Hydrogen and FCEVs discussion thread

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^^^Yup, on short routes in areas where adding electric infrastructure isn't too expensive. Works fine in some places, not in others (like long routes in the U.S. The cost of maintaining the electric power lines through the Rockies and Cascades, especially in winter, was one of the reasons the CMSTP&P abandoned what was the longest electrified route in the U.S. (over 650 miles, and opted for diesel). The same article you quoted goes on to say
This does not mean that hydrogen trains have no future in Germany or anywhere else.

In fact, the Cuxhaven to Buxtehude line in northwest Germany will become the world’s first 100% hydrogen railway when all its 15 diesel passenger trains are replaced by H2-powered models made by Alstom by the end of this year.

A hydrogen refuelling station has already been installed halfway along the 79km route — initially supplied by H2 produced locally as a by-product of chlor-alkali electrolysis at the nearby Dow chemical plant. But there are question marks over how green the hydrogen will be — as the electrolysis is powered by grid electricity, rather than renewables.

But there are plans to switch the supply to green hydrogen in the coming years.
 
Catching up, all GCC:

Plug Power, Olin launch JV for 15-ton-per-day green hydrogen plant in Louisiana

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/10/20221021-plug.html


Plug Power and Olin Corporation, a leading vertically integrated chlor alkali producer and marketer, launched a joint venture—announced in April (earlier post)—to begin with the construction of a 15-ton-per-day hydrogen plant in St. Gabriel, Louisiana. The joint venture, named Hidrogenii, will support reliability of supply and speed to market for green hydrogen throughout North America, setting the foundation for broader collaboration between the two companies.

Hydrogen is a by-product of chlor-alkali electrolysis; Olin is North America’s largest producer of electrolytic hydrogen. However, much of ooutput is the either vented into the atmosphere or burned at less than hydrogen’s fuel value. Plug will be the exclusive marketer of the joint venture’s hydrogen and provide logistical support for delivery, while Olin will provide reliable hydrogen supply and operational expertise.

The plant will benefit from state and local tax subsidies. . . .

The Louisiana plant joins Plug’s growing national network of hydrogen plants in various planning and construction phases in New York, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas and California. By 2025, Plug expects to produce 500 tons per day of liquid green hydrogen. By 2028, Plug expects to produce 1,000 tons per day of liquid green hydrogen.




Bakken Energy, Cummins and Schneider partner on design of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub for long-haul trucking


https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/10/20221025-bakken.html


. . . In conjunction with the States of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Montana, Bakken Energy is working on the design of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub, a regional clean hydrogen hub recently announced by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

The Heartland Hydrogen Hub is solidly positioned to obtain federal funding through the Department of Energy’s $7-billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program announced as part of the larger $8-billion hydrogen hub program funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The industry-led Hub will include Bakken Energy’s large scale affordable clean hydrogen production. Bakken Energy has been working with leaders in long-haul trucking on the infrastructure needed to cost effectively distribute clean hydrogen and accelerate the decarbonization of long-haul trucking. The shared vision led to an alliance with Cummins and Schneider.

Long-haul trucking provides for scale to accelerate clean hydrogen adoption and CO2 emissions reduction. The impact of converting one diesel-fueled, Class 8 heavy-duty truck to clean hydrogen fuel is equivalent to eliminating the CO2 emissions of thirty-one gasoline-fueled passenger vehicles.

Bakken Energy is committed to the development of world class, large scale, affordable, clean hydrogen production facilities in North Dakota, including the transformation of the Great Plains Synfuels Plant using natural gas from the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation that would otherwise be flared, including carbon capture and sequestration.

Once complete, the facility will produce more than 380,000 metric tons per annum of clean hydrogen from natural gas by leveraging highly efficient Auto-Thermal Reforming (ATR)-based clean hydrogen production processes. Bakken will capture and permanently sequester more than 95% of the produced CO2 in geological storage locations.

The production facility will serve the clean hydrogen needs of long-haul trucking and agriculture in the Upper Midwest and will serve as a principal clean hydrogen supply source for the Upper Midwest regional hydrogen hub.




Bosch highlights hydrogen engine work at bauma; involved in more than 100 technical trials with customers worldwide

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/10/20221025-bosch.html


At bauma—the world’s leading construction machinery trade fair—in Munich, Bosch placed particular emphasis on the potential for hydrogen engines and electrification to make the sector significantly more sustainable.

According to Bosch studies, more than half a million construction machines in the performance class from 56 to 560 kilowatts will be produced across the world in 2022. With further growth predicted for this market in the coming years, the Bosch powertrain division expects to play an equally important role in these developments.

Hydrogen engines are based on established, tried-and-tested engine technology, which is adapted to ensure a sustainable future, Bosch says. When driven by green hydrogen, these powertrains are virtually climate-neutral.

In addition, the powertrain concept represents an effective complement to fuel cell technology since it requires the same vehicle storage systems and an identical infrastructure.

Bosch says it is working on hydrogen engine systems with port fuel and direct injection and is already involved in more than 100 technical trials with customers across the world. Moreover, the company has already landed its first volume production project in India.

Construction machinery is frequently used in stationary, high-load applications, and this is the exact environment in which hydrogen engines can shine with their high efficiency and robustness. But the powertrain solution will also be used for agricultural machinery and in long-haul transport.

—Dr. Thomas Pauer, president of Bosch’s Powertrain Solutions division

In addition, the hydrogen engine represents a very promising option in the large-engine sector, for example, as a powertrain for dump trucks in the mining industry. This is another area in which robustness and reliability combined with a compact design are crucial to efficient operation. . . .

eLION electrification platform. Bosch Rexroth offers an electric powertrain solution for mobile construction machinery in the form of eLION. The product platform is designed specifically for the off-highway sector and its demanding environmental conditions. It is highly scalable, extremely robust, and offers comprehensive functional safety according to ISO 13849.

The high-voltage eLION electric motors (up to 850 volts) cover a nominal power range of 20 to 230 kilowatts (with peak outputs in excess of 550 kilowatts) and generate nominal torques of up to 1,300 N·m as well as maximum torques of more than 2,500 N·m. Available in four different sizes, they are equally well suited to compact and heavy-duty mobile machinery and can be used for both travel and work functions. Initial pilot projects with customers have been underway since 2021. . . .




GlobalData: China advancing hydrogen engines to meet sustainability goals

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/10/20221026-globaldata.html


As much as skeptics insist that the internal combustion engine (ICE) is dead and hydrogen is a non-starter, it appears that significant research and development is being conducted into the technology across geographies. China, despite being one of the world’s largest producers and market for electric vehicles (EVs), is actively exploring alternate energy technologies for automobiles to meet its sustainability goals, including hydrogen internal combustion engines (H2 ICEs) for commercial vehicles, finds GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

As ICE technology is predicted to be slowly fading away, there has been a boom around H2 ICE in China to combat pollution and climate change. Such developments are happening at par with hydrogen production, charging infrastructure, and hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicles (FCEVs) to scale up to the requirements of a greener environment.

—Kiran Raj, Practice Head of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData

Generating hydrogen, especially green hydrogen, is a costly business but with government support, domestic firms are developing hydrogen-compatible ICEs for large commercial vehicles dubbed ‘hydrogen internal combustion engine vehicles’ (HICEVs). These engines offer zero vehicular emissions, quick charging, and better ranges. But on the flip side, they are complex and expensive to build and maintain while having safety concerns.

—Abhishek Paul Choudhury, Senior Disruptive Tech Analyst at GlobalData

GlobalData’s Innovation Explorer database highlights innovations in China that are accelerating the development of H2 ICE technology.

China Yuchai. China Yuchai International (China Yuchai) launched its first operating hydrogen engine ‘YCK05’ for China’s commercial vehicle market. The hydrogen-powered engine leverages advanced technologies, including high-pressure multi-point input air injection, high-efficiency low-inertia turbocharging, and high-efficiency lean burn combustion. Its design improves the engine structure as well as its supporting systems like the combustion and gas distribution systems.

FAW. FAW Group (FAW), through its subsidiary FAW Jiefang, developed the first domestic heavy-duty commercial vehicle direct-injection H2 ICE. It is a 13L heavy-duty engine that can run with a power of more than 500hp. With a four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 2L, an indicated thermal efficiency of around 55%, and a turbocharger, the engine offers dual fuel injection of hydrogen and ammonia, which can be flexibly converted into hydrogen and other net zero-carbon fuel products.

GAC. GAC Motor (GAC) tested a hydrogen combustion engine that has a high thermal efficiency of 44%. It also includes an upgraded hydrogen supply system that increases power density and lowers the possibility of hydrogen leakage. The new engine seemingly has better heat dissipation capabilities which reduce the risk of combustion.

Weichai Power. Weichai Power partnered with China National Heavy Duty Truck (Sinotruk) to release China’s first commercial H2 ICE truck under the Yellow River brand. Weichai Power created the vehicle’s 13L H2 ICE, the commercial applications for which include ports, cities, power plants, steel mills, industrial parks, and other unique transportation environments. . . .




American Airlines makes equity investment in Universal Hydrogen

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/10/20221027-aa.html


American Airlines made a strategic equity investment in Universal Hydrogen Co., a company building a green hydrogen distribution and logistics network for aviation. (Earlier post.) This investment makes American the first US airline to make two direct investments focused on the development of both hydrogen-electric propulsion technology and the future of hydrogen distribution logistics.

