Hydrogen and FCEVs discussion thread

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Seems to be the month for H2 plants to have major problems. IEVS:
Hydrogen Fueling Station Explodes: Toyota & Hyundai Halt Fuel Cell Car Sales
https://insideevs.com/news/354223/hydrogen-fueling-station-explodes/

A hydrogen refueling station exploded and stood in flames yesterday in Sandvika, Norway, which could make June 10, 2019 the day when the perception about hydrogen stations and hydrogen fuel cell cars, in general, will forever change.

According to reports from the Uno-X station, the explosion was huge. It triggered airbags in nearby cars and caused the necessity to close off the busy E18 and E16 intersection. A safety zone of 500 meters was recommended by the fire service.

The good news is that there are no reports about direct injuries, but some reports say two people were sent to the emergency room because of injuries sustained from airbags in their cars. . . .
The author's comments seem more than a little hyperbolic. After all, it's not as if oil refineries never explode*, which is why they and any hazardous substance plant are located with large safety areas around them for that reason. Did anyone think they were completely safe? I mean, two whole people were injured in this case by air bag deployment - Oh, the horror!
*Texas City Refinery explosion

The Texas City Refinery explosion occurred on March 23, 2005, when a hydrocarbon vapor cloud was ignited and violently exploded at the ISOM isomerization process unit at BP's Texas City refinery in Texas City, Texas, killing 15 workers, injuring 180 others and severely damaging the refinery.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_Refinery_explosion

Maybe there are people so clueless that they think that H2 is completely safe rather than being a hazmat, just as gasoline is. The sales stoppage is temporary; if there's no fuel, who's going to buy the cars?
 
GRA said:
Seems to be the month for H2 plants to have major problems. IEVS:
Hydrogen Fueling Station Explodes: Toyota & Hyundai Halt Fuel Cell Car Sales
https://insideevs.com/news/354223/hydrogen-fueling-station-explodes/

A hydrogen refueling station exploded and stood in flames yesterday in Sandvika, Norway, which could make June 10, 2019 the day when the perception about hydrogen stations and hydrogen fuel cell cars, in general, will forever change.

According to reports from the Uno-X station, the explosion was huge. It triggered airbags in nearby cars and caused the necessity to close off the busy E18 and E16 intersection. A safety zone of 500 meters was recommended by the fire service.

The good news is that there are no reports about direct injuries, but some reports say two people were sent to the emergency room because of injuries sustained from airbags in their cars. . . .
The author's comments seem more than a little hyperbolic. After all, it's not as if oil refineries never explode*, which is why they and any hazardous substance plant are located with large safety areas around them for that reason. Did anyone think they were completely safe? I mean, two whole people were injured in this case by air bag deployment - Oh, the horror!
*Texas City Refinery explosion

The Texas City Refinery explosion occurred on March 23, 2005, when a hydrocarbon vapor cloud was ignited and violently exploded at the ISOM isomerization process unit at BP's Texas City refinery in Texas City, Texas, killing 15 workers, injuring 180 others and severely damaging the refinery.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_Refinery_explosion

Maybe there are people so clueless that they think that H2 is completely safe rather than being a hazmat, just as gasoline is. The sales stoppage is temporary; if there's no fuel, who's going to buy the cars?

The H2 being a flammable product isn't the issue. It's the method of storing it under extreme pressure that's the problem. Those airbags weren't deployed because the H2 burned, they deployed because of the pressure wave that formed when the gas escaped at hypersonic velocity!

The Texas refinery explosion is of a completely different nature (involving aerated fuel - something that's normally heavier than air and so won't float away).

Check out videos of the burning hindenburg. It didn't explode despite all the H2 being contained in the Zeppelin, because everything was at standard air pressure (14psi).

H2 is relatively safe ... at low pressure. Hopefully Toyota and Honda sees the writing on the wall and stop their infatuation with pressurized H2.
 
^^ well said.

Google says that an H2 station costs $1.2 - 1.5 USD Million to build. That price is going to jump to try and reduce the frequency of future explosions. This reminds me of nuclear -- the cost of safety overwhelms the industry.
 
Oils4AsphaultOnly said:
GRA said:
Seems to be the month for H2 plants to have major problems. IEVS:
Hydrogen Fueling Station Explodes: Toyota & Hyundai Halt Fuel Cell Car Sales
https://insideevs.com/news/354223/hydrogen-fueling-station-explodes/

A hydrogen refueling station exploded and stood in flames yesterday in Sandvika, Norway, which could make June 10, 2019 the day when the perception about hydrogen stations and hydrogen fuel cell cars, in general, will forever change.

