What's also important... TICKER (week 46)

Ireland: Fusion Fuels files for insolvency for Portuguese subsidiary +++ USA: Hyzon fuel cell truck completes further test run +++ Norway: Teco 2030 Innovation Center reportedly facing insolvency +++ UK: Uniper launches consultation on Humber H2ub in Killingholme +++ USA: USDOT funds hydrogen-related rail projects with $97 million +++ Switzerland: Researchers working on hydrogen jet engines +++ Germany: PNE investigates connecting Poland to the European hydrogen network +++ Spain: FCC Medio Ambiente and Irizar present FC platform for urban service trucks

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

+ + + + +

(Ireland) Electrolyzer manufacturer Fusion Fuel Green Plc has filed a $33,5 million damages claim against Hydrogenial SA for breach of an investment agreement. According to the agreement, dated August 28, 2024, the investor committed to purchasing common stock and warrants. The deal was originally scheduled to close on September 30, but this deadline was extended to October 25 due to a lack of performance. "To date, however, the company has not received any proceeds from the investment," Fusion Fuel stated. As a direct consequence of the financing delay, Fusion Fuel has filed for insolvency for its Portuguese subsidiary, Fusion Fuel Portugal SA, through which the majority of the company's technology sales and project development activities were conducted. On the advice of an insolvency lawyer, the company has filed a claim for damages in Portugal due to Hydrogenial's breach of contract. No further information was available at the time of publication (November 15, 2024).

+ + + + +

(USA) Fuel cell system manufacturer Hyzon Motors Inc. has completed another test run of its fuel cell electric truck (FCET) for garbage collection. The waste and recycling company Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery tested the vehicle in real-world conditions on routes in California. According to the company, this was the tenth test run Hyzon has conducted with its two FCETs for Class 8 and garbage collection since July 2024. It is the first hydrogen-powered garbage truck in North America.

+ + + + +

(Norway) The Norwegian tax authorities have filed for bankruptcy against Teco 2030 Innovation Center AS, a subsidiary of fuel cell manufacturer Teco 2030 ASA. A hearing is scheduled for December 5, 2024, according to the company. Bankruptcy could have "significant repercussions" for the parent company, particularly due to a guarantee limited to ten million kroner (0,85 million euros) that covers the lease payments for the innovation center in Narvik. "The beneficiary of this guarantee has already filed a claim against the company, prompting the company to enter into discussions to clarify the situation," Teco 2030 announced late Thursday afternoon. Shortly before midnight that same day, Teco 2030 stated that it had "received a bankruptcy notice in the evening after failing to meet its obligations under the parent company's guarantee." The board will "assess the circumstances and decide on the best course of action." The company remains “determined to work with all relevant stakeholders to explore viable options for the future.” No further information was available at the time of our editorial deadline (November 15, 2024).

+ + + + +

(Great Britain) Energy company Uniper SE is launching a public consultation on its proposals for the development of a new green hydrogen production plant at its Killingholme site. The " Humber H2ub (Green) " project was presented earlier this year. Initial electrolysis capacity of 120 megawatts is planned. During the construction phase, 110 jobs would be created locally. The hydrogen is intended to be supplied to Phillips 66 Limited's Humber refinery from 2029 onwards, replacing some of the gas currently used in its heating systems. The public consultation will take place on November 19 in North Killingholme. A detailed planning application will be submitted next year.

+ + + + +

(USA) The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies (USDOT) is funding hydrogen-related rail projects with $97 million (€91,2 million). Of this, $36,5 million will go to the California Air Resources Board to replace ten diesel locomotives with nine battery-electric (BEV) locomotives and one fuel cell (FCV) locomotive for three transit companies in its service area. Colorado State University-Pueblo will receive $11,7 million for safety experiments and testing of rail vehicles powered by compressed hydrogen and compressed natural gas. East Erie Commercial Rail in Pennsylvania will receive $48,4 million to research and develop dual-fuel combustion engines and tenders using hydrogen. At the Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado, operators, first responders, and others will also learn safe handling procedures for hydrogen and how to operate and maintain hydrogen technology. The grants are administered through the Federal Railroad Administration's (FRA) Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program and benefit every region of the country, particularly rural communities. In the latest funding round, the Federal Railroad Administration is providing more than $2,4 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for 122 rail improvement projects in 41 states and Washington, D.C. Details about the program are available on the FRA website .

+ + + + +

(Switzerland) Researchers at ETH Zurich tested the acoustic behavior of hydrogen injection nozzles for aircraft engines in the laboratory under conditions similar to those found at cruising altitude. In jet engines, interactions between the flames and the sound generated during combustion can cause vibrations. "These vibrations put a heavy strain on the engines." Current engines are optimized for burning kerosene. However, hydrogen burns faster than kerosene. The sound waves are reflected by the walls of the combustion chamber and affect the flames. "The vibrations can fatigue the material, which in the worst case could cause cracks and damage," says Abel Faure-Beaulieu, a former postdoctoral researcher in the research group. This must be taken into account in the design of hydrogen engines, says Nicolas Noiray, professor at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zurich, to prevent such vibrations from occurring. Researchers at ETH Zurich, in collaboration with GE Aerospace, