportation uses I'll say so. I expect pigs to fly before transcontinental BEV airliners do, but I'll be happy to be proved wrong.

Nor am I 'hung up' on the weight of battery systems, whether I have direct experience of them or not. It's not just weight, it's also power and energy density, operating temperature range, longevity, TCO, and a host of other factors. I believe in picking the tool to fit the job, not trying to make every job fit the tool.

Re your comment about providing evidence of PV+batteries & wind use for trans-oceanic commerce, have you forgotten that this started with an article about a hybrid wind/H2 fuel cell propulsion system, and not about using AE to run auxiliary loads? As I said, they're another matter, and both PV/batteries and fuel cells (mostly the latter AFAIA) are starting to be used to replace diesel gensets on ships. It's still small-scale, but as emission regs get tighter we'll see more and more of it.

Mentioning the Turanor has as much relevance to potential commercial development potential for cargo ships as the Solar Impulse has to commercial A/C, or the participants in the Solar Challenge races (held, unsurprisingly, in Australian spring rather than in Canadian or Northern European winter) to commercial trucks. Currently, if you don't care how long you take and don't have to make a dependable schedule, don't care how much you carry, or where you're limited in going by what routes at what time of the year, then solar-propelled vehicles may work. As modern medium and long-range cargo transport does care about all those issues, PV/battery propulsion systems simply can't cope, for now.

 

[GRA]

The power demands of propulsion and auxiliary loads like lighting typically differ by a few orders of magnitude. As with solar-propelled cars it's possible to build solar-propelled ships, provided you don't have to go fast or far, or carry a useful load while doing so.

One for three would be fairly good in baseball.

Fast isn't realistic. Fastest I know of is 55 km/h on solar power (30 knots). Daytime, not sustained. Light boat, calm conditions. Under most ocean conditions, a sailing ship is likely to outrun a similar sized and massed solar ship. More so in high latitudes and far from the equator. Near the equator and passages into the wind would be advantage solar.

https://solarboatteam.nl/en/onze-zonneboot/


Far, on the other hand is realistic. Food for the crew is the physical limit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%BBranor_PlanetSolar


Useful load is also realistic, but not yet economic. Consider a "chinamax" sized ship. These are 65 meters by 360 meters. At 50W daily average per square meter, that is about 1,170 kW. As wavemaking drag predominates, the speed would be around 4 knots, less than that a Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C (80,000 kW) would propel the ship, around 25 to 30 knots. Shipping times to/from China to the USA would increase more than the difference in speed, as the solar ship would want to stay closer to the equator.

When we totally stop using fossil fuel, some combination of wind and solar/batteries would likely be the most economic for most ocean transportation. Hydrogen or biofuels might make sense for ice breakers and similar high latitude/wintertime, or nuclear.

You've elabotated my argument for me. See my reply to Oils4AsphaultOnly for more. BTW, crew provisions for a cargo ship make up a miniscule amount of volume/weight. It's the lack of speed, reliability, route choices and allowable conditions that will hold wind/solar/battery ships back.

I don't see container ships likely to go with any kind of wind hybrid propulsion system, as they tend nowadays to have service speeds over 20 knots, not to mention masting would interfere with loading/unloading and they'd have to be enormously tall, which adds structural and stability as well as clearance issues. I think tankers and bulk (ore or grain) carriers, which generally have service speeds in the low to mid-teens, are where we'll see hybrids first, assuming that losing a couple of knots is acceptable.

Of course, if the situation gets really dire we may have to go back to sail for everything, but in that case we can probably kiss modern industrial economies goodbye.

 

[GRA]

All GCC:

Equinor, RWE join Europe’s biggest green hydrogen project: NortH2-project

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201208-northh2.html

Equinor and RWE have joined the NortH2 project, which aims to produce green hydrogen using renewable electricity from offshore wind off the coast of Netherlands of about 4 gigawatts by 2030, and 10+ gigawatts by 2040, kickstarting the hydrogen economy in Northwest Europe.