According to reports from the Uno-X station, the explosion was huge. It triggered airbags in nearby cars and caused the necessity to close off the busy E18 and E16 intersection. A safety zone of 500 meters was recommended by the fire service.

The good news is that there are no reports about direct injuries, but some reports say two people were sent to the emergency room because of injuries sustained from airbags in their cars. . . .
The author's comments seem more than a little hyperbolic. After all, it's not as if oil refineries never explode*, which is why they and any hazardous substance plant are located with large safety areas around them for that reason. Did anyone think they were completely safe? I mean, two whole people were injured in this case by air bag deployment - Oh, the horror!
*Texas City Refinery explosion

The Texas City Refinery explosion occurred on March 23, 2005, when a hydrocarbon vapor cloud was ignited and violently exploded at the ISOM isomerization process unit at BP's Texas City refinery in Texas City, Texas, killing 15 workers, injuring 180 others and severely damaging the refinery.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City_Refinery_explosion

Maybe there are people so clueless that they think that H2 is completely safe rather than being a hazmat, just as gasoline is. The sales stoppage is temporary; if there's no fuel, who's going to buy the cars?

The H2 being a flammable product isn't the issue. It's the method of storing it under extreme pressure that's the problem. Those airbags weren't deployed because the H2 burned, they deployed because of the pressure wave that formed when the gas escaped at hypersonic velocity!

The Texas refinery explosion is of a completely different nature (involving aerated fuel - something that's normally heavier than air and so won't float away).

Check out videos of the burning hindenburg. It didn't explode despite all the H2 being contained in the Zeppelin, because everything was at standard air pressure (14psi).

H2 is relatively safe ... at low pressure. Hopefully Toyota and Honda sees the writing on the wall and stop their infatuation with pressurized H2.
See my comments to this point in the other topic.
 
GCC:
IEA: time to tap into hydrogen’s potential to play a key role in a clean, secure and affordable energy future
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/06/20190615-iea.html

. . . The in-depth study, which analyzes hydrogen’s current state of play and offers guidance on its future development, was launched by Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s Executive Director, alongside Mr Hiroshige Seko, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, on the occasion of the meeting of G20 energy and environment ministers in Karuizawa, Japan.

The report—The Future of Hydrogen: Seizing Today’s Opportunities—finds that clean hydrogen is currently receiving strong support from governments and businesses around the world, with the number of policies and projects expanding rapidly.

Hydrogen can help to tackle various critical energy challenges, including helping to store the variable output from renewables like solar PV and wind to better match demand. It offers ways to decarbonize a range of sectors—including long-haul transport, chemicals, and iron and steel—where it is proving difficult to meaningfully reduce emissions. It can also help to improve air quality and strengthen energy security. . . .

To build on this momentum, the IEA report offers seven key recommendations to help governments, companies and other stakeholders to scale up hydrogen projects around the world. These include four areas where actions today can help to lay the foundations for the growth of a global clean hydrogen industry in the years ahead:

  • Making industrial ports the nerve centers for scaling up the use of clean hydrogen;

    Building on existing infrastructure, such as natural gas pipelines;

    Expanding the use of hydrogen in transport by using it to power cars, trucks and buses that run on key routes; and

    Launching the hydrogen trade’s first international shipping routes.

The report notes that hydrogen still faces significant challenges. Producing hydrogen from low-carbon energy is costly at the moment, the development of hydrogen infrastructure is slow and holding back widespread adoption, and some regulations currently limit the development of a clean hydrogen industry.

Today, hydrogen is already being used on an industrial scale, but it is almost entirely supplied from natural gas and coal. Its production, mainly for the chemicals and refining industries, is responsible for 830 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. That’s the equivalent of the annual carbon emissions of the United Kingdom and Indonesia combined.

Reducing emissions from existing hydrogen production is a challenge but also represents an opportunity to increase the scale of clean hydrogen worldwide. One approach is to capture and store or utilize the CO2 from hydrogen production from fossil fuels. There are currently several industrial facilities around the world that use this process, and more are in the pipeline, but a much greater number is required to make a significant impact.

Another approach is for industries to secure greater supplies of hydrogen from clean electricity. In the past two decades, more than 200 projects have started operation to convert electricity and water into hydrogen to reduce emissions—from transport, natural gas use and industrial sectors—or to support the integration of renewables into the energy system.

