What's also important... TICKER (week 16)

Germany: Investigations into irregularities in BMDV hydrogen funding +++ Canada: Ballard Power delivers 70 fuel cell engines to Wrightbus +++ Italy: Axpo examines construction of a 100 MW electrolyzer +++ Saudi Arabia: Kingdom can produce green hydrogen more efficiently than Germany (media) +++ Germany: Voith Group establishes hydrogen subsidiary +++ Canada: Thyssenkrupp and Genesis Fertilizers examine hydrogen use in fertilizer production +++ Canada: Everwind and Eastward Energy aim to supply Nova Scotia with green hydrogen +++ Japan: J-Power and Yamna invest in green hydrogen +++ Belgium: Maersk bunkers methanol for the first time in the Port of Antwerp +++ USA: Advent Technologies and Siemens plan 500-kilowatt fuel cell module +++ Norway: Teco receives AIP for maritime fuel cell container for power generation +++ DISCOUNT promotion: Your advertisement on the PtX portal

A selection of PtX topics summarized at the end of the week

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(Germany) In recent months, the Handelsblatt newspaper had pointed to potential irregularities in hydrogen funding by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV). However, neither the State Secretary at the BMDV nor Federal Minister Volker Wissing was aware of the friendship between the head of the policy department at the BMDV and representatives of the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV) before the allegations of possible irregularities in the allocation of hydrogen and fuel cell subsidies surfaced from July 2023 onwards. The former head of the policy department only disclosed his personal relationships with representatives of the DWV to the ministry leadership at the beginning of August 2023, according to the Federal Government's response ( 20/10956 ) to a 30-question parliamentary inquiry from the Left Party. Whether the former head of the policy department is subject to a reporting obligation under Section 21 of the Administrative Procedure Act is the subject of the ongoing investigation, the government writes. According to this, employees may not participate in a procedure "if, due to a personal or factual conflict of interest, it cannot be guaranteed that they can decide objectively and neutrally." If these conditions are met, the employees in question are obligated to report the matter to the head of the agency. The review is not yet complete.

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(Canada) Northern Irish bus manufacturer Wrightbus has ordered 70 "FcMove-HD" fuel cell engines from Canadian company Ballard Power Systems Inc. Delivery is scheduled for 2024, with the vehicles entering service in 2025. The hydrogen engines will power single- and double-decker buses in the UK and Germany. "We are seeing broader market acceptance of fuel cell buses from European fleet operators looking to decarbonize their operations with this technology, which also allows for rapid refueling, even for long-distance routes," said Oben Uluc, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, EMEA at Ballard. This is Ballard's third major order in just a few weeks. In January, Canadian bus manufacturer New Flyer Industries Inc. ordered 100 fuel cell modules. In April, Ballard announced an order from Polish bus manufacturer Solaris Bus & Coach sp. z o.o. for 1.000 engines.

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(Italy) The Swiss company Axpo Holding AG, the country's largest producer of electricity from renewable energy sources, has signed a cooperation agreement with the French energy investor Enego. The companies intend to explore the construction of a 100-megawatt green hydrogen plant in Sicily. The project is planned for the Priolo-Augusta petrochemical industrial complex on the island's east coast. The new plant would help meet the industrial demand for green hydrogen between Catania and Syracuse. Currently, industry uses gray hydrogen produced from natural gas, which needs to be gradually replaced. The project will be carried out jointly with Hynego, part of the Enego Holding. Local institutions and engineers from the University of Catania are also involved in the Priolo-Augusta project. If sales are strong, the plant could be expanded to 300 megawatts. In Switzerland, Axpo is planning, among other things, the construction of a 15-megawatt electrolysis plant and recently published a white paper on the potential and challenges of this energy carrier.

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(Saudi Arabia) Saudi Arabia could produce green hydrogen more efficiently than Germany. "Due to favorable environmental conditions, the Kingdom requires significantly less investment for production compared to its European counterpart," according to an article on the "Arab News" portal , citing findings from the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC). In particular, Saudi Arabia's high levels of solar radiation lead to low costs for solar-powered hydrogen production. The analysis further emphasizes that by 2030, Saudi Arabia's solar-based production would require approximately 25 percent less investment than Germany's wind-based approach to achieve a daily production of 600 tons of green hydrogen. According to KAPSARC, financing costs in the Kingdom are at least 200 basis points lower than in Germany, even when transportation costs are taken into account. "If you want to produce green hydrogen in Germany, it will cost five dollars per kilogram. But if you produce it in Saudi Arabia, it will cost between one and two dollars," the article quotes Yousef Al-Shammari, Senior Energy Research Fellow at Imperial College London. Al-Shammari reportedly said that Germany, the largest economy in Europe, would be dependent on green hydrogen from cheap production sites like Saudi Arabia for the foreseeable future and would have to import it.

