Rostock: Yara and VNG plan supply agreement for clean ammonia + + + Hamburg: H-Tec Systems builds PEM stack factory + + + India: Brookfield Renewable invests $1 billion in Avaada Ventures + + + UK: Pash and Erih want to develop 5 gigawatt hydrogen projects + + + Berlin: Association of Hydrogen Regions founded + + + Norway: Teco 2030 puts fuel cell factory into operation
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A selection of PtX topics summarized at the end of the week
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Signing of the cooperation agreement (from left to right): Ulf Heitmüller (VNG AG), Magnus Ankarstrand (Yara) and Stephan Haupt (VNG Handel & Vertriebs). © VNG / Margit Wild
Yara Clean Ammonia, a subsidiary of the Norwegian fertilizer and chemicals group Yara International ASA, and the Leipzig gas company VNG AG plan to cooperate in the supply of “clean” ammonia. VNG wants this term to mean both blue and green ammonia. The Rostock port should be expanded into a hub for ammonia imports. Yara already has an existing hydrogen and ammonia infrastructure in Rostock. The energy source can be easily stored and transported over long distances, both because of its higher hydrogen density and because of the existing transport infrastructure. Yara claims to be one of the world's largest ammonia producers. The VNG Group wants to switch from current natural gas to renewable gases such as biogas or hydrogen, including their storage and transport, by 2030. One advantage is the proximity to the pipeline network of the VNG subsidiary Ontras Gastransport GmbH. Yara operates “the largest ammonia plant” with 15 ships, access to 18 ammonia terminals and multiple ammonia production and consumption sites around the world.
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Rendering: H-Tec Systems is building a factory in Hamburg for the industrial series production of PEM electrolysis stacks. © MAN Energy Solutions SE
H2-Tec Systems GmbH, a subsidiary of MAN Energy Solutions SE, is building a production and development site in Hamburg for the industrial series production of PEM electrolysis stacks. Once completed, the new H-Tec Systems Stack Manufacturing & Development Center will “combine stack development, manufacturing and testing at one location” and will employ several hundred people in the long term. Next year, PEM electrolysis stacks with a potential total electrolysis output of five gigawatts will be produced automatically on an area of 11.000 square meters, according to the company. The stacks would be used for PEM electrolyzers, which are built at the company headquarters in Augsburg. “MAN Energy Solutions will invest 500 million euros in electrolyzer production over the next few years to make H-Tec Systems one of the top three manufacturers worldwide,” says Uwe Lauber, Managing Director of MAN Energy Solutions. In addition to S3 stacks, H-Tec Systems in Hamburg will also develop and produce a new generation of stacks with higher performance. The construction of the automated factory is part of the “PEP.IN” research project and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through the H450Giga hydrogen lead project.
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Avaada wants to raise $1,3 million in fresh capital for hydrogen and solar projects. © Avaada Group
Based in Mumbai, India AvaadaGroup receives $1 billion from venture capitalist Brookfield Renewable through the Brookfield Global Transition Fund (BGTF). Aim of Avaada Ventures Private Ltd. is the acquisition of fresh capital totaling $1,3 billion to finance its green hydrogen and green ammonia projects in India as well as to manufacture solar modules and expand its renewable energy platform. According to the company, Global Power Synergy Public Company Ltd. is investing a further $68 million. (GPSC) into Avaada Energy Private Ltd. “to repay liabilities and promote growth.” In addition, they are conducting “detailed discussions with potential investors” to raise an additional $200 million. Avaada currently operates a renewable energy portfolio with an installed capacity of approximately four gigawatts and plans to install a cumulative eleven gigawatts by 2026. The company also produces solar cells and modules.
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Pash Global, a London-based investor and developer of clean energy projects, and Turkish investment firm ERIH Holdings (ERIH) have formed a 50:50 joint venture. The aim is to develop projects for green hydrogen and ammonia with a total electrolyzer capacity of five gigawatts. In order to produce the required environmentally friendly electricity, solar, wind and geothermal power plants in Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Serbia and Colombia are to be operated in 2030 with an installed capacity of ten gigawatts. The companies say that the proceeds will be used “around the clock” to produce green hydrogen. The first two projects would be developed in Turkey and Italy. Pash is part of the Amsterdam and Singapore-based commodities trading company Trafigura Group Pte. Ltd.
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The “Association of Hydrogen Regions” was founded in Berlin (from left to right): Stefan Kerth (Western Pomerania-Rügen District Administrator), Hanno Butsch (Becker Büttner Held Consulting AG), Ingbert Liebing (General Manager VKU), Michael Theurer (Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs). and traffic), Gerald Linke (CEO DVGW), Kurt-Christoph von Knobelsdorff (Managing Director Now GmbH). © Now GmbH / Franz Josef Brück
At this year's “HyLand Symposium” organized by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), the Federation of Hydrogen Regions (BdWR) was founded in Berlin at the end of April. This should “give the hydrogen regions a political voice,” according to a statement from the federal government Now GmbH. Since 2019, regional hydrogen concepts along the entire value chain have been created and implemented as part of the HyLand program (see News dated May 3, 2023).
The practical experiences and insights that have been gained so far from work in the 51 regions represent great added value for the implementation of the national hydrogen strategy. However, the regional perspectives of a hydrogen economy have not yet been sufficiently taken into account at the federal level. The BdWR should close this gap between federal policy discussions and local implementation. The initiators are Stefan Kerth (Western Pomerania-Rügen District Administrator) as the political representative of a HyLand region, the German Gas and Water Association (DVGW) and the Association of Municipal Companies (VKU). Becker Büttner Held Consulting AG (BBHC) was commissioned to set up the BdWR and officially presented it at the HyLand Symposium. All HyLand regions are invited to join this initiative. The federal government is open to all hydrogen regions in Germany.
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Teco factory in Narvik, Norway. © Teco 2030
The Norwegian manufacturer of fuel cells Teco 2030 ASA has started manual production of fuel cell stacks in Narvik, Norway. This is “an essential step” toward commercialization, the company said. The facility will initially produce small quantities and then be expanded with production equipment from Thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering to meet the growing demand for fuel cell technology in the shipping and heavy-duty industries. The current production capacity was not mentioned, nor was the timing of the expansion.
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Photos
iStock / © Danil Melekhin