Expanding the use of clean hydrogen in other sectors—such as cars, trucks, steel and heating buildings—is another important challenge. There are currently around 11,200 hydrogen-powered cars on the road worldwide. Existing government targets call for that number to increase to 2.5 million by 2030.

Policy makers need to make sure market conditions are well adapted for reaching such ambitious goals. The recent successes of solar PV, wind, batteries and electric vehicles have shown that policy and technology innovation have the power to build global clean energy industries. . . .
Direct link to page where you can download the full report (203 pgs.), the executive summary (9 pgs.) etc.:
The Future of Hydrogen
Seizing today's opportunities
https://www.iea.org/hydrogen2019/
 
GRA said:
GCC:
IEA: time to tap into hydrogen’s potential to play a key role in a clean, secure and affordable energy future
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/06/20190615-iea.html

. . . The in-depth study, which analyzes hydrogen’s current state of play and offers guidance on its future development, was launched by Dr Fatih Birol, the IEA’s Executive Director, alongside Mr Hiroshige Seko, Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, on the occasion of the meeting of G20 energy and environment ministers in Karuizawa, Japan.

The report—The Future of Hydrogen: Seizing Today’s Opportunities—finds that clean hydrogen is currently receiving strong support from governments and businesses around the world, with the number of policies and projects expanding rapidly.

Hydrogen can help to tackle various critical energy challenges, including helping to store the variable output from renewables like solar PV and wind to better match demand. It offers ways to decarbonize a range of sectors—including long-haul transport, chemicals, and iron and steel—where it is proving difficult to meaningfully reduce emissions. It can also help to improve air quality and strengthen energy security. . . .

To build on this momentum, the IEA report offers seven key recommendations to help governments, companies and other stakeholders to scale up hydrogen projects around the world. These include four areas where actions today can help to lay the foundations for the growth of a global clean hydrogen industry in the years ahead:

  • Making industrial ports the nerve centers for scaling up the use of clean hydrogen;

    Building on existing infrastructure, such as natural gas pipelines;

    Expanding the use of hydrogen in transport by using it to power cars, trucks and buses that run on key routes; and

    Launching the hydrogen trade’s first international shipping routes.

The report notes that hydrogen still faces significant challenges. Producing hydrogen from low-carbon energy is costly at the moment, the development of hydrogen infrastructure is slow and holding back widespread adoption, and some regulations currently limit the development of a clean hydrogen industry.

Today, hydrogen is already being used on an industrial scale, but it is almost entirely supplied from natural gas and coal. Its production, mainly for the chemicals and refining industries, is responsible for 830 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. That’s the equivalent of the annual carbon emissions of the United Kingdom and Indonesia combined.

Reducing emissions from existing hydrogen production is a challenge but also represents an opportunity to increase the scale of clean hydrogen worldwide. One approach is to capture and store or utilize the CO2 from hydrogen production from fossil fuels. There are currently several industrial facilities around the world that use this process, and more are in the pipeline, but a much greater number is required to make a significant impact.

Another approach is for industries to secure greater supplies of hydrogen from clean electricity. In the past two decades, more than 200 projects have started operation to convert electricity and water into hydrogen to reduce emissions—from transport, natural gas use and industrial sectors—or to support the integration of renewables into the energy system.

Expanding the use of clean hydrogen in other sectors—such as cars, trucks, steel and heating buildings—is another important challenge. There are currently around 11,200 hydrogen-powered cars on the road worldwide. Existing government targets call for that number to increase to 2.5 million by 2030.

Policy makers need to make sure market conditions are well adapted for reaching such ambitious goals. The recent successes of solar PV, wind, batteries and electric vehicles have shown that policy and technology innovation have the power to build global clean energy industries. . . .
Direct link to page where you can download the full report (203 pgs.), the executive summary (9 pgs.) etc.:
The Future of Hydrogen
Seizing today's opportunities
https://www.iea.org/hydrogen2019/

The IEA can be relied upon to gather data, but they're the worst at forecasting (https://cleantechnica.com/2018/11/20/clean-energy-growth-too-fast-not-enough-or-just-right/ ... https://www.euractiv.com/section/energy/news/iea-scenarios-inconsistent-with-paris-climate-goals-study-warns/ ... https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2017/05/24/2189189/guest-post-why-iea-scenarios-should-be-treated-with-extreme-caution/ ... https://cleantechnica.com/2017/09/06/iea-gets-hilariously-slammed-continuously-pessimistic-renewable-energy-forecasts/). Consider their projections as works of fiction.
 