Universal Hydrogen’s fuel distribution network uses modular hydrogen capsules that are handled like cargo, eliminating the need for new fueling infrastructure at airports and speeding up fuel loading operations. Universal Hydrogen anticipates starting hydrogen deliveries for regional aircraft in 2025, with plans to expand its services to larger, single aisle aircraft—first for auxiliary power in the late-2020s and then as a primary fuel by the mid-2030s.

Because these segments represent two-thirds of aviation emissions—and with green hydrogen being a true zero-carbon fuel—these advances can put aviation on a path to meet Paris Agreement emissions targets. . . .

American joins Airbus Ventures, GE Aviation and Toyota Ventures, as well as several major hydrogen producers and aircraft lessors, as strategic investors in Universal Hydrogen.
 
More catching up, all GCC:

Nikola and KeyState partner to create low-carbon hydrogen value chain in PA

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221102-nikola.html


Nikola Corporation and KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis, a clean hydrogen and chemicals production facility under development, are working together to create Pennsylvania’s first low-carbon hydrogen production value chain, which includes full integration of commercial carbon capture and storage.

The KeyState Natural Gas Synthesis Plant proposed for Clinton County would use fracked gas from the Utica and Marcellus shale formations as a feedstock and power source for the onsite manufacturing of blue hydrogen, ammonia fertilizer, methanol, and diesel exhaust treatment.

The project is intended to represent the transition to lower emissions transportation, chemicals and manufacturing. The parties are working towards a definitive agreement to expand the hydrogen supply for Nikola’s zero-emissions heavy-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

KeyState plans to supply Nikola with up to 100 metric-tons per day of low-carbon hydrogen, which can supply fuel for up to 2,500 Nikola Tre FCEVs and will displace more than 51,000,000 gallons of fossil diesel fuel per annum consumed. Once operational in 2026, the 7,000 plus-acre KeyState site is expected to have the capacity to store the CO2 associated with the hydrogen production and will provide strategic reach and access to premium Mid-Atlantic FCEV markets.

KeyState will also produce ammonia and urea for industrial and transportation markets, in addition to Nikola’s hydrogen mobility demand.

The KeyState project is expected to integrate carbon capture from high-efficiency autothermal reforming (ATR) with onsite geological carbon sequestration and onsite close-system sourced natural gas feedstock, all while generating zero-carbon electricity. A carbon circle will be completed, with the separation of 99% of carbon from the hydrogen in methane and returning this CO2 to deep underground onsite geological storage. . . .

In addition to working toward the hydrogen supply agreement, the parties are working together to develop a liquefaction solution to support the economic and efficient distribution of hydrogen from the project to Nikola’s planned refueling network under development. The parties also plan to support an application as a principal project of the DOE Hydrogen Hub Program representing the full-use hydrogen ecosystem from production through demand. . . .




Bloom Energy inaugurates high-volume electrolyzer production line

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221103-bloom.html


Bloom Energy Corporation inaugurated its high-volume commercial electrolyzer line at the company’s Newark facility, increasing the company’s generating capacity of electrolyzers to two gigawatts. The award-winning technology is the most energy-efficient design to produce clean hydrogen to date.

In the last decade, the facility has produced more than 1 gigawatt (GW) of fuel-cell-based Energy Servers. The Bloom Electrolyzer relies on the same, commercially proven solid oxide technology platform used to produce electricity, so streamlining existing manufacturing for higher volume electrolyzer output allows Bloom to best meet the needs of the market.

The technology’s significant capabilities for hydrogen production are being demonstrated in partnerships with Xcel Energy and Idaho National Labs to harness nuclear and steam power, and will be demonstrated with LSB Industries, Inc. to decarbonize industrial and agricultural sectors. Internationally, the technology is in use in South Korea. . . .

In addition to its work on the east coast, Bloom Energy marked the expansion of its growing American manufacturing footprint this July, with the grand opening of its new 164,000 square foot, multi-gigawatt facility in Fremont, California. This facility represents a $200-million investment and is expected to create more than 400 additional clean energy jobs by year-end, bringing Bloom’s California headcount to nearly 2,000 in addition to its 715 Delaware employees.




IRS seeks feedback on clean hydrogen production tax credit

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221107-irs.html


The US Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have released three notices requesting public input on several tax credit provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). These include:

Credits for Clean Hydrogen Production (45V) and Clean Fuel Production (45Z) (Notice 2022-58)

Credit for Carbon Oxide Sequestration(45Q) (Notice 2022-57)

Credit for Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicles and Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit (45W and 30C) (Notice 2022-56)

These notices provide an opportunity for the public to give feedback on how to implement these tax incentives, which have the potential to accelerate the deployment of clean energy in the United States.

Written comments should be submitted by Saturday, 3 December 2022. . . .




TECO 2030, Shell and partners to receive €5M in Horizon Europe support for 2.4 MW fuel cell system for tanker retrofit

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221107-teco2030.html


TECO 2030 and its partners will receive €5 million in funding from HORIZON EUROPE for the the hydrogen-powered tanker concept, HyEkoTank. The consortium expects to finalize the grant agreement process by the end of this year, and plans project startup by 1 February 2023. . . .

The HyEkoTank project will retrofit a 18,600 DWT product tanker with a 2.4 MW fuel cell system by TECO 2030 and 4000 kg compressed hydrogen storage for demonstration in 2024.

The HyEkoTank hydrogen powered tanker will demonstrate zero emission at berth and 60% reduction of GHG emissions during voyage. . . .




GE Gas Power and Shell to collaborate on LNG decarbonization pathway using hydrogen

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221108-ge.html


GE will collaborate with Shell to develop potential lower-carbon solutions aiming to reduce the carbon intensity of Shell’s LNG supply projects around the world; Under this agreement, GE will accelerate development for the use of 100% hydrogen as a low carbon fuel for gas turbines; Focus will be on hydrogen solutions for B&E class gas turbines used in LNG and power generation applications. . . .

The largest source of emissions in an LNG facility stems from firing natural gas in the power generation and mechanical drive gas turbines. Therefore, one of the possible paths to decarbonize LNG production is to use hydrogen as a low carbon fuel in these engines. However, the source and nature of this fuel matters as well. Shell’s Blue Hydrogen Process can deliver the lowest carbon intensity fuel of its kind, with technologies and building blocks tested and commercially proven at a large scale, that have been used in various industries for many decades.

The deep decarbonization of LNG export facilities presents both technical and economic challenges, which need to be addressed to realize such ambition. GE's B&E class heavy-duty gas turbines can already operate today on 100% hydrogen emitting up to 25ppm NOx with the use of water in diffusion combustors. As part of this development agreement, GE is targeting gas turbine technology with the capability to operate on 100% hydrogen without the use of water while still maintaining NOx emissions.

The new DLN combustor technology is intended to become the backbone of new retrofittable system solutions for low-carbon operation of gas turbine while providing the reliability and availability required for LNG facilities. Dry operation also represents significant savings in water use and conservation: up 32,000 liters of water per hour are saved using DLN systems versus comparable alternatives.

DLN combustors are more efficient and do not use water as a diluent, thus offering LNG operators the ability to lower carbon and conserve water in their operations. In future, the developments to the DLN combustion technology could be installed on either new or existing 6B or 7E gas turbines. This would help reduce carbon emissions in industrial applications and LNG operations, particularly where water usage is challenging. . . .




Oak Ridge, Argonne collaborate with Wabtec on hydrogen-powered trains to decarbonize rail industry

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221110-wabtec.html


Researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) will work with Wabtec, a leading manufacturer of freight locomotives, to develop the hardware and control strategies for a single-cylinder, dual-fuel engine to demonstrate the viability of using alternative fuels for locomotives.

The research focuses on zero-carbon hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels as viable alternatives to diesel for the rail industry. The team’s goal is to reduce carbon emissions from the roughly 25,000 locomotives already in use in North America. . . .

While electrifying vehicles is an effective strategy in reducing carbon emissions from some parts of the transportation sector, railways are considered more difficult because of the high cost of building a single coordinated electrified rail system across North America. Each year, the North American rail fleet emits approximately 87.6 billion pounds of carbon dioxide. . . .

The research team is developing combustion technology to power the next generation of trains with up to 100% hydrogen and other low-carbon fuels. The team’s goal is to design train engines that will deliver the same power, range and cost-effectiveness as current diesel technology.

In the project’s first phase, the ORNL team will work on hardware changes for retrofitting locomotives. Its goal is to reduce CO2 emissions from the roughly 25,000 locomotives already in use in North America. Locomotives have a service life of more than 30 years, so replacing the entire fleet would take decades.

During the second phase of the project, ORNL and Wabtec will continue to alter the engine hardware to increase the amount of hydrogen that can be used. The team aims to replace completely diesel with hydrogen or low-carbon fuels in new locomotives.

At the same time, Argonne will leverage more than a decade of experience in modeling hydrogen injection and combustion to create a modeling framework to study combustion and emission control technologies used in hydrogen combustion engines. Experts in fuel injection, kinetics and combustion modeling, design optimization, high-performance computing and machine learning will take the project from start to finish.

Scientists are using Argonne’s high-performance computers to develop simulation software. This tool will help predict the behavior of combustion engines as operating conditions change and hardware is modified.