NortH2 was launched in February 2020, with Shell, Groningen Seaports Gasunie and the province of Groningen. The project will complete a feasibility study by 2021, with the aim to start project development activities in the second half of 2021.

The project will have a capacity of 1 GW in 2027, 4 GW by 2030 and 10+ GW by 2040 for electrolysis. This equates to 0.4 million tonnes of green hydrogen production in 2030 and 1 million tonnes green hydrogen production by 2040. This can abate 8 to 10 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. This is equivalent to the yearly emissions from road traffic in Norway. . . .

The North Sea has a great potential for large-scale wind development, there is extensive existing natural gas infrastructure that is suitable for storage and large-scale transport of hydrogen, and there are large industrial clusters in the Netherlands and Germany as well as heavy-duty vehicle OEMs that could economically benefit from a first mover advantage.

Bosch plans to start full-scale production of SOFCs in 2024

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201208-bosch.html

Bosch plans to start full-scale production of distributed power stations based on solid oxide fuel-cell (SOFC) technology; hence its agreement to intensify its alliance with Ceres Power. Bosch is positioning itself clearly as a systems supplier for stationary fuel cells with its own value creation in the cell and stack segment.

Following a successful prototype construction phase, the two companies now want to press ahead, initially with the pre-commercialization process for stationary fuel cells. For SOFC systems, Bosch is aiming for an annual production capacity of some 200 megawatts. This is enough to supply around 400,000 people with electricity in their homes. . . .

One intended application of SOFC technology is in small, distributed, connectivity-enabled power stations, which can then be used in cities, factories, trade and commerce, data centers, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Bosch estimates that the market for decentralized power generation will reach a volume of €20 billion by 2030. . . .

Pilot plants based on solid oxide fuel cells are already being successfully tested at various Bosch locations. The SOFC systems can be operated with eco-friendly biogas or natural gas.

IHS Markit: annual investments in green hydrogen production to exceed $1 billion by 2023

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201204-ihsgh2.html

. . . The elevated investment outlook is attributed to falling costs and policy support from governments looking to shift towards low-carbon economies.

Operating capacity for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis technology currently stands at 82 MW with a pipeline of more than 23 GW, according to the IHS Markit Power-to-X tracker. This pipeline—including projects announced, planned and under construction—is up from less than 8 GW at the end of 2019 and 5 GW at the end of 2018. Electrolysis production is ramping up with multiple “giga-factories” under development. . . .

The growth in the electrolysis pipeline has been driven by falling costs and policy support.

Green hydrogen production costs are down 40% since 2015 and are expected to fall by a further 40% through 2025. Reductions in the costs of renewable power account for two thirds of the reduction in the cost of green hydrogen seen since 2015 with one third due to reductions in the cost of the electrolysis equipment. Through 2025, the main driver of green hydrogen cost reductions is expected to be the development of larger electrolysis projects. By 2030, IHS Markit expect that green hydrogen costs could drop below $2/kg where it would compete with hydrogen produced from natural gas with carbon capture.

Targets and support framework being defined. Low-carbon hydrogen is a major component of many governments post-COVID recovery plans and their long-term climate strategies. 6 European countries, the European Commission, Russia and Chile have all released hydrogen strategies since May 2020. The strategies lay out production targets for low-carbon hydrogen and electrolysis and start to define the support that will be available to project developers. . . .

Modelling by IHS Markit shows that by the early-2040s, production of green hydrogen could be the single largest use of electricity exceeding industrial electricity use. To meet this demand, deployment of low-carbon power generation—particularly in regions with high quality renewable resources—will accelerate. . . .

 

[WetEV]

I don't see container ships likely to go with any kind of wind hybrid propulsion system, as they tend nowadays to have service speeds over 20 knots, not to mention masting would interfere with loading/unloading and they'd have to be enormously tall, which adds structural and stability as well as clearance issues. I think tankers and bulk (ore or grain) carriers, which generally have service speeds in the low to mid-teens, are where we'll see hybrids first, assuming that losing a couple of knots is acceptable.