SageBrush said:
^^ Yep. EIA (and IEA) forecasting of clean energy is the stuff of legend.
And anyone else's isn't? Long-term energy forecasts can be counted on to be wrong, owing to what I call the Roseanne Roseannadanna principle which always slows down energy transitions: "it's always something — if it ain't one thing, it's another." Rosy forecasts of the impending replacement of fossil-fuels by renewables (or nukes FTM) by year X going back more than 40 years have been even more consistently off-base than IEA, EIA, BP or whomever you choose. Personally, I find throwing darts at a dartboard to predict the pace of energy transitions is equally likely to be correct, and a lot more fun.
 
SageBrush said:
GRA said:
SageBrush said:
^^ Yep. EIA (and IEA) forecasting of clean energy is the stuff of legend.
And anyone else's isn't?
Correct.

Lots of forecasters recognize that the growth is geometric rather than linear.
And lots of forecasters have been wrong making that claim, for decades now. sure,, it may be exponential at some point, but there's almost always some major discontinuity that interrupts or even stops the growth, sometimes forever, whether shortage of resource, costs, inertia due to existing infrastructure, improvements in existing tech or a competing source, wars or what have you. I repeat, long-term energy forecasts which claim to know with high probability when such and such an energy source will achieve X% of the market aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

Just to take one example of such a discontinuity due to a technical advance, remember Hubbert's curve? He correctly predicted that U.S. oil production would peak in the '70s and then start falling off, with the U.S. quickly falling from the #1 position to well down the list of producers. What he didn't predict is that fracking would develop the way it has, which has resulted in the U.S. becoming the world's largest oil producer again (at least for a short while, until teh oil freed by fracking gets used up). There is nothing in Hubbert's curve that would have predicted this.
 
SageBrush said:
GRA said:
SageBrush said:
Correct.

Lots of forecasters recognize that the growth is geometric rather than linear.
And ...
Wind and Solar
Uh huh, both are far behind many forecasts of where they would be by now. Now that they are generally cost-effective, there's always the possibility that shortages of of raw materials or other issues will further disrupt/delay their "inevitable" exponential growth, just as has happened with every other energy source to date. You name it, oil, natural gas, hydro, nukes, biofuels, wind, solar, tidal, wave, OTEC, everything since coal replaced biomass as the dominant energy source has suffered such disruptions and made lies of the long-term forecasts.
 
GRA said:
SageBrush said:
GRA said:
Wind and Solar
Uh huh, both are far behind many forecasts of where they would be by now.
And there is always someone fatter and someone over-optimistic.
But both energy solutions have had geometric growth curves for a decade now while those agencies keep plotting linear growth.

That is the point.
 
SageBrush said:
GRA said:
SageBrush said:
Wind and Solar
Uh huh, both are far behind many forecasts of where they would be by now.
And there is always someone fatter and someone over-optimistic.
But both energy solutions have had geometric growth curves for a decade now while those agencies keep plotting linear growth.

That *is* the point.
Sure they have had exponential growth just as other sources have, and they will until something disrupts them or they reach maturity and we see an S-curve), and the curve turns linear or flat for a while, until it starts climbing again (we assume, if nothing else develops to replace them). Who knows, maybe fusion will finally stop forever being 20 years in the future. I'm just glad they're now mostly cost-competitive with coal, and in some cases even NG.
 
US, Europe and Japan to cooperate on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/06/20190621-h2.html

On the sidelines of the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Energy Transitions and Global Environment for Sustainable Growth, US Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette; Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Hiroshige Seko; and European Union Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Cañete signed a joint statement of future cooperation on hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. . . .
 
GCR:
The godfather of EVs in China has turned his attention to hydrogen cars
https://www.greencarreports.com/new...ina-has-turned-his-attention-to-hydrogen-cars

It's no accident that nearly half of the world's electric cars on the road today are in China. According to the International Energy Agency, of the 1.9 million battery electric vehicles on the road, 951 million are found in China.

Wan Gang had a lot to do with that. The former Audi exec is now China's state science and technology chief and helped launch the country's aggressive push toward zero-emission vehicles after he delivered a report in 2000 outlining the country's need to develop an electric-car industry. China heavily subsidized that industry and helped push the world toward electrification.

Now, Wan may have his sights set on hydrogen-powered vehicles. Wan told Bloomberg last week that the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles would benefit long-haul transportation: buses, trucks, etc.

“We should look into establishing a hydrogen society,” he told Bloomberg. “We need to move further toward fuel cells.”