Each diesel-powered locomotive that is converted to a zero- or low-carbon energy source is anticipated to save up to 5.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide per year. . . .

The project is funded by the Vehicle Technologies Office under DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and by Wabtec. In-kind contributions are provided by Wabtec and Convergent Science, Inc. The USDepartment of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration is also funding related research on safe use of hydrogen in locomotive engines.
 
All GCC:
Canada awarding C$475M to Air Products for blue hydrogen energy complex in Alberta

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221114-airproducts.html


. . . The facility, already being executed, will make Edmonton, Alberta the center of western Canada’s hydrogen economy and set the stage for Air Products to operate one of the most competitive and lowest-carbon-intensity hydrogen networks in the world. . . .

Since the initial facility announcement, Air Products has proceeded with engineering, procurement, and construction preparatory site work, as well as marketing the clean hydrogen to be produced. In September 2022, Air Products announced a customer agreement for approximately 50% of the low-carbon hydrogen output from the 165 million standard cubic feet per day hydrogen production complex. This off-take agreement also saw Air Products increase its facility investment from $1.3 billion (CAD) (US$980 million) to $1.6 billion (CAD) (US$1.2 billion), as well as including beneficial engineering enhancements to the production process, further substantially reducing greenhouse gases at the net-zero facility.

The Alberta project relies on a combination of well-established technologies. The showcase facility will have a world scale auto-thermal reformer, carbon capture operations achieving 95% removal, a power generation facility fueled 100% by hydrogen, a 35 tonnes-per-day hydrogen liquefaction facility, a world-scale air separation facility producing clean liquid oxygen and nitrogen, and connection to Air Products’ existing Alberta Heartland Hydrogen Pipeline network for enhanced customer reliability, and phased decarbonization of the entire network. . . .

The hydrogen liquefaction facility will play a critical role in the developing hydrogen economy across Western Canada. Hydrogen will help to meet society’s need for sustainable transportation, especially for heavy-duty vehicles where hydrogen excels compared to other technologies. Hydrogen is seen as having a substantial technological advantage over battery electric vehicles in heavy-duty applications due to those vehicles’ duty-cycles, especially in Canada’s extreme climate conditions.

Air Products Canada currently operates three hydrogen production facilities in Alberta, and a 55-kilometer hydrogen pipeline in the Alberta Industrial Heartland. The company also operates a hydrogen production facility, a 30-kilometer pipeline network and a liquefaction facility in Sarnia, Ontario. . . .




Fusion Fuel and Ballard Power commission H2Évora, Portugal’s first solar-to-green hydrogen facility

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221114-fusionfuel.html


Fusion Fuel (earlier post) completed the interconnection of its H2Évora plant to the Portuguese electric grid and has successfully commissioned the facility. The demonstration project, comprising 15 HEVO-Solar units and associated balance-of-plant equipment, will produce 15 tons of green hydrogen per year and avoid the emission of 135 tons of CO2 annually.

HEVO is Fusion Fuel’s proprietary miniaturized PEM electrolyzer, designed to be small, lightweight, and mass-producible. HEVOs are affixed to the back of high-efficiency concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) panels to make a HEVO-Solar generator.

The facility includes a 200-kilowatt FCwave fuel cell module supplied by Ballard Power Systems, which is used to convert its green hydrogen into electricity, enabling Fusion Fuel to sell power into the electric grid during periods of peak demand. The integration of Fusion Fuel’s solar-to-hydrogen HEVO solution and Ballard’s fuel cell technology is a proof of concept for the use of hydrogen as a flexible energy storage vector and off-grid power supply. . . .




DOE teaming with utilities to support 4 hydrogen demo projects at nuclear power plants

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221115-doenukeh2.html


. . . High-temperature electrolyzers for hydrogen production use both heat and electricity to split water and are more efficient than low-temperature electrolyzers. Traditional and advanced nuclear reactors are well-suited to provide the constant heat and electricity needed to produce clean hydrogen.

DOE estimates that a single 1,000-megawatt reactor could produce up to 150,000 tons of hydrogen each year. This could be sold regionally as a commodity for fertilizers, oil refining, steel production, material handling equipment, fuel cell vehicles, or even carbon-neutral synthetic fuels.

The four projects include:

Nine Mile Point Nuclear Power Station (Oswego, NY). DOE is supporting the construction and installation of a low-temperature electrolysis system at the Nine Mile Point nuclear power plant. The project will be the first nuclear-powered clean hydrogen production facility in the US and will use the hydrogen to help cool the plant. Constellation plans to begin producing hydrogen before the end of the year.

Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station (Oak Harbor, OH). Energy Harbor is working to demonstrate a low-temperature electrolysis system at the Davis–Besse Nuclear Power Station. The goal of the project is to prove the technical feasibility and economic benefits of clean hydrogen production, which could facilitate future opportunities for large-scale commercialization. The single unit reactor is expected to produce clean hydrogen by 2023.

Potential uses could be sold for local manufacturing and transportation services, including fuel for a local bus fleet.

Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (Red Wing, MN). Bloom Energy and Xcel Energy are working on a first-of-a-kind project to demonstrate high-temperature electrolysis at the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant. The data collected from this demonstration will be used to scale up this process. Hydrogen production is expected to begin in early 2024.

Palo Verde Generating Station (Tonopah, AZ). DOE is negotiating an award with Arizona Public Service (APS) and PNW Hydrogen to demonstrate another low-temperature electrolysis system at the Palo Verde Generating Station. The hydrogen will be used to produce electricity during times of high demand or to make chemicals and other fuels. The project could start producing hydrogen in 2024, pending the completion of award negotiations.

DOE is continuing to support the development and maturation of clean hydrogen production, including funding for six to ten regional clean hydrogen hubs across the United States through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. At least one of the hubs will be focused on clean hydrogen production using nuclear energy.




Cummins and Tata to collaborate on hydrogen engines, fuel cells and BEVs

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221116-cumminstata.html


Cummins and Tata Motors signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the design and development of low- and zero-emission propulsion technology solutions for commercial vehicles in India, including hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines (H2ICE), fuel cells (FC), and battery electric vehicle (BEV) systems. . . .

The MoU further solidifies their association and is aligned with India’s vision of ‘Energy for Sustainable Growth’ and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070. India will be one of the first markets to receive Cummins’ Hydrogen engines, an important technology to help drive decarbonization.

Cummins B6.7H hydrogen engine with up to 290 hp (216 kW) output and 1200 N·m peak torque is an all-new engine platform featuring technology to enhance power density, reduce friction losses and improve thermal efficiency. As a result, performance is transparent and compatible with the same transmissions, drivelines, and cooling packages. The B6.7H hydrogen engine is being derived from Cummins fuel-agnostic platform offering the benefit of a common-base architecture and low-to-zero carbon fuel capability.

ummins zero-emission product portfolio also includes its fourth-generation hydrogen fuel cell engine. Designed to meet the duty-cycle, performance and packaging requirements of medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses, the fuel cell technology is available in 135 kW single- and 270-kW dual modules. The systems have strong operating cycle efficiency and durability for a lower total cost of ownership.

Cummins battery portfolio includes both lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery packs, each of which targets a different duty cycle and use case.




Nel ASA and GM to collaborate on electrolyzers

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221117-nel.html


Nel Hydrogen US, a subsidiary of Nel ASA, has entered into a joint development agreement with General Motors to help accelerate the industrialization of Nel’s proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer platform. By combining GM’s extensive fuel cell expertise and Nel’s deep knowledge of electrolyzers, the two companies are looking to enable more cost competitive sources of renewable hydrogen.

A PEM electrolyzer and a fuel cell are largely based on the same principles. A PEM electrolyzer uses electricity and water to produce hydrogen and oxygen, while a fuel cell reverses the process, using hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water. As GM has made major steps and gained expertise with fuel cells, the two companies see substantial synergies by transferring this to Nel’s PEM platform.

Nel will be compensating GM for the development work and IP transfer on an ongoing basis and pay a license after successful commercialization dependent on how much of the end product is based on GM technology. . . .

Nel was the first company in the world with a fully automated alkaline electrolyzer production line. The next step will be to industrialize the production of its PEM electrolyzer equipment in a similar way which will enable considerable technology advancement.

GM is developing and commercializing both HYDROTEC hydrogen fuel cell and Ultium battery technologies that deliver where it matters most: performance and cost. This is opening new revenue potential for GM as industries—including freight trucking, aerospace, power generation and locomotive—turn to GM to improve performance and reduce emissions.




Aviation H2 begins preliminary testing on jet engine

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221119-aviationh2.html


Aviation H2 has commenced testing on a Swiwin SW170b-2448 turbine, using jet A fuel to develop the baseline data required to compare the engine’s performance once they convert it to a carbon-free fuel. With the initial trials complete, the company will start pulling apart the engine and designing the modifications, then rebuild it so it runs on liquid ammonia, the company’s hydrogen carrier of choice.

This forms a key part of Aviation H2’s strategy, as success will deliver a proof-of-concept for the flame in the engine to combust and power the turbine at 100% capacity.

Aviation H2 believes the microjet engine will be operating off liquid ammonia in early 2023, followed by a rigorous testing process to optimize its performance.