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(Germany) The Voith Group has founded Voith HySTech GmbH. According to the company, this move is intended to strengthen its position in the growing market for hydrogen technologies and to focus particularly on hydrogen storage systems for heavy-duty vehicles. "With this new company, we can meet growing customer demands and leverage our broad expertise to unlock the existing growth potential in the hydrogen sector," said Toralf Haag, CEO of Voith. The technology group possesses extensive knowledge in the field of hydrogen tank systems. Based on this expertise, Voith has developed a ready-to-install "Plug & Drive" H2 storage system for heavy-duty vehicles. The integrated 700-bar hydrogen tanks have had the necessary road approval for marketing in Europe since December 2023.

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(Germany) Thyssenkrupp Uhde and Genesis Fertilizers Ltd. Partnership have signed a pre-FEED (front-end engineering and design) agreement to design an integrated fertilizer complex in Belle Plaine, Saskatchewan, Canada. The plant will produce ammonia, urea, and nitric acid, among other products. Thyssenkrupp Uhde will provide technical solutions, with a focus on minimizing emissions. The potential use of renewable hydrogen and electricity will also be considered. "Our primary goal is to supply farmers in Western Canada with fertilizers based on the most advanced technologies available, with the smallest possible carbon footprint," says Jason Mann, President and CEO of Genesis Fertilizers.

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(Canada) Everwind Fuels Company and energy company Eastward Energy plan to explore green hydrogen storage, transportation, and distribution opportunities in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The goal is to decarbonize sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as heavy-duty transportation, industrial facilities, and large commercial and residential buildings. “This partnership will allow us to provide green energy options to Eastward Energy’s customers and support the development of hydrogen infrastructure in the province,” says Trent Vichie, CEO of Everwind Fuels. This is a first step toward establishing the supply chains necessary to transition Nova Scotia’s energy sector from imported fossil fuels to locally produced clean fuels. Eastward Energy is the province’s natural gas distribution company and holds the rights to distribute natural gas through nearly 500 kilometers of pipeline infrastructure across seven regions of Nova Scotia. Everwind Fuels is developing green hydrogen projects in North America.

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(Japan) Japanese power producer Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-Power) and investor Yamna Co. Ltd. plan to jointly develop projects in the field of green hydrogen and its derivatives. This includes global hydrogen projects based on Yamna's existing project pipeline, as well as additional projects to be jointly developed. Yamna is financially backed by HYCAP, a UK-based private equity fund manager specializing in the hydrogen sector.

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(Belgium) The first large methanol-powered ocean-going vessel, owned by the Danish logistics company AP Moller-Maersk, has made its maiden call at the MSC PSA European Terminal (MPET) in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. During its port call, the "Ane Maersk" bunkered 4.300 tons of green methanol and 1.375 tons of biodiesel. The refueling was carried out by two barges. The call at the Port of Antwerp is part of the "Ane Maersk's" maiden voyage, during which the ship will operate on green methanol, the company explained. The container ship, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea, has a capacity of 16.000 containers and is equipped with a dual-fuel engine that can run on methanol, biodiesel, and conventional heavy fuel oils. The “Ane Maersk” is the first of Maersk’s 18 large methanol-capable vessels scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2025, and the second methanol-capable container ship in the world. “The successful bunkering of this new generation of ships proves that we are taking the right steps to transform our port by 2025 into one that offers more sustainable alternative fuels such as methanol in addition to traditional fuels,” says Annick De Ridder, President of the Board of Directors of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

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(USA) Advent Technologies A/S, a subsidiary of Advent Technologies Holdings, Inc., has signed an agreement with Siemens Energy to develop a 500-kilowatt high-temperature proton exchange membrane (HT-PEM) fuel cell solution for maritime applications. This solution is initially intended to meet the power needs of large yachts and will later be expanded to include ferries, merchant ships, and container vessels. The first prototypes are expected to be tested at Siemens Energy in Erlangen, Germany, in 2025, with testing of the first fuel cell module scheduled for completion in 2026. Advent Technologies Holdings is a US company that develops, manufactures, and sells complete fuel cell systems.

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(Norway) Teco 2030, as part of the HyEkoTank project, has received Approval in Principle (AIP) from the Norwegian classification society DNV for a containerized fuel cell power generator (FCPG). The containers are designed for use on board ocean-going vessels. The approval covers various integral components of the FCPG, ensuring its seamless integration into the ship's power system and operational efficiency. The containers can be connected in series, allowing for scaling into the multi-megawatt range.

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Photos
iStock / © Danil Melekhin