His opinion carries more than its weight in mere words. Wan said the country may keep in place its subsidies for fuel-cell development, even if battery electric car incentives wane. China's nascent hydrogen fuel cell market is much smaller than Japan's, which leads the world in hydrogen adoption. But that may change if China's government can spur growth for hydrogen fuel cells through incentives the same way they have for EVs in the last 20 years. . . .

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, China had 12 hydrogen refueling stations in operation in May 2018 compared to more than 100 in Japan who has stated that it aims to have roughly 200 by the end of next year.

Wan says the country will move toward building more infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered vehicles.

“We will sort out the factors that have been hindering the development of fuel-cell vehicles,” Wan told Bloomberg.

If China's push toward hydrogen matches its push toward electrification that could net a seismic change for the industry within the next 15 years.
 
GRA said:
GCR:
The godfather of EVs in China has turned his attention to hydrogen cars
https://www.greencarreports.com/new...ina-has-turned-his-attention-to-hydrogen-cars

It's no accident that nearly half of the world's electric cars on the road today are in China. According to the International Energy Agency, of the 1.9 million battery electric vehicles on the road, 951 million are found in China.

Wan Gang had a lot to do with that. The former Audi exec is now China's state science and technology chief and helped launch the country's aggressive push toward zero-emission vehicles after he delivered a report in 2000 outlining the country's need to develop an electric-car industry. China heavily subsidized that industry and helped push the world toward electrification.

Now, Wan may have his sights set on hydrogen-powered vehicles. Wan told Bloomberg last week that the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles would benefit long-haul transportation: buses, trucks, etc.

“We should look into establishing a hydrogen society,” he told Bloomberg. “We need to move further toward fuel cells.”

His opinion carries more than its weight in mere words. Wan said the country may keep in place its subsidies for fuel-cell development, even if battery electric car incentives wane. China's nascent hydrogen fuel cell market is much smaller than Japan's, which leads the world in hydrogen adoption. But that may change if China's government can spur growth for hydrogen fuel cells through incentives the same way they have for EVs in the last 20 years. . . .

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, China had 12 hydrogen refueling stations in operation in May 2018 compared to more than 100 in Japan who has stated that it aims to have roughly 200 by the end of next year.

Wan says the country will move toward building more infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered vehicles.

“We will sort out the factors that have been hindering the development of fuel-cell vehicles,” Wan told Bloomberg.

If China's push toward hydrogen matches its push toward electrification that could net a seismic change for the industry within the next 15 years.

Good luck with that! Sounds like non-committal promises in a land of technocrats. BYD already has a substantial product line in the BEV bus and trucks segment. Once China figures out the long term development and operating costs, you won't hear about it past the "development" phase.
 
Oils4AsphaultOnly said:
GRA said:
GCR:
The godfather of EVs in China has turned his attention to hydrogen cars
https://www.greencarreports.com/new...ina-has-turned-his-attention-to-hydrogen-cars

It's no accident that nearly half of the world's electric cars on the road today are in China. According to the International Energy Agency, of the 1.9 million battery electric vehicles on the road, 951 million are found in China.

Wan Gang had a lot to do with that. The former Audi exec is now China's state science and technology chief and helped launch the country's aggressive push toward zero-emission vehicles after he delivered a report in 2000 outlining the country's need to develop an electric-car industry. China heavily subsidized that industry and helped push the world toward electrification.

Now, Wan may have his sights set on hydrogen-powered vehicles. Wan told Bloomberg last week that the benefits of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles would benefit long-haul transportation: buses, trucks, etc.

“We should look into establishing a hydrogen society,” he told Bloomberg. “We need to move further toward fuel cells.”

His opinion carries more than its weight in mere words. Wan said the country may keep in place its subsidies for fuel-cell development, even if battery electric car incentives wane. China's nascent hydrogen fuel cell market is much smaller than Japan's, which leads the world in hydrogen adoption. But that may change if China's government can spur growth for hydrogen fuel cells through incentives the same way they have for EVs in the last 20 years. . . .

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, China had 12 hydrogen refueling stations in operation in May 2018 compared to more than 100 in Japan who has stated that it aims to have roughly 200 by the end of next year.

Wan says the country will move toward building more infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered vehicles.

“We will sort out the factors that have been hindering the development of fuel-cell vehicles,” Wan told Bloomberg.

If China's push toward hydrogen matches its push toward electrification that could net a seismic change for the industry within the next 15 years.