Once we have proven liquid ammonia can power the engine cleanly at 120,000 revs per minute, we will have shown the modification model we developed in the feasibility study conducted earlier this year to be correct. Following this, we will enter the next stage of developing our technology, which will see us purchase a Dassault Falcon 50 and begin converting the plane for emissions-free flight using liquid ammonia.

—Aviation H2 Director & Principal Engineer, Helmut Mayer

With a proof of concept set to be delivered at the beginning of 2023, the company expects to have the Dassault Falcon 50 in the skies in 2024.




Airbus developing innovative cryogenic tanks to support hydrogen-powered flight; targeting demonstrator tank by 2026-2028

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221124-airbus.html


Airbus is developing innovative cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks to support future aircraft fueled by liquid hydrogen. Liquid hydrogen needs to be stored at -253 °C.

In its simplest terms, says Airbus, there are two main technologies that enable an aircraft to fly directly with hydrogen. You can power an engine with hydrogen combustion through modified gas turbine engines, and you can use hydrogen fuel cells to create electrical power. And you can deploy a hybrid approach that uses a mixture of both technologies.

Regardless of these options there is a constant at work: liquid hydrogen needs to be stored at -253°C, and kept at that temperature consistently throughout the whole flight, even when the tanks are depleted.

Storage tanks for a hydrogen-powered aircraft are therefore an absolutely essential component, but they are completely different to those you might find on a traditional aircraft. . . .

The journey to bringing this new technology to market goes something like this:

Engineers design the cryogenic hydrogen tanks on software in Toulouse.

These designs are passed onto the teams in Nantes and Bremen, who review them and explore the process for manufacture.

Once the design is agreed, the first prototype tank—which is tested with nitrogen, not hydrogen—is developed. This is where Airbus is now.

The insights and testing data is collated and all of this information goes into the design for a second prototype, to be filled with hydrogen. Airbus is looking in particular at maximizing space, improving performance, and simplifying the manufacturing process. Work on the second tank is already underway and will take around another year to build and test.

The final objective is to have a tank ready to install in the A380 demonstrator by 2026-2028.




Fusion Fuel enters centralized PEM electrolyzer market with HEVO-Chain

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221124-fusionfuel.html


. . . Rather than relying on a traditional cell-stack, the HEVO-Chain builds off Fusion Fuel’s proprietary HEVO architecture (earlier post), enabling the system to operate at higher efficiency—roughly 49 kWh / kg of hydrogen—and avoid the losses that stem from more conventional electrolyzer stack designs.

Each HEVO-Chain hydrogen unit consists of 16 HEVO micro-electrolyzers interconnected along a string, representing 11.2 kW of electrolysis capacity and outputting 5.6 kg of hydrogen per day at a pressure of 4 bar.

A planned second-generation unit is expected to increase the pressure at the outlet to 20-30 bar, among additional improvements. As with the HEVO-Solar, the HEVO-Chain was built with modularity and scalability in mind—it is designed for a standard 19" rack cabinet, allowing for up to eight units to be integrated seamlessly alongside the power electronics and water purification system.

The HEVO-Chain is currently undergoing comprehensive performance and reliability testing. The company expects the first HEVO-Chain units to enter commercial use in 2024. . . .




Siemens Energy, FFI and GeoPura developing prototype ammonia cracker to produce hydrogen

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221125-siemens.html


A Siemens Energy-led consortium has begun work in Newcastle, UK on a new £3.5 million (US$4.24 million) ammonia cracker prototype designed to produce green hydrogen at industrial scale. The prototype will use ammonia to deliver 200kg of hydrogen a day—enough to power around 5-10 hydrogen fuel cell-electric buses.

The ammonia cracker system will provide the potential to produce green hydrogen at scale, wherever and whenever it is needed. The system will be designed to deliver high-purity hydrogen, suitable for PEM fuel cell use, using FFI’s Metal Membrane Technology (MMT) purification process.

The MMT process developed by FFI and Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) (earlier post, earlier post) is key to producing high-purity hydrogen from the ammonia cracking process. It selectively filters the hydrogen while blocking other gases, allowing it to be used as a fuel and converted as needed, at the time of re-fueling. . . .

Ammonia has a high hydrogen density and is readily transportable in bulk. It can be used for storing large amounts of hydrogen in a liquid form that builds on existing global supply chain infrastructure. The traditional process of producing ammonia has used “grey” or “black” hydrogen from either natural gas or coal. The Haber-Bosch process used to produce “green” ammonia from green hydrogen, using renewable power, does not result in CO2 emissions during the process.

The cracker and MMT, if successful, will allow the green hydrogen to be recovered and delivered as high-purity hydrogen at the point of use, with a focus on mobility and off-grid power applications. The technology could then be scaled up for future markets, including industry, heat, and grid-scale power generation.

Siemens Energy has proven experience of innovation with ammonia. The team previously led a collaborative project at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) in Oxfordshire. The £1.5-million (US$1.8-million) proof-of-concept facility showcased an ammonia-based energy storage system that turned electricity, water and air into ammonia without releasing carbon emissions. The ammonia is stored, before being used for electricity generation. Ammonia cracking was not included at the pioneering RAL demonstrator so the ammonia cracker prototype fills a supply chain gap in the technology.

The UK Government estimates that hydrogen could make up to one third of the UK’s energy mix by 2050 but there are challenges with hydrogen storage and transport that need to be addressed to make this viable. The ammonia cracker prototype aims to help tackle these challenges. . . .
 
GCC:
Green NortH2 Energy receives €2.3M in R&D funding from Business Finland for the development of green hydrogen and ammonia production

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221128-gnh2.html


. . . Green NortH2 Energy intends to set up the first green ammonia production plant in Naantali. Green NortH2 Energy will produce green hydrogen via electrolysis using renewable electricity. This will create a significant reduction in emissions. . . .

In September, Green NortH2 Energy, Meriaura and Wärtsilä signed a Letter of Intent for the building of a cargo vessel that runs on green ammonia. The vessel, equipped with Wärtsilä’s modular multifuel main engines, will be ordered and operated by Meriaura. Green NortH2 Energy is responsible for supplying green ammonia fuel. The delivery of the vessel is targeted for 2024 and it is planned to start operating on green ammonia in 2026.

The vessel is designed to trade in heavy project cargo segment together with Meriaura’s existing open deck carriers. Besides ammonia, it can be powered by bio oil or MDO.

The project is a continuation of the ship development cooperation between Green NortH2 Energy’s parent company Elomatic and Meriaura, which was started to renew lake Saimaa’s traffic. However, Russia’s attack on Ukraine moved the project from Saimaa to the sea.

Elomatic, in cooperation with NYK Line and MTI, has already designed concepts for an “Ammonia-fuel Ready LNG-Fueled Vessel” (ARLFV) car carrier and a post-Panamax bulker.
 
All GCC:
UK consortium awarded £7.7 million to develop hydrogen storage using depleted uranium

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221129-hydus.html


A UK consortium has been awarded £7.7 million (US$9.3 million) from the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) of the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to develop a hydrogen storage demonstrator, in which hydrogen is absorbed on a depleted uranium bed, which can then release the hydrogen when needed for use. The consortium includes the University of Bristol, EDF UK, UKAEA and Urenco.

When stored, the hydrogen is in a stable but reversible metal hydride form. The depleted uranium material is available from recycling and has been used in other applications such as counterbalance weights on aircraft.

This hydrogen storage approach is aimed at longer-term energy storage, and will enable improvements in energy storage density.

This EDF-led consortium will develop this pilot-scale HyDUS (Hydrogen in Depleted Uranium Storage) demonstrator as part of the Longer Duration Energy Storage demonstrator program at the UKAEA’s Culham Campus. . . .




Fusion Fuel and Electus Energy to develop 75 MW green hydrogen project in Bakersfield, California; Fusion Fuel’s first US project

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221129-fusionfuel.html


. . . The proposed project is a roughly 75 MW solar-to-hydrogen facility using Fusion Fuel’s HEVO technology (earlier post), capable of producing up to 9,300 tons of green hydrogen per annum including nighttime operation.

The project would require an estimated €175 million (~$180 million) in capital investment, with a final investment decision expected in early 2024 and commissioning in the first half of 2025. Once operational, this project will provide enough hydrogen fuel to support more than 1,000 Class 8 trucks or buses per day.

The companies have already entered into a land-lease agreement to secure 320 acres in Kern County, California for the project’s development. Fusion Fuel has engaged Black & Veatch to perform a concept study and is also working with Cornerstone Engineering and Headwaters Solutions.

Due to the unique combination of solar irradiance, California tax incentives, and proximity to large-scale offtake, Bakersfield is the ideal project to anchor our North American strategy. We are extremely excited to be unveiling the Bakersfield project alongside our development partner, Electus Energy, which has been actively developing hydrogen mobility solutions in the Southwestern United States and has cultivated deep relationships with prospective offtakers in the logistics and distribution ecosystem.

—Jason Baran, Fusion Fuel’s Chief Commercial Officer. . . .




Wärtsilä partners with Hycamite to develop technology for onboard production of hydrogen from LNG

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221129-hycamite.html


The technology group Wärtsilä has entered into a joint development agreement with Hycamite TCD Technologies, a privately-owned Finnish company specializing in the development of technology for the thermo-catalytic decomposition (TCD) of methane to produce clean hydrogen and solid carbon. The two companies will work together to enable cost-effective production of hydrogen from LNG onboard marine vessels.