Of course, if the situation gets really dire we may have to go back to sail for everything, but in that case we can probably kiss modern industrial economies goodbye.

Modern industrial economies depend on 20 knot plus shipping speeds? The things I learn on the intertubes.

 

[GRA]

I don't see container ships likely to go with any kind of wind hybrid propulsion system, as they tend nowadays to have service speeds over 20 knots, not to mention masting would interfere with loading/unloading and they'd have to be enormously tall, which adds structural and stability as well as clearance issues. I think tankers and bulk (ore or grain) carriers, which generally have service speeds in the low to mid-teens, are where we'll see hybrids first, assuming that losing a couple of knots is acceptable.

Of course, if the situation gets really dire we may have to go back to sail for everything, but in that case we can probably kiss modern industrial economies goodbye.

Modern industrial economies depend on 20 knot plus shipping speeds? The things I learn on the intertubes.

Reliable 20+ knot container ships, along with reliable 460 kt. air cargo, and virtually instantaneous communications. If we want to go back to a pre-'70s or maybe '80s economy without just-in-time shipping and much higher prices, fine. The only thing stopping us from returning to sailing ships is that they're slow, unreliable, and more costly to operate.

In the pre-steam days, if one transatlantic voyage took 4 weeks and the next took 10, that's just the way it was, and warehouses were sized accordingly. Even since my Teamster casual days things have changed a lot. Used to be we'd have more work than we could take in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving as the stores built up their X-mas stocks, then very little until things began to pick up around April (which is when regulars received their sick days for the following year and began to get 'sick' again on Mondays and Fridays). Now, with JIT and more online shopping, the pace is a lot more even all year.

 

[GRA]

GCC:

7 companies launch Green Hydrogen Catapult to increase green H2 production 50-fold over next 6 years

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201209-catapult.html

. . . World’s biggest green hydrogen project developers and partners come together to launch Green Hydrogen Catapult initiative. New initiative aims to drive down costs to below $2 per kilogram, to transform energy across most carbon intensive industries, accelerating race to zero emissions. . . .

Seven companies— ACWA Power, CWP Renewables, Envision, Iberdrola, Ørsted, Snam, and Yara—announced a global coalition that will accelerate the scale and production of green hydrogen 50-fold in the next six years, helping to transform the world’s most carbon intensive industries, including power generation, chemicals, steelmaking and shipping.

The new “Green Hydrogen Catapult” initiative will see green hydrogen industry leaders target the deployment of 25 gigawatts through 2026 of renewables-based hydrogen production, with a view to halve the current cost of hydrogen to below US$2 per kilogram.

Recent analysis suggests a US$2/kg price represents a potential tipping point that will make green hydrogen and its derivative fuels the energy source of choice across multiple sectors—including steel and fertilizer production, power generation, and long-range shipping—where ample near-term demand exists in Europe and elsewhere.

Green ammonia, a derivative of green hydrogen, is also being tested to displace fossil fuels in thermal power generation, greatly decreasing the emissions intensity of existing energy infrastructure. . . .

Having led the race to deliver
photovoltaic energy at well-below US 2 cents per kilowatt-hour, in certain geographies, we believe the collective ingenuity and entrepreneurship of the private sector can deliver green hydrogen at less than US$2 per kilogram within four years. From an industry perspective, we see no technical barriers to achieving this, so it’s time to get on with the virtuous cycle of cost reduction through scale up.

—Paddy Padmanathan, CEO of ACWA Power

Concurrently, the Saudi Arabia-based company is announced its commitment to the Business Ambition for 1.5 ºC campaign. . . .

It is now estimated that green hydrogen could supply up to 25% of the world’s energy needs by 2050 and become a US$10-trillion addressable market by 2050. These projections are underpinned by the recent emergence of strong hydrogen-focused national hydrogen strategies including in Australia, Chile, Germany, the EU, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and South Korea. . . .

The Catapult target will require investment of roughly US$110 billion and deliver more than 120,000 jobs, thus in parallel facilitating recovery from COVID-19. . . .