Good luck with that! Sounds like non-committal promises in a land of technocrats. BYD already has a substantial product line in the BEV bus and trucks segment. Once China figures out the long term development and operating costs, you won't hear about it past the "development" phase.
As has been noted in either this or the AFV commercial vehicles topics, Ballard has a major contract to supply stacks to a Chinese bus maker, and other companies are also moving into the field.
 
GCC:
France’s first refueling station for hydrogen buses opens
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/06/201090627-franceh2.html

. . . The SMT-AG has attributed to ENGIE, via its subsidiary GNVERT, the design, supply, installation and maintenance of the Houdain-Divion hydrogen gas distribution station. It will enable the refueling of six hydrogen buses that will be deployed on the new BHNS (High Level Service Bus) bus line connecting Bruay-La-Buissière and Auchel.

The project is equipped with McLyzer and McFilling technologies.

Clean hydrogen will be produced on site by electrolysis, from renewable electricity of certified French origin, before being distributed by the station. Fifteen minutes of refueling will give the buses more than 300 km of autonomy. . . .

In its current configuration, the McPhy station can produce and deliver more than 200 kg of clean hydrogen a day. Its capacity can be increased by 30% without changing the facility’s total surface area, if required by the SMT-AG’s future needs.

OTOH, also GCC:
Saudi Aramco and Air Products inaugurate Saudi Arabia’s first hydrogen fueling station
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/06/20190627-aramcoh2.html

Saudi Aramco and Air Products recently inaugurated the first hydrogen fueling station in Saudi Arabia at Air Products’ new Technology Center in the Dhahran Techno Valley Science Park. The pilot station will fuel an initial fleet of six Toyota Mirai fuel cell electric vehicles with high-purity compressed hydrogen.

  • This pilot project represents an exciting opportunity for Saudi Aramco and Air Products to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen in the transport sector and its viability as a sustainable fuel for the future. Today’s milestone is an important step in making oil-to-hydrogen a reality as Saudi Aramco continues to be focused on creating breakthrough technologies and solutions as part of our long term efforts to reduce carbon emissions and address climate concerns.

    — Amin H. Nasser, President and CEO of Saudi Aramco. . . .

The data collected during the initial phase of this project will provide valuable information for the assessment of future applications of this emerging and diverse transport technology in the local environment.
While getting hands-on experience is useful, unless the plan is to eventually produce H2 from renewables it's pretty pointless. The Saudis do say that they plan to move to renewables: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...e-falling-plans-renewables-push-idUSKCN1P918N
 
GCC:
Bloom Energy announces hydrogen-powered energy servers to make always-on renewable electricity a reality
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/06/20190630-bloom.html

Bloom Energy, a developer of solid oxide fuel cell power generators, announced the ability of its Energy Servers to operate on renewable hydrogen. Current Bloom Energy Servers generate electricity using natural gas or biogas as fuel.

At peak times, some US states and countries already have more renewable power than their grids can handle. Despite those periods of excess wind and solar power, because the ability to store electricity for more than a few hours is lacking, dispatchable power from the combustion of fossil fuels continues to bridge gaps in supply.

In areas with large amounts of wind and solar power, excess renewables can be used to produce hydrogen from water via electrolysis. Such renewable hydrogen is becoming cheaper to produce and more readily available, and can be stored indefinitely where it is produced, or in large storage and pipeline networks like the natural gas system.

The ability to operate on renewable hydrogen means Bloom Energy Servers installed today to run on natural gas can be readily upgraded in situ to use renewable hydrogen in future. . . .

Bloom Energy Servers can operate on pure hydrogen or a combination of natural gas and hydrogen. As the availability of renewable hydrogen increases, it could also be blended into the natural gas pipeline network. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has concluded that blending up to 15% hydrogen into the natural gas supply will not significantly impact household appliances, public safety, or the durability and integrity of the natural gas pipeline network.

Bloom Energy anticipates early demand for hydrogen-powered fuel cells in Asia, where hydrogen production and utilization are being actively developed by countries including France, Japan, Korea and Australia. . . .

Also GCC:
Cummins to acquire fuel-cell provider Hydrogenics
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/06/20190629-cummins.html

Cummins Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, all the issued and outstanding shares of fuel-cell systems provider Hydrogenics Corporation for US$15.00 per share in cash, other than shares already owned by The Hydrogen Company, representing an enterprise value of approximately $290 million. . . .

As a part of the transaction, The Hydrogen Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of L’Air Liquide, S.A., and Hydrogenics’ current largest equity shareholder, will maintain its ownership in Hydrogenics. . . .
 
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