The concept design will be ready by mid 2023 and the prototype testing unit will be ready during the second half of 2024.

The concept will allow the existing LNG infrastructure to be utilized and enable production of hydrogen onboard in combination with Wärtsilä’s LNGPac Fuel Gas Supply System. By producing hydrogen onboard and blending it with LNG, the current range of fuel flexible Wärtsilä dual-fuel (DF) engines can reduce the vessel’s overall carbon dioxide and methane slip emissions. Alternatively, the hydrogen can also be used in fuel cells onboard.

The technology can in principle be applied for all vessels operating with LNG fuel. When using bioLNG, this solution enables even power generation on board ships with a negative carbon footprint.

The by-product from the process is solid carbon that, unlike conventional technologies which produce carbon-dioxide as a by-product, can more easily be stored and managed onboard. The carbon produced consists of high-grade allotropes, such as industrial graphite and carbon nanotubes, thereby offering a possible additional revenue stream. .
, ,

. . . Our gas engines can already operate with mixtures of hydrogen and LNG. The ability to produce the H2 onboard opens up exciting new opportunities. This solution overcomes the lack of an existing hydrogen supply infrastructure. It also supports reducing the safety risks around storing and handling of liquid hydrogen and enables a gradual decrease of the vessels’ environmental impact.

—Mathias Jansson, Director, Fuel Gas Supply Systems, Wärtsilä




Rolls-Royce and EasyJet mark first run of modern aero engine on hydrogen

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221129-rolls.html


. . . The ground test was conducted on an early concept demonstrator using green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power. It marks a major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero carbon aviation fuel of the future and is a key proof point in the decarbonization strategies of both Rolls-Royce and easyJet.

Both companies have set out to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for civil aero engines and are already planning a second set of tests, with a longer-term ambition to carry out flight tests.

The test took place at an outdoor test facility at MoD Boscombe Down, UK, using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine. Green hydrogen for the tests was supplied by EMEC (European Marine Energy Centre), generated using renewable energy at their hydrogen production and tidal test facility on Eday in the Orkney Islands, UK.

Following analysis of this early concept ground test, the partnership plans a series of further rig tests leading up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine.

Aviation H2. On a different scale, Aviation H2’s Director & Principal Engineer, Dr Helmut Mayer, recently posted a video explaining the process behind modifying the Swiwin SW170b-2448 micro turbine (earlier post) so it operates on liquid ammonia, the company’s hydrogen carrier of choice.

The company is designing the mechanical modifications and sending them to a machinist to be built while also rewriting the code in the engine’s control system so it can process the carbon-free fuel and the changes to the turbine.

Once the engine is operational in early 2023, it will serve as a proof of concept for the conversion model the company developed in its feasibility study conducted earlier this year. Following this, the company will purchase a Dassault Falcon 50, which they expect to have in the skies in early 2024.
 
GRA said:
All GCC:
UK consortium awarded £7.7 million to develop hydrogen storage using depleted uranium

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221129-hydus.html


A UK consortium has been awarded £7.7 million (US$9.3 million) from the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) of the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to develop a hydrogen storage demonstrator, in which hydrogen is absorbed on a depleted uranium bed, which can then release the hydrogen when needed for use. The consortium includes the University of Bristol, EDF UK, UKAEA and Urenco.

When stored, the hydrogen is in a stable but reversible metal hydride form. The depleted uranium material is available from recycling and has been used in other applications such as counterbalance weights on aircraft.

This hydrogen storage approach is aimed at longer-term energy storage, and will enable improvements in energy storage density.

This EDF-led consortium will develop this pilot-scale HyDUS (Hydrogen in Depleted Uranium Storage) demonstrator as part of the Longer Duration Energy Storage demonstrator program at the UKAEA’s Culham Campus. . . .




Fusion Fuel and Electus Energy to develop 75 MW green hydrogen project in Bakersfield, California; Fusion Fuel’s first US project

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221129-fusionfuel.html


. . . The proposed project is a roughly 75 MW solar-to-hydrogen facility using Fusion Fuel’s HEVO technology (earlier post), capable of producing up to 9,300 tons of green hydrogen per annum including nighttime operation.

The project would require an estimated €175 million (~$180 million) in capital investment, with a final investment decision expected in early 2024 and commissioning in the first half of 2025. Once operational, this project will provide enough hydrogen fuel to support more than 1,000 Class 8 trucks or buses per day.

The companies have already entered into a land-lease agreement to secure 320 acres in Kern County, California for the project’s development. Fusion Fuel has engaged Black & Veatch to perform a concept study and is also working with Cornerstone Engineering and Headwaters Solutions.

Due to the unique combination of solar irradiance, California tax incentives, and proximity to large-scale offtake, Bakersfield is the ideal project to anchor our North American strategy. We are extremely excited to be unveiling the Bakersfield project alongside our development partner, Electus Energy, which has been actively developing hydrogen mobility solutions in the Southwestern United States and has cultivated deep relationships with prospective offtakers in the logistics and distribution ecosystem.

—Jason Baran, Fusion Fuel’s Chief Commercial Officer. . . .




Wärtsilä partners with Hycamite to develop technology for onboard production of hydrogen from LNG

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221129-hycamite.html


The technology group Wärtsilä has entered into a joint development agreement with Hycamite TCD Technologies, a privately-owned Finnish company specializing in the development of technology for the thermo-catalytic decomposition (TCD) of methane to produce clean hydrogen and solid carbon. The two companies will work together to enable cost-effective production of hydrogen from LNG onboard marine vessels.

The concept design will be ready by mid 2023 and the prototype testing unit will be ready during the second half of 2024.

The concept will allow the existing LNG infrastructure to be utilized and enable production of hydrogen onboard in combination with Wärtsilä’s LNGPac Fuel Gas Supply System. By producing hydrogen onboard and blending it with LNG, the current range of fuel flexible Wärtsilä dual-fuel (DF) engines can reduce the vessel’s overall carbon dioxide and methane slip emissions. Alternatively, the hydrogen can also be used in fuel cells onboard.

The technology can in principle be applied for all vessels operating with LNG fuel. When using bioLNG, this solution enables even power generation on board ships with a negative carbon footprint.

The by-product from the process is solid carbon that, unlike conventional technologies which produce carbon-dioxide as a by-product, can more easily be stored and managed onboard. The carbon produced consists of high-grade allotropes, such as industrial graphite and carbon nanotubes, thereby offering a possible additional revenue stream. .
, ,

. . . Our gas engines can already operate with mixtures of hydrogen and LNG. The ability to produce the H2 onboard opens up exciting new opportunities. This solution overcomes the lack of an existing hydrogen supply infrastructure. It also supports reducing the safety risks around storing and handling of liquid hydrogen and enables a gradual decrease of the vessels’ environmental impact.

—Mathias Jansson, Director, Fuel Gas Supply Systems, Wärtsilä




Rolls-Royce and EasyJet mark first run of modern aero engine on hydrogen

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221129-rolls.html


. . . The ground test was conducted on an early concept demonstrator using green hydrogen created by wind and tidal power. It marks a major step towards proving that hydrogen could be a zero carbon aviation fuel of the future and is a key proof point in the decarbonization strategies of both Rolls-Royce and easyJet.

Both companies have set out to prove that hydrogen can safely and efficiently deliver power for civil aero engines and are already planning a second set of tests, with a longer-term ambition to carry out flight tests.

The test took place at an outdoor test facility at MoD Boscombe Down, UK, using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine. Green hydrogen for the tests was supplied by EMEC (European Marine Energy Centre), generated using renewable energy at their hydrogen production and tidal test facility on Eday in the Orkney Islands, UK.

Following analysis of this early concept ground test, the partnership plans a series of further rig tests leading up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine.

Aviation H2. On a different scale, Aviation H2’s Director & Principal Engineer, Dr Helmut Mayer, recently posted a video explaining the process behind modifying the Swiwin SW170b-2448 micro turbine (earlier post) so it operates on liquid ammonia, the company’s hydrogen carrier of choice.

The company is designing the mechanical modifications and sending them to a machinist to be built while also rewriting the code in the engine’s control system so it can process the carbon-free fuel and the changes to the turbine.

Once the engine is operational in early 2023, it will serve as a proof of concept for the conversion model the company developed in its feasibility study conducted earlier this year. Following this, the company will purchase a Dassault Falcon 50, which they expect to have in the skies in early 2024.

UGH. More waste of taxpayer dollars.
 
Oils4AsphaultOnly said:
UGH. More waste of taxpayer dollars.

Yup. I've been hearing and reading about hydrogen powered cars for at least 50 years. It just doesn't wash. Getting taxpayer dollars may be the point.

There may be an element of control. Hydrogen requires fairly large infrastructure including adapted ICE vehicles.
EVs work off already established electricity grids. They can even use backyard solar to charge up which probably doesn't amuse the hydrocarbon moguls.
 
GCR:
Honda sees a future for hydrogen fuel cell tech -- in the CR-V

https://www.greencarreports.com/new...uture-for-hydrogen-fuel-cell-tech-in-the-cr-v


Honda announced Wednesday that it is planning to use the latest CR-V crossover as the basis for its next hydrogen fuel cell vehicle—one that, for the first time, will include home-charging capability.