Rocky Mountain Institute, a global non-profit think-and-do-tank, will facilitate the initiative alongside partners.

We'll see if they meet their target. Good to see Amory Lovins and RMI involved.

 

[GRA]

See https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=21315&p=595116#p595116

 

[GRA]

Both GCC:

Hyundai Motor Group launches HTWO dedicated fuel cell system brand

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201211-htwo.html

. . . With HTWO, Hyundai Motor Group is stepping up efforts for the development of a next-generation hydrogen fuel cell system that can be applied to various forms of mobility such as UAM, automobiles, vessels and trains.

Not only will the next-generation fuel cell system be available for many different mobility products and services, it will deliver enhanced performance and durability at an affordable price in a lighter architecture with enhanced energy density. With its next-generation fuel cell system, the group aims to offer a highly efficient and diversified lineup of hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Initial focus will be on major hub regions: Korea, the United States, Europe and China. . . .

DOE to award $33M to advance hydrogen and fuel cell R&D and the H2@Scale vision

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201211-doeh2.html

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced $33 million in funding to support innovative hydrogen and fuel cell research & development (R&D), infrastructure supply chain development and validation, and cost analysis activities. (DE-FOA-0002446) This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) builds upon existing efforts funded by DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office to reduce cost, improve performance, and strengthen a domestic supply chain for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and applications. . . .

FOA topics include R&D in:

Fuel cells for heavy-duty trucks in coordination with the M2FCT consortium. This topic includes two focus areas to reduce the cost and enhance the durability and performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell stacks for heavy-duty applications. Efforts in both areas are to be coordinated with the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck consortium.

The first research area supports development of bipolar plates with a focus on innovative, low-cost materials with high corrosion resistance and minimal degradation. The second research area is focused on the development of air management components and subsystems for improved reliability and lower overall heavy duty fuel cell system costs.

Efficient and innovative hydrogen production. This topic includes two focus areas aimed at developing sustainable generation technologies to enable low-cost production of clean hydrogen at large scale. The first area, carried out in collaboration with DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), focuses on increasing the production volume of advanced components, stacks, sub-systems, and systems for multi-MW-scale high-temperature electrolyzers to lower hydrogen production costs. This would be coordinated with the H2NEW consortium.

The second focus area supports technology development which enables low cost hydrogen production via waste and biomass conversion. Research approaches in this area include microbial conversion technologies viable at large or distributed/community scales, with development of novel systems to bring down cost, improve yield, and enable scale-up.

High-flow Fueling Applications. This topic includes two focus areas for development of novel hydrogen fueling technologies and processes that can increase hydrogen dispensing rates to facilitate rapid fueling of heavy-duty vehicles. The first topic area focuses on low-cost, reliable, domestically supplied hydrogen fueling station components to enable high-flow hydrogen fueling of heavy-duty trucks.

The second focus area supports R&D necessary to develop a high-flow gaseous fueling model and ultimately a standard protocol which can achieve targeted fill rates.

Analysis. This topic includes three focus areas for the development of a comprehensive set of cost analyses involving all aspects of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Projects would define the current state-of-the-art in key areas, develop and refine system configurations and designs, provide guidance on R&D gaps, and help to direct future R&D priorities in fuel cell, hydrogen production, and hydrogen storage technologies. . . .

Concept papers are due on 15 January 2021, and full applications are due on 8 March 2021.

 

[GRA]

Both GCC:

Xcel Energy, INL to use nuclear energy for clean hydrogen production; HTSE

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201213-xcel.html

Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy will work with Idaho National Laboratory to demonstrate a system that uses a nuclear plant’s steam and electricity to split water. (Earlier post.) The resulting hydrogen will initially be used at the power plant, but it could eventually be sold to other industries.

The new project is the first to pair a commercial electricity generator with high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) technology. It builds on a project launched last year to demonstrate how hydrogen production facilities could be installed at operating nuclear power plants. . . .

