DISCOUNT promotion: Your ADVERTISING on the PtX portal
Freiburg: Ionysis wants to develop fuel cells for heavy commercial vehicles + + + EU: String receives 12,4 million euros in funding + + + Norway: Teco presents concept for fuel cells in containers + + + Publisher: GP Joule builds hydrogen infrastructure for Nobilia + + + Korea: Hyosung develops nylon lining for hydrogen tanks made from recycled fishing nets + + + Kerpen-Türnich: REVG orders ten hydrogen buses + + + Pfeffenhausen: Hy2B begins construction of a 5 MW electrolyzer + + + Mannheim: Crop Energies acquires a 25 percent stake in Rostocker East Energy + + + Australia: Countrywide Hydrogen and Wirsol Energy are planning hydrogen projects using solar power + + + USA: ENC develops fuel cell bus + + + Canada: Imperial orders low-carbon hydrogen from Air Products + + +DISCOUNT promotion: Your ADVERTISING on the PtX portal
A selection of PtX topics summarized at the end of the week
+ + + + +
The Ionysis GmbH wants to develop high-performance, pollutant-reduced membrane electrode units for fuel cells to market maturity. 
The company is a new spin-off from the “Electrochemical Energy Systems” research area of the Hahn-Schickard Society for Applied Research. V. and the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg. Ionysis has started operations with a team of eight people and is planning further growth. The foundation for the spin-off was laid as part of several publicly funded research projects: both the state of Baden-Württemberg (Direct MEA) and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (Direct Stack) supported the work financially. In addition, there was funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research tailored to German-Canadian exchange. (Photo: Ionysis GmbH with the first eight employees. © Ionysis GmbH)
+ + + + +
The EU Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program has provided funding of 12,4 million euros for the hydrogen infrastructure project “Greater4H" 
approved. The aim is to enable the conversion of heavy goods traffic from diesel to hydrogen across the borders of Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Other hydrogen-powered vehicles will also be able to refuel in the network. The stations will be built between Hamburg and Oslo by GP Joule (Germany), Everfuel (Denmark) and Hynion (Norway). Quantron, Ørsted and Renova are on board as associated partners. The project called “String” (South Western Baltic Sea Transregional Area – Implementing New Geography) was developed under the leadership of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. (Graphic: The four countries Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway are involved in the “String” network. It includes eight regions, five cities and three metropolitan areas. © stringnetwork.org)
+ + + + +
The Norwegian one Teco 2030 ASA has developed a new concept for accommodating fuel cells to generate electricity in containers. 
The floating solution, called “Power Barge,” includes fuel cell modules, batteries, power electronics, security, refueling and automation systems as well as hydrogen storage. The company explained that the concept is scalable to several megawatts for shore power supply. The advantages of the “Fuel Cell Generator” compared to conventional diesel generators are greater safety, reduced operating costs, less space consumption and increased flexibility while avoiding pollutant emissions. This makes it possible to reach off-grid locations close to the water, those with an inadequate power grid and ships at anchor. (Photo: Floating emission-free power supply “Power Barge” for ships at berth in ports and as a solution for generating electricity using hydrogen in locations that are difficult to access. © Teco 2030)
+ + + + +
The GP Joule GmbH is intended to help the kitchen manufacturer Nobilia, based in Verl, North Rhine-Westphalia, to set up a hydrogen infrastructure. 
The Frisian company also wants to supply fuel cell trucks. Nobilia currently has a fleet of around 200 tractors. According to the information, the transport sector is responsible for around 40 percent of the kitchen manufacturer's CO2 emissions. It is planned that GP Joule will build and operate a hydrogen filling station. The fuel is produced regionally from renewable energies. In addition, GP Joule is developing a concept around energy supply, which includes, among other things, the factors of heat, own electricity production using photovoltaic and wind turbines and its storage, according to a statement. (Photo: GP Joule recently agreed a framework contract for the delivery of “Fyuriant” hydrogen trucks with Clean Logistics. © GP Joule)
+ + + + +
The Korean company active in the fiber business Hyosung TNC Corp. has a nylon lining material for the interior of fuel tanks 
developed for hydrogen vehicles. The nylon material is superior to conventional metal and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) materials in terms of lightness, gas barrier and impact resistance. “It is 70 percent lighter than metal and 50 percent lighter than HDPE,” the company explained. “The gas barrier property, which prevents the leakage of hydrogen gas, is 30 percent higher than metal and 50 percent higher than HDPE.” Metal linings are heavy and “pose a high risk of embrittlement when exposed to hydrogen over a long period of time,” while nylon liners had low hydrogen absorption and air permeability. HDPE liners would be used for containers with a pressure of 400 bar, but could not withstand the 700 bar pressure required for typical hydrogen electric vehicles. According to Hyosung CEO Cho Hyun-Joon, the company passed the international quality standard for hydrogen containers (UN/ECE R134) in June. Hyosung has developed a technology to recycle nylon fishing nets left in the sea. The recyclate will be used as a lining material in the future. (Photo © Hyosung TNC)
+ + + + +
The Rhein-Erft-Verkehrsgesellschaft mbH (REVG) orders ten hydrogen buses from the Belgian commercial vehicle manufacturer Van Hool NV. The buses 