Production of the CR-V Fuel Cell—if Honda opts to keep the nomenclature it used for its last such vehicle using the tech, the Clarity Fuel Cell—will start in 2024 in Ohio, Honda confirmed, at the same specialty assembly facility that has made the Acura NSX sports car.

Fuel cell vehicles, which feature a fuel-cell stack that harnesses a chemical reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, producing electricity plus some water vapor and waste heat, are already typically hybrids, with hybrid-like battery packs to help buffer the stack’s energy production. The plug-in-hybrid fuel-cell combination is one that owners of fuel cell vehicles have requested for years and generations of vehicles.

Honda didn’t confirm the size of the battery pack, but it suggested that it will remain small. Charging in the vehicle “enables the driver to charge the onboard battery to deliver EV driving around town with the flexibility of fast hydrogen refueling for longer trips,” Honda explained in a press release.

That statement pretty much eliminates the possibility of DC fast-charging, which might make the vehicle more useful for occasional road trips into areas the hydrogen infrastructure doesn’t serve. But it will allow some drivers to keep using their vehicles during hydrogen shortages. Honda highlighted that fuel cell vehicles can refuel in minutes.

The infrastructure has, of course, been what has held back any growth of hydrogen fuel cell passenger vehicles. According to the U.S. Alternative Fuels Data Center, there are just 54 publicly accessible hydrogen fueling stations today in the U.S., focused primarily around the Los Angeles and San Francisco metro areas. Growth of the fueling network has come slowly, and the network has underperformed projections on its expansion for decades. . . .

Honda expected to sell the Clarity Fuel Cell in the thousands, whereas its predecessor, the FCX Clarity, was intended to be produced in the hundreds. It’s made clear at various points that with its next-generation fuel cell vehicle it will aim for production in the ten-thousands.

The CR-V will also be the first Honda vehicle to use a new-generation fuel-cell stack shared with General Motors. It shows that even as GM has backed away from fuel cell tech for passenger vehicles, Honda sees some future in it. The Japanese automaker again underscored with the CR-V announcement that it aims to make battery electric and fuel cell models 100% of its auto sales by 2040. . . .


It's about time someone offered a PHFCEV, and these especially make sense for larger CUVs, SUVs and pickups compared to BEVs, given the very large, heavy battery packs required to give them adequate range. The reason a friend of mine recently bought an F-150 Lightning Platinum (he has absolutely no need for a pick-up) rather than some other more efficient BEV is that the pack makes the Lightning so heavy it qualifies as a commercial vehicle, and since he owns his own business he could write the entire $92k cost off. :roll:

PHFCEVs enjoy the benefits and minimize the disadvantages of both ZEV techs. Max. efficiency for routine daily use by lightening the vehicles by hundreds of pounds compared to hauling around a long-range battery pack, max. range (especially in colder temps) and fast fueling on trips. Of course, the latter assumes the H2 fueling infrastructure gets built, and as the article notes the lack of infrastructure has been the main reason FCEVs haven't sold better here. California is finally devoting more money to get things back on track after Covid derailed the previous schedule.

High H2 prices have been a secondary factor (forcing the vehicle manufacturers to subsidize fuel costs), but economies of scale along with continued technical development will solve that problem, more rapidly if gas/diesel prices stay high. In some European countries at the height of the recent fuel price hikes, thanks to high taxes on fossil fuels green H2 was probably cheaper than gas & diesel despite its limited production, and as has been shown by frequent articles in this topic over the past year or two green H2 production is now starting to rapidly scale up, with billions being spent.

PHFCEVs also spread the limited battery and fuel cell stack supply as far as possible, while limiting dependence on either. My personal preference for any PHEV whether FC or ICE, would be to use an LFP pack at least for now. While this is bigger and heavier than a comparable capacity NMC or NCA pack and gives back some of a PHEV's weight/volume advantage over a BEV, it also has a better cycle life, high power density, is more tolerant of being kept at high SoC, and is by far the safest chemistry owing to its high thermal runaway threshold, while being Cobalt-free.
 
GCC:
Fusion Fuel partners with Duferco Energia SpA to develop Italian green hydrogen market

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/11/20221120-fusionfuel.html


Fusion Fuel has entered into a commercial agreement with Duferco Energia SpA jointly to develop the green hydrogen ecosystem in Italy and select markets in the MENA region. A subsidiary of Duferco Group, the multinational steel and commodity trading company, Duferco Energia is a focused on the management of energy production assets and marketing of energy services.

The companies expect to leverage Duferco’s local sales network, knowledge of local markets, and deep shipping and logistics expertise to develop a pipeline of development opportunities and turnkey technology-sale projects.

The inaugural project under the agreement is a 1.25 MW green hydrogen pilot project to be developed at Duferco’s industrial site in Giammoro, Sicily. Fusion Fuel is expected to supply 50 of its HEVO-Solar trackers (earlier post) for the proposed project, which would be installed in 2024. The facility would produce roughly 46 tonnes of green hydrogen per year which would be used to power a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) system, adding an innovative aspect to the project. . . .
 
GCC:
Airbus developing hydrogen fuel cell engine

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/12/20221201-airbus.html


. . . The propulsion system is being considered as one of the potential solutions to equip its zero-emission aircraft that will enter service by 2035.

Airbus will start ground and flight testing this fuel cell engine architecture onboard its ZEROe demonstrator aircraft towards the middle of the decade. The A380 MSN1 flight test aircraft for new hydrogen technologies is currently being modified to carry liquid hydrogen tanks and their associated distribution systems. . . .

Airbus has unveiled several possible aircraft concepts—known collectively as “ZEROe”—which are helping to define the world’s first zero-emission commercial airliner which could enter service by 2035. While these concepts explore various size categories, aerodynamic layouts and propulsion system architectures, they all have one thing in common: they are hydrogen-fuelled. Three of them have (earlier post) engines which use hydrogen combustion to drive their gas turbines – similar to the way that turbofans and turboprops burn kerosene today, but without the latter’s CO2 and particulate emissions.

Meanwhile, a fourth ZEROe concept aircraft, representing a high-wing 100-seat regional airliner, features six eight-bladed propellers attached to engine pods—a configuration recently patented by Airbus. (Earlier post.)

While outwardly resembling turboprop powerplants, these pods actually contain hydrogen fuel cells which produce electricity as the result of an electro-chemical reaction to power electric motors. It is in this context that Airbus has been conducting feasibility studies and laboratory tests to realize a fully working megawatt-class fuel-cell engine and demonstrator which could be tested in flight by the middle of this decade—around 2026.


Elsewhere in the article they talk about the 100-seat FC regional turboprop having a 1,000 mile range, which is considerably greater than I would expect - I was thinking 500-700 would be more likely and probably all that's needed for a regional/commuter turboprop, but if they can do it, great.
 
Both GCC:
BMW Group begins production of small-series hydrogen-powered iX5

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/12/20221203-bmw.html


. . . Manufacture of the small-series hydrogen-powered vehicle is taking place in the pilot plant at its Munich Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ).

The first Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) featuring hydrogen fuel cell technology has already completed a program of testing under demanding conditions during the development phase and will now be used as a technology demonstrator for locally carbon-free mobility in selected regions from spring 2023.

Hydrogen is a versatile energy source that has a key role to play as we progress towards climate neutrality. We are certain that hydrogen is set to gain significantly in importance for individual mobility and therefore consider a mixture of battery and fuel cell electric drive systems to be a sensible approach in the long term.

Fuel cells don’t require any critical raw materials such as cobalt, lithium or nickel either, so by investing in this type of drive system we are also strengthening the geopolitical resilience of the BMW Group. Our BMW iX5 Hydrogen test fleet will allow us to gain new and valuable insights, enabling us to present customers with an attractive product range once the hydrogen economy becomes a widespread reality.


—Frank Weber, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Development

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is being built in the BMW Group’s pilot plant at its Research and Innovation Center in Munich. This is the interface between development and production where every new model from one of the company’s brands is made for the first time. . . .

BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the US supplies the base vehicles for the hydrogen model, which has been developed on the platform of the BMW X5. The vehicles are fitted with a new floor assembly in the pilot plant’s body shop that makes it possible to accommodate the two hydrogen tanks in the center tunnel and under the rear seat unit.

The model-specific 12V and 400V electrical systems, high-performance battery, electric motor and fuel cell are all integrated during the assembly stage, alongside standard production parts.

Positioned in the rear axle area together with the high-performance battery, the electric motor is a product of the current, fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology also employed in battery electric and plug-in hybrid models from BMW. The fuel cell systems located under the hood of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen have been manufactured at BMW’s in-house competence center for hydrogen in Garching to the north of Munich since August this year. . . .

The BMW iX5 Hydrogen combines all the benefits of a locally emission-free drive system with outstanding everyday usability and long-distance capabilities. This makes its hydrogen fuel cell technology an attractive complementary alternative to the battery electric drive system. This is especially true for customers for whom short refuelling stops and long ranges are a must, as well as for regions still lacking an adequate charging infrastructure.




Toyota-led consortium developing prototype hydrogen fuel cell Toyota Hilux pickup

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/12/20221203-hilux.html


A consortium led by Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd (TMUK) will receive funding from UK Government through the Advanced Propulsion Center (APC) for the development of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered Hilux pickup.