HTSE technology is a natural fit at nuclear power plants, where high-quality steam and electricity are both accessible. Xcel Energy also has a large amount of wind in its energy generation portfolio, which offers an opportunity to demonstrate how a nuclear plant’s electricity could be used to make hydrogen when wind energy satisfies grid demand.

A recent analysis under DOE’s H2@Scale initiative, led by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, estimated that hydrogen produced by HTSE at a nuclear plant could be cost competitive in today’s market. The report was published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. . . .

Siemens Energy teams up with Duke Energy, Clemson University to study hydrogen use

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201213-siemens.html

Siemens Energy, Duke Energy and Clemson University have teamed up to study the use of hydrogen for energy storage and as a low- or no-carbon fuel source to produce energy at Duke Energy’s combined heat and power plant located at Clemson University in South Carolina.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded Siemens Energy a $200,000 grant for the research initiative. The pilot project, called H2-Orange—a nod to hydrogen gas and the collaboration with Clemson University—will ramp up in March 2021 and include studies on hydrogen production, storage and co-firing with natural gas. . . .

Siemens Energy will study the use of its Silyzer electrolyzer to produce hydrogen fuel to help power the existing SGT-400 natural gas turbine at the Clemson plant. The Silyzer can use renewables and clean energy sources to create hydrogen without producing emissions.

Clemson University will lead the integration of hydrogen into the campus grid and ensure energy needs are met, and Duke Energy will provide operational, engineering and grid modeling expertise. Duke Energy also expects the results of the study to be applicable to its larger combustion turbine fleet. . . .

 

[GRA]

Both GCC:

British Airways partners with ZeroAvia to speed up the switch to hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201215-bah2.html

. . . The collaboration, which reflects the importance of sustainability at British Airways, will see ZeroAvia embedded in the heart of the airline. The team will work remotely alongside mentors and experts to explore the transformational possibilities of moving from fossil fuels to zero-emission hydrogen to power the airline’s future fleet.

In September 2020, ZeroAvia achieved a major technological breakthrough by completing the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered flight of a commercial-size aircraft, which took off from Cranfield Airport. The Piper M-class six-seat plane completed taxi, take-off, a full pattern circuit, and landing. . . .

In 2021, ZeroAvia expects to further demonstrate the credibility of its technology at longer ranges and using larger aircraft. The company expects to achieve the commercialization of hydrogen-electric power for aircraft as early as 2023 with flights of up to 500 miles (805 km) in up to 20-seater aircraft. By 2027, it plans to have powerplants in service capable of powering commercial flights of more than 500 miles in aircraft with up to 100 seats and by 2030 more than 1,000 miles in aircraft with 100+ seats.

Both British Airways and ZeroAvia are part of the Jet Zero Council, a partnership between government and industry to drive forward the UK Government’s net zero-emission ambitions for the aviation and aerospace sector.

Enel Green Power and NextChem sign MoU for green hydrogen production in US

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201215-enal.html

. . . Enel, with a record of project commercialization, extensive development pipeline and large renewable operations footprint in the US, will leverage NextChem’s hydrogen technology and engineering expertise to grow its green hydrogen business in the US. The project, which is expected to be operational in 2023, will convert renewable energy from one of EGPNA’s solar plants in the United States into green hydrogen to be supplied to a bio-refinery. . . .

Enel Green Power is developing projects in the green hydrogen segment in Italy, Spain, Chile and the United States. As green hydrogen is a new business application, the Enel Group is monitoring the relevant market developments to identify the most efficient way to achieve its plans to grow its green hydrogen capacity to more than 2 GW by 2030.

In North America, Enel Green Power is a leading owner and operator of renewable energy plants, with a presence in 18 US states and one Canadian province. The company operates around 70 plants with a managed capacity of more than 6 GW.

 

[OrientExpress]

Here is a first drive review of the 2nd generation Mirai

 

[jlv]

Here is a first drive review of the 2nd generation Mirai

When I read reviews like this, I'm left thinking that if Toyota ever got serious about producing a BEV, Tesla would be in trouble.

 

[GRA]

^^^Toyota has several BEVs in the pipeline, including one RAV4/Forester-size CUV being co-developed with Subaru.