are to be taken into regular service from 2024. The district council spoke out in favor of their use in September last year. According to the company, a total of 26 hydrogen public buses were put out to tender. The procurement is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) to the tune of around 7,5 million euros. When we asked, a REVG spokeswoman explained that the bus we had ordered was “probably the A12 model”. According to Van Hool's website, this has 41 seats and is a good twelve meters long. The output is 160 kilowatts. REVG did not provide any further details, such as range. By 2030, REVG wants to completely replace its buses according to a step-by-step plan. Van Hool launched its first hydrogen bus in North America in 2005. There are around 50 vehicles on the road in Germany. (Photo © Van Hool; Editor’s note: “Model A12” was added to this text after going to press)
+ + + + +
Hy2B Hydrogen GmbH has started construction of the buildings on the site of the future hydrogen center in Pfeffenhausen 
Outdoor facilities for the 5 megawatt electrolyser have begun. The company is the operating company for green hydrogen production in the HyPerformer model region HyBayern, which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV). The Kraftanlagen Energies & Services GmbH was commissioned as general contractor to build the system including the electrolyser, compressor and filling station, the electrical supply and the necessary ancillary systems. Assembly of the electrolyser and system technology ordered from the Norwegian manufacturer NEL ASA is scheduled to begin at the beginning of 2023. The start of commissioning is planned for the second quarter of 2023 and economic operation for the second half of 2023. From then on, 440 tons of green hydrogen will be produced annually in Pfeffenhausen and, after expansion to maximum capacity, up to 1.000 tons of green hydrogen for the regional bus transport of the Munich transport association neighboring hydrogen center, existing and new hydrogen filling stations in the Munich metropolitan region and for other customers in Bavaria. Kraftanlagen Energies & Services is part of the French construction group Bouygues Construction. (Graphic: Pfeffenhausen hydrogen production and filling plant for green hydrogen with six filling stations for compressed gas trailers. © Hy2B Hydrogen GmbH)
+ + + + +
Mannheim-based Crop Energies AG is investing in the German renewable energy startup East Energy GmbH, Rostock. Crop Energies 
acquires 25 percent of the company's share capital, with a total investment of up to eight million planned. “This amount can increase significantly as the project continues to develop,” the company explained. The East Energy Group plans to build and operate subsidy-free ground-mounted photovoltaic systems in northeast Germany under the “Sun2Grid” brand. The green electricity generated makes it possible to produce green hydrogen, renewable fuels and heat under the “Sun2Gas” brand. According to its own statements, Crop Energies has so far mainly produced renewable ethanol as well as food and animal feed. East Energy wants to build photovoltaic systems with an installed capacity of one gigawatt by the end of 2024 and invest 600 million euros for this. Crop Energies AG is part of the Südzucker Group, which produces, among other things, renewable ethanol. (Photo: Crop Energies ethanol plant in Zeitz. © Crop Energies AG / Martin Jehnichen)
+ + + + +
The Countrywide Hydrogen Pty Ltd. and Wirsol Energy Pty Ltd. are jointly examining the possibilities for developing hydrogen projects 
Australian state of Tasmania. Countrywide is currently planning two projects on the island off the mainland and two more in the state of Victoria. Under the agreement, Wirsol, part of Mannheim-based Wircon GmbH, is to assess each site to plan the installation of an optimally scaled solar and possibly battery storage facility that will “offer the lowest energy costs for hydrogen production” to Countrywide. The price of hydrogen is a decisive factor in making the energy source attractive for road transport and promoting the move away from conventional fuels. Tasmania only needs three filling stations to meet its needs. The project is also intended to determine “where it is possible to locate hydrogen production facilities at Wirsol’s existing solar farms across Australia,” said Countrywide managing director Geoffrey Drucker. The company is part of the investment group Renu Energy Limited. (Photo: In the Bell Bay economic zone in the north of Tasmania, Countrywide is planning an electrolyser with ten megawatts of output and a capacity of 4,5 tonnes of hydrogen per day. © Countrywide)
+ + + + +
The American bus manufacturer Eldorado National California Inc. (ENC), a subsidiary of REV Group Inc., developed under the name 
“Axess Battery Electric Bus” (EVO-BE) and “Axess Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus” (EVO-FC) “the next generation” of its two public buses “Axess Hydrogen Fuel Cell” and “Axess Battery Electric”. The new Axess EVO-BE has a battery storage unit with a capacity of 738 kilowatt hours from the manufacturer Proterra Powered. The Axess EVO-FC is designed for a range of 400 miles (650 kilometers). No further details were given. Delivery is scheduled for 2023. ENC has been manufacturing low-floor and standard floor buses for public transit, airports and universities for over 45 years. (Photo: ENC is developing the next generation of battery and fuel cell powered “Axess” class buses. © ENC)
+ + + + +
The Canadian oil company Imperial Oil Ltd. has selected U.S. industrial gases maker Air Products & Chemicals Inc. to supply low-carbon hydrogen for Imperial's planned renewable diesel complex at its Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Alberta. Air Products will provide pipeline supply from its hydrogen plant under construction in Edmonton, the companies said. For the Imperial contract, the chemical company is increasing the total investment in its hydrogen plant to 1,6 billion Canadian dollars (1,22 billion euros). The Imperial complex is expected to produce more than one billion liters per year of renewable diesel from locally sourced raw materials.
+ + + + +
DISCOUNT promotion: Your ADVERTISING on the PtX portal
Photos
iStock / © Danil Melekhin