In collaboration with Ricardo, ETL, D2H and Thatcham Research, Toyota will adopt second-generation Toyota fuel cell components (as used in the latest Toyota Mirai) for the transformation of a Hilux into a fuel cell electric vehicle.

Ricardo will integrate the complete hydrogen fuel cell, fuel storage system, and controls including design, analysis, and validation. The integration ensures efficient operation of all systems to give an excellent vehicle range and supports attributes for longevity and reliability.

ETL (European Thermodynamics) will support in delivering thermal management solutions.

D2H will use its expertise in simulation, aerodynamics and thermodynamics—honed over many years in competitive motorsport—to address the many challenges involved in developing cooling systems and airflow strategies that deliver maximum efficiency. Crucial to the project is the need to maintain performance and reliability, factors that are critical in commercial vehicles, while also ensuring any solution can be produced cost-effectively. . . .

Within the scope of the bid, the initial prototype vehicles will be produced at the TMUK site in Burnaston during 2023. Following successful performance results, the target is to prepare for small series production.

Toyota said that the project represents an exciting opportunity to investigate an additional application of Toyota’s fuel cell technology in a vehicle segment that is key to a number of industry groups and will help support the sector’s move towards decarbonization.
 
All GCC:
HVS receives £15M award to support development of hydrogen fuel cell-powered heavy-duty truck

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/12/20221205-hvs.html


Glasgow-based Hydrogen Vehicle Systems (HVS) will receive a £15-million (US$17.8-million) grant from the UK Government’s Advanced Propulsion Center to support the commercialization of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered heavy-duty truck.

HVS is developing the UK’s first indigenous, clean-sheet, hydrogen fuel-cell HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle). APC’s funding, which is aimed at supporting the UK’s long-term capabilities by securing long-term R&D investment in collaborative, pre-production research and development (R&D) projects, will support 50% of the project’s approximate £30-million (US$35.9-million) total cost.

The project, which will run between 1 September 2022 and 30 June 2025, comprises a consortium led by HVS and includes Grayson (thermal systems); Fusion Processing (vehicle vision systems); and PNDC (a commercial arm of Strathclyde University specializing in power electronics). . . .

Earlier in November, HVS revealed its hydrogen powertrain in the form of a 5.5- tonne technology demonstrator, previewing its planned 40-tonne zero-emission HGV, fulfilling the company’s objective of being the first indigenous UK designed and developed hydrogen-electric HGV on the market.

In addition to funding from Innovate UK, Scottish Enterprise, Advanced Propulsion Center and the Energy Technology Partnership, HVS’ strategic investment partner is the service station and grocery corporation, EG Group, offering hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, fleet customer base and the potential for global scalability.




ABT e-Line bringing fuel cell van into series development

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/12/20221205-abt.html


ABT e-Line GmbH, a subsidiary of the ABT Group that specializes in alternative drives, has decided to start series development of hydrogen fuel cell vans based on the reception of its demonstrator vehicles.

The company gained experience in the integration of fuel cell drives in two large Tier 1 projects over the last three years. Two series-produced e-transporters were converted as demonstrator vehicles with this technology. These were presented for the first time at the IAA Transportation trade fair in Hanover at the end of September. ABT e-Line has now decided to commercialize this technology with partners.

When setting up the demonstrator vehicles, the company took over the vehicle integration of the fuel cell system, the safety concept of the entire vehicle, the complete manufacturing process and the road approval. Furthermore, a 700-bar hydrogen tank system was integrated. Two to seven storage tanks can be refuelled in a few minutes.

By implementing the new drive concept, a range increase of several hundred kilometers was achieved. Refuelling is now necessary even later than with comparable diesel models.

Even if the future of mobility will be predominantly battery-electric for efficiency reasons, the fuel cell offers potential for niche applications, especially in the van sector, the company suggests. . . .

A van doesn't seem to me a likely niche for a commercial FCEV, as they aren't likely to need either the range, fueling speed or payload that are an FCEV's main operational advantages over a BEV. Ford just announced that by the end of next year they'll deliver 2,000 e-Transit BEV vans to DHL for use worldwide. Mail and parcel delivery is one of the most obvious, ideally-suited commercial applications for BEVs.



Cepsa to invest €3B in Andalusia to build the largest green hydrogen hub in Europe; additional €2B for renewable power

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/12/20221205-cepsa.html


Cepsa—the Spain-based multinational oil and gas company—will invest more than €3 billion to establish the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley, creating the largest green hydrogen hub in Europe in southern Spain. The project, part of Cepsa’s 2030 strategy Positive Motion, will contribute to Europe’s energy security and independence, in line with the objectives of the European Union’s REPowerEU strategy. The investment is the biggest milestone to date of Cepsa’s Positive Motion energy transition plan to lead sustainable mobility and the production of green hydrogen and advanced biofuels in Spain and Portugal this decade.

The company will build two plants with a total capacity of 2 GW to produce green hydrogen. The plants, with 1 GW of capacity each, will be located in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) next to Cepsa’s La Rábida Energy Park and at the company’s San Roque Energy Park in Cádiz. The Huelva plant will start up in 2026, reaching full capacity in 2028, while the Cádiz facility will be operational in 2027. Cepsa is already working on the engineering and administrative processing of the project.

To generate the renewable electricity needed to feed production of green hydrogen, Cepsa will develop a 3GW portfolio of wind and solar energy projects with an additional €2-billion investment. The company will also collaborate with other renewable energy producers in Andalusia and the rest of Spain to promote the integration of these new plants into the electricity system.

This investment will help Spain achieve its goal to become an energy exporting country, with the first European green hydrogen corridor between the Campo de Gibraltar and the Dutch Port of Rotterdam. Andalusia has everything it takes to become one of the most competitive regions in the world for hydrogen production.

—Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez

The Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley will produce 300,000 tons of green hydrogen per year, driving the decarbonization of Cepsa’s Energy Parks where it will produce advanced biofuels for aviation (SAF), and maritime and heavy land transport.

Hydrogen will be particularly important for the production of by-products such as green ammonia and methanol, which will ensure that green marine fuels will be available in the main Spanish ports, helping to decarbonize maritime sector customers.

Implementing this project will save six million tons of CO2 emissions per year. Aside from replacing grey hydrogen in industrial processes, green hydrogen will also have a multiplier effect when used in the production of renewable fuels that will replace traditional fossil fuels. . . .

This project will also boost the economic activity of more than 400 SMEs in the area and act as a mobilizing project to attract new industry and investment from other links in the hydrogen value chain, such as electrolyzer factories, green fertilizer plants, or hydrogen transport technology. Cepsa’s objective is to promote partnerships and collaborations to improve the competitiveness of Andalusia’s important industrial centers through the supply of affordable, accessible, safe, and available energy.

Due to the abundance of sun and wind in the Iberian Peninsula, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that green hydrogen in Spain will be cheaper than grey hydrogen in 2026, second only to China, Brazil and India. It also expects Spain to become a net exporter of renewable hydrogen. Twenty percent of all projects worldwide are located in Spain.

The Hydrogen Roadmap, designed by the Spanish Government with a €8.9 billion investment, sets targets for 2030 of 4,000 MW of electrolyzer power, with 25% of industrial consumption, 5,000 to 7,000 light and heavy vehicles and two commercial train lines powered by renewable hydrogen, as well as 150 to 200 hydro generators for public use.
 
ABG:
Toyota Corolla Cross H2 uses race-derived hydrogen combustion technology

It's powered by a version of the GR Corolla's turbo 1.6

https://www.autoblog.com/2022/12/06/toyota-corolla-cross-h2-hydrogen-combustion-prototype-testing/


. . . [Toyota's] been campaigning a hydrogen combustion race car (note that it's not a fuel cell vehicle but a conventional piston engine that burns H2), and the first road car derived from that technology has entered the prototype stage.

The Toyota Corolla Cross H2 Concept is powered by a version of the turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder found in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. That means it still has pistons, rods and a crankshaft. And instead of using hydrogen in an electrochemical process to power a car electrically, the engine employs a modified fuel delivery system, injectors and ignition setup to burn the element.

It adopts the hydrogen storage technology put forth by the Mirai, but can be built easily using traditional ICE manufacturing methods. Toyota says the system has quicker refueling times than charging a BEV and reduces dependency on precious metals like nickel and lithium, both required for electric vehicles.

In one year of campaigning what is essentially a GR Corolla that runs on hydrogen in Japan's Super Taikyu endurance series, Toyota has been able to markedly improve efficiency of the hydrogen combustion engine. By the end of the season, Toyota says it upped horsepower by 24% and torque by 33%, putting it on par with gasoline engines. The race car didn't have the range of an equivalent petrol car, but engineers managed to increase the distance covered on a tank of H2 by 30% over the season. Similarly, refueling time was greatly reduced, from about 5 minutes to just 90 seconds.

The race Corolla had four tanks of hydrogen stuffed in the cargo area, but the Corolla Cross H2 will test real world practicality. It can carry five occupants and their luggage. It will soon begin winter testing in Japan.

Toyota estimates that the Corolla Cross H2 is only 40% of the way to commercialization, and doesn't yet know if it can bring it to market. The prototype's reveal took place at the same EU conference where the company announced an EV manual transmission and an expansion to six electric vehicles in the BZ family, so Toyota isn't under any illusions that EVs will be a big part of the future.