GCC:

New industry collaboration for hydrogen trucking at mass-market scale in Europe: H2Accelerate

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201216-h2a.html

Daimler Truck AG, IVECO, OMV, Shell and the Volvo Group have committed to work together to help create the conditions for the mass-market roll-out of hydrogen trucks in Europe. The partners signed a collaboration agreement—H2Accelerate—under which the participants will work together to:

Seek public support to fund early pre-commercial projects to activate the market on the path towards a mass market roll-out;

Communicate around the technical and commercial viability of hydrogen fuelled trucking at scale; and

Hold discussions with policy makers and regulators to encourage policies which can support a sustainable and speedy activation of the zero emissions long haul trucking market. . . .

Achieving a large-scale roll-out of hydrogen-fueled trucks is expected to create new industries: zero-carbon hydrogen production facilities, large-scale hydrogen distribution systems, a network of high-capacity refuelling stations for liquid and gaseous hydrogen, and the production of the hydrogen-fueled trucks.

H2A participants believe that synchronized investments across the sector during the 2020s will create the conditions for the mass market roll-out of hydrogen-fueled heavy-duty transportation which is required to meet the European ambition of net zero emissions by 2050.

The decade-long scale-up is expected to begin with groups of customers willing to make an early commitment to hydrogen-based trucking. These fleets are expected to operate in regional clusters and along European high capacity corridors with good refueling station coverage. During the decade, these clusters can then be interconnected to build a truly pan-European network. . . .

 

[OrientExpress]

When I read reviews like this, I'm left thinking that if Toyota ever got serious about producing a BEV, Tesla would be in trouble.

Toyota is purposely skipping the first generation of BEV tech and market, because of the inherent shortcomings of the tech for a consumer vehicle.

But with that said, they have some tech that builds on today’s battery tech but yet goes in a different direction to solve the most vexing issues.

Toyota created the EV market back in the 90s with hybrids and have been very successful with that, and will be even more successful with what they offer when they enter the BEV market very soon.

After all there is still 97% of the market that is ripe for conversion with a product that resonates with the mainstream market.

 

[GRA]

GCC:

SoCalGas to test technology that separates hydrogen from natural gas when the two are blended in pipelines

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/12/20201217-socalgas.html

With clean hydrogen gaining recognition worldwide as a carbon-free fuel capable of making a significant contribution to addressing climate change, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) will field test a new technology that can simultaneously separate and compress hydrogen from a blend of hydrogen and natural gas.

Created by Netherlands-based HyET Hydrogen, the technology is designed to provide pure highly-compressed hydrogen wherever a natural gas distribution system exists.

The new technology—Electrochemical Hydrogen Purification and Compression (EHPC)—works by applying an electrical current across a hydrogen-selective membrane to allow only hydrogen to permeate it while blocking the natural gas components. Continuously applying the electrical current builds up and pressurizes the hydrogen. . . .

To test the technology, SoCalGas will blend hydrogen in concentrations from 3-15%, with methane, the primary component of natural gas. That blend of gases will then be injected through a simulated natural gas pipeline testing system into the EHPC system to continuously extract and compress the hydrogen at a rate of 10 kg per day.

SoCalGas’ testing will provide performance data that will enable fine-tuning and optimization of the EHPC system to accelerate scaling up the technology. Within the next two years, the EHPC technology is expected to be scaled to produce 100 kg of hydrogen a day or more from a single EHPC system, enough to fill 20 fuel cell electric vehicles.

The project is scheduled to begin in March at SoCalGas’ Engineering Analysis Center in Pico Rivera, California and slated to be complete by the third quarter of 2021.

At scale, the technology would allow hydrogen to be easily and affordably transported via the natural gas pipeline system, then extracted and compressed at fueling stations that provide hydrogen for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

SoCalGas also recently announced a program to study blending hydrogen into its natural gas pipelines. If approved by regulators, the program would be the first step toward establishing a statewide standard for injecting hydrogen into the natural gas grid. . . .