USA: Lancaster uses hydrogen-powered traffic lights +++ Spain: Consortium plans e-methanol project for shipping in Oman +++ Germany: Griesemann develops LOHC plant for Hydrogenious +++ Scotland: HiiROC and Agile plan to build a plant for extracting hydrogen from waste +++ Canada: Ontario launches new hydrogen tender +++ Germany: Esslingen road construction office receives second fuel cell-powered vehicle
A selection of PtX news items summarized to conclude the week.
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The HyMax 1,1 kW system was specifically developed for municipalities and keeps traffic signal systems operational even during extended power outages. © Western Systems Inc.
(USA) The Californian city of Lancaster, the First Public Hydrogen Authority (FPH2), and Western Systems Inc. plan to deploy hydrogen-powered traffic lights to improve traffic safety, ensure reliable operation during power outages, and support the city's decarbonization initiatives. With increasing frequency of power grid overloads and outages due to more extreme weather conditions and wildfires, the low-maintenance backup systems, powered by Western Systems' HyMax fuel cells, will ensure that intersections remain functional and secure even during power outages and disruptions. FPH2 was established by the City of Lancaster and the City of Industry as a public joint powers authority, connecting hydrogen producers with consumers. Centralized procurement and planning aims to lower the barriers to adopting hydrogen as an energy carrier statewide.
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Representatives of the Sultanate of Oman, Spain, and businesses signed four agreements to support bilateral cooperation in green energy, resources, trade, and finance. © Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology Oman
(Spain) The Ministry of Transport of the Sultanate of Oman has reached an agreement with a consortium to research and develop a project for the production and supply of low-carbon green methanol to ships in the Dhofar Governorate. According to the agreement, HIF EMEA, the Middle East branch of Berlin-based HIF GmbH, the German-Spanish joint venture Acciona & Nordex Green Hydrogen, and Al MEERA Investment will examine the feasibility of constructing a large-scale green methanol production plant. The consortium will conduct feasibility studies as well as economic and technical analyses to investigate the potential for bunkering and exporting green methanol produced in the Dhofar Governorate. This production will integrate solar and wind energy for the production of green hydrogen and utilize industrial or biogenic carbon dioxide, subsequently converting it into green methanol. The Ministry will facilitate cooperation with government agencies, provide necessary regulatory support, allocate land, and explore financial incentives. The signing of a total of four agreements to promote cooperation in areas including green methanol, liquefied natural gas, water and wastewater management took place during a state visit by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to Spain.
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Stefan Bürkle, COO of Hydrogenious LOHC, and Griesemann Managing Director Uwe Gaudig agree to develop a system for releasing hydrogen bound in LOHC. © Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies GmbH
(Germany) Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies GmbH has signed a contract with Griesemann Engineering GmbH & Co.KG for the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) and subsequent EPCM (Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management) phases for the "Green Hydrogen @ Blue Danube" project. The contract calls for the development of a plant for the release of hydrogen from liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) at the Bayernoil refinery in Vohburg, Bavaria. The carrier material will be the thermal oil benzyltoluene, which, enriched with hydrogen, can be transported by truck using the existing infrastructure for conventional petroleum products. The plant will have a capacity of 1.800 tons of green hydrogen per year, which will replace gray hydrogen produced from natural gas. The FEED phase is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2026. Following a positive investment decision, construction can begin, with commercial operation commencing in mid-2028. The storage of hydrogen in LOHC will take place at the Chempark Dormagen in North Rhine-Westphalia. The project is being funded as an “Important Project of Common European Interest” (IPCEI) by the German Federal Government and the State of Bavaria with an unspecified sum.
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HiiROC and Agile plan to produce e-methanol in Scotland. © HiiROC Ltd.
(Scotland) HiiROC Ltd. and Agile Energy Recovery Ltd. (Agile) plan to collaborate on the production of "affordable, low-carbon hydrogen" at Agile's Thainstone Energy Park in Inverurie, Scotland. Agile will build an Integrated Resource Facility (IRF) that will process up to 200.000 tonnes of municipal and industrial waste per year and generate electricity and heat for the surrounding area. The aim is to combine CO2 emissions from the IRF with HiiROC's thermal plasma electrolysis (TPE) process to produce low-carbon e-methanol. By utilizing the existing gas network and locating hydrogen production on-site, HiiROC technology can be deployed without the need to build new infrastructure or hydrogen pipelines, and is independent of the commissioning of CCS clusters. The first commercial HiiROC units are planned for 2026. Just last September, the energy supplier Centrica Plc. and HiiROC Ltd. conducted a test of injecting hydrogen into a gas-fired peak load power plant at Centrica's Brigg Energy Park, North Lincolnshire, near the Humber region – the UK's most CO2-intensive industrial area. According to Centrica, the hydrogen produced on-site using the TPE was blended with the natural gas at a volume of three percent for a one-hour trial.
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Stephen Lecce, Minister of Energy and Mines: “Hydrogen has the potential to be both a clean energy source and a major economic driver that can create tens of thousands of jobs.” © Ministry of Energy and Mines, Ontario
(Canada) The Government of Ontario is launching a new round of the Hydrogen Innovation Fund (HIF) with 30 million Canadian dollars (18,5 million euros) to support projects "that unlock the potential of hydrogen." This sum is double that of the first funding round. Fifteen hydrogen projects were already supported by the Hydrogen Innovation Fund in October and November 2023. Ontario published its low-carbon hydrogen strategy in 2022. The expanded fund comprises two components: one for projects that integrate low-carbon hydrogen into Ontario's electricity grid, and another for hydrogen applications in transportation, manufacturing, and heavy industry through the creation of hydrogen hubs, connecting hydrogen producers with end users, and transitioning existing hydrogen users to Ontario-produced hydrogen. The call for proposals for both components closes on February 11, 2026.
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The Esslingen and Göppingen road construction office has received its second fuel cell vehicle (from left): District Administrator Marcel Musolf (Esslingen District), Till Kaz (Managing Director of Iontrak Energy GmbH), District Administrator Markus Möller (Göppingen District), Benjamin Haufe (Ministry of Transport Baden-Württemberg). © Esslingen District
(Germany) The road construction authority for the districts of Esslingen and Göppingen has taken delivery of its second fuel cell-powered vehicle. Commercial vehicles used in road maintenance are frequently subjected to high energy demands. The currently more cost-effective purely battery-electric drive therefore has limitations in terms of range and robustness. By supplementing the battery-electric drive with a fuel cell and hydrogen tanks, the vehicle now has a range of approximately 600 kilometers. The project has a total volume of around €950.000. The acquisition of the two hydrogen vehicles is being subsidized by the federal government with €388.500. The state of Baden-Württemberg is contributing an additional €200.000. The districts are cooperating with Esslingen University of Applied Sciences and regional businesses on the project. Iontrak Energy GmbH, based in the district of Göppingen, is significantly involved in the development of the fuel cell technology.
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Photos
iStock / © Danil Melekhin