On the other hand, Toyota sells cars in 170 countries with very different infrastructures and driving habits. Toyota believes that with a multi-technology approach — which includes battery electrics, hybrid-electrics, plug-in hybrid electrics, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen combustion cars — they have a better chance of achieving zero emissions.

Simultaneously Toyota is working with companies researching green hydrogen production and transport so that it has many avenues to get to carbon neutrality. The race cars are fueled with hydrogen fuel created from renewable energy.
 
GRA said:
ABG:
Toyota Corolla Cross H2 uses race-derived hydrogen combustion technology

It's powered by a version of the GR Corolla's turbo 1.6

https://www.autoblog.com/2022/12/06/toyota-corolla-cross-h2-hydrogen-combustion-prototype-testing/


. . . [Toyota's] been campaigning a hydrogen combustion race car (note that it's not a fuel cell vehicle but a conventional piston engine that burns H2), and the first road car derived from that technology has entered the prototype stage.

The Toyota Corolla Cross H2 Concept is powered by a version of the turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder found in the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. That means it still has pistons, rods and a crankshaft. And instead of using hydrogen in an electrochemical process to power a car electrically, the engine employs a modified fuel delivery system, injectors and ignition setup to burn the element.

It adopts the hydrogen storage technology put forth by the Mirai, but can be built easily using traditional ICE manufacturing methods. Toyota says the system has quicker refueling times than charging a BEV and reduces dependency on precious metals like nickel and lithium, both required for electric vehicles.

In one year of campaigning what is essentially a GR Corolla that runs on hydrogen in Japan's Super Taikyu endurance series, Toyota has been able to markedly improve efficiency of the hydrogen combustion engine. By the end of the season, Toyota says it upped horsepower by 24% and torque by 33%, putting it on par with gasoline engines. The race car didn't have the range of an equivalent petrol car, but engineers managed to increase the distance covered on a tank of H2 by 30% over the season. Similarly, refueling time was greatly reduced, from about 5 minutes to just 90 seconds.

The race Corolla had four tanks of hydrogen stuffed in the cargo area, but the Corolla Cross H2 will test real world practicality. It can carry five occupants and their luggage. It will soon begin winter testing in Japan.

Toyota estimates that the Corolla Cross H2 is only 40% of the way to commercialization, and doesn't yet know if it can bring it to market. The prototype's reveal took place at the same EU conference where the company announced an EV manual transmission and an expansion to six electric vehicles in the BZ family, so Toyota isn't under any illusions that EVs will be a big part of the future.

On the other hand, Toyota sells cars in 170 countries with very different infrastructures and driving habits. Toyota believes that with a multi-technology approach — which includes battery electrics, hybrid-electrics, plug-in hybrid electrics, hydrogen fuel cells and hydrogen combustion cars — they have a better chance of achieving zero emissions.

Simultaneously Toyota is working with companies researching green hydrogen production and transport so that it has many avenues to get to carbon neutrality. The race cars are fueled with hydrogen fuel created from renewable energy.

I'm curious GRA. What was the point of this article?

It's not an FCEV, it's not about producing hydrogen "fuel". It's about Toyota wasting their R&D and marketing dollars. And if you think burning "green" H2 is emissions free (like how FCEV's only emit water), then you should learn about the NOx that's emitted as part of burning H2 with ambient air instead of pure O2. This development that Toyota is working on is TERRIBLE!!
 
Oils4AsphaultOnly said:
I'm curious GRA. What was the point of this article?

It's not an FCEV, it's not about producing hydrogen "fuel". It's about Toyota wasting their R&D and marketing dollars. And if you think burning "green" H2 is emissions free (like how FCEV's only emit water), then you should learn about the NOx that's emitted as part of burning H2 with ambient air instead of pure O2. This development that Toyota is working on is TERRIBLE!!


The point is that it uses H2, and H2 ICEs are one of the parallel tracks along with FCs currently being pursued by engine manufacturers, including Cummins and IIRR D-B [Edit: BMW], for trucks and heavy transport use, often in dual-fuel engines (typically using ammonia or methanol rather than H2). Whether H2 ICEs prove viable or not remains to be seen. While I'd personally favor FCs for LDVs at least, some commercial uses may find it less expensive to go this route at least at first while they transition, and as I've posted up-topic e.g. https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=625887#p625887 and
https://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=627477#p627477
we're seeing a fair bit of interest and development in this area. This topic exists to provide info on all H2 and FC-related developments, not just ones that some of us may prefer.
 
Toby said:
When it comes to hydrogen I can't help thinking of the Hindenburg. For the young people on the forum.


Yes, that's the bugbear that H2 has to overcome, and has been covered extensively up-topic. Of course, we know now that the fire started due to the aluminized-dopant of the outer fabric catching fire due to a build-up of static electricity, the H2 only made the fire worse once the gold-beater's skin gas cells that gave the Hindenburg its buoyancy burned through, yet 62 of the 97 occupants survived, a 63.9% survival rate. To summarize previous discussions, no one has suggested that H2 isn't hazardous in some situations, but so are gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, natural gas and every other fuel. And batteries, of course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4Qhr_LLoJ0

We must ban HV battery packs, especially those used in transport by the public!

As for spectacular aviation disasters, here's something a little more recent than the Hindenburg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8yizEzRDzc

On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde passenger jet on an international charter flight from Paris to New York, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground. It was the only fatal Concorde accident during its 27-year operational history.[1]

So, a 0% survival rate. Clearly jet fuel and/or SSTs are also far too unsafe to ever let it/them be used by the public ;)
 
GRA said:
Toby said:
When it comes to hydrogen I can't help thinking of the Hindenburg. For the young people on the forum.


Yes, that's the bugbear that H2 has to overcome, and has been covered extensively up-topic. Of course, we know now that the fire started due to the aluminized-dopant of the outer fabric catching fire due to a build-up of static electricity, the H2 only made the fire worse once the gold-beater's skin gas cells that gave the Hindenburg its buoyancy burned through, yet 62 of the 97 occupants survived, a 63.9% survival rate. To summarize previous discussions, no one has suggested that H2 isn't hazardous in some situations, but so are gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, natural gas and every other fuel. And batteries, of course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4Qhr_LLoJ0

We must ban HV battery packs, especially those used in transport by the public!

As for spectacular aviation disasters, here's something a little more recent than the Hindenburg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8yizEzRDzc

On 25 July 2000, Air France Flight 4590, a Concorde passenger jet on an international charter flight from Paris to New York, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground. It was the only fatal Concorde accident during its 27-year operational history.[1]

So, a 0% survival rate. Clearly jet fuel and/or SSTs are also far too unsafe to ever let it/them be used by the public ;)

There's enough statistical data now to prove that HV battery packs are significantly safer than any of the combustion fuels. You're simply deflecting when citing battery fires as a false equivalence to H2 issues.

Going back to my question. Burning H2 is actually polluting (produces NOx, which causes lung disease from long-term exposure). The only difference in emissions between burning H2 vs gasoline is CO2 and SOx. Once you factor in all the costs (storage/production/delivery/safety/density), it would actually be better to continue burning gasoline instead of burning H2. Who cares if it costs the manufacturers less to develop combustion H2 tech if that tech shouldn't even be used! If you want fuel cells to succeed, then stop diverting money to useless side-projects.
 
Oils4AsphaultOnly said:
GRA said:
Toby said:
When it comes to hydrogen I can't help thinking of the Hindenburg. For the young people on the forum.

<Snip>


There's enough statistical data now to prove that HV battery packs are significantly safer than any of the combustion fuels. You're simply deflecting when citing battery fires as a false equivalence to H2 issues.


Sure, they're proving statistically safer, but we accept the risk of gasoline and have done so for over a century. Yet EVs aren't absolutely safe, any more than the others are. We accept some level of risk with all of them to get the benefits. We simply don't have enough data yet to say what the accident risk of widely-deployed FC or ICE EVs using liquid or gaseous H2 will be compared to fossil fuels, only small scale tests plus lab work (much of which has previously been posted way up-topic) which indicate that it will likely be less than gasoline, and we accept a couple of hundred thousand fires and many injuries and deaths from gas-powered vehicles every year in the U.S.


Oils4AsphaultOnly said:
Going back to my question. Burning H2 is actually polluting (produces NOx, which causes lung disease from long-term exposure). The only difference in emissions between burning H2 vs gasoline is CO2 and SOx. Once you factor in all the costs (storage/production/delivery/safety/density), it would actually be better to continue burning gasoline instead of burning H2. Who cares if it costs the manufacturers less to develop combustion H2 tech if that tech shouldn't even be used! If you want fuel cells to succeed, then stop diverting money to useless side-projects.


I'm not diverting money to H2 ICEs, companies with far more skin in the game than either of us are, often in combination with FCs, presumably based on far more knowledge of their industry and what their customers want than either of us are privy to. Since resource constraints are likely to hinder FC scale-up as much as they are batteries, I'm in favor of using multiple approaches, as my sig indicates. Since we'll need to scale up green H2 production either way, if this helps us get there sooner while also reducing GHGs, I can accept that even if it's not my first choice. Governments can and will decide whether or not it meets their goals for emissions reductions. But it's not either of our calls.
 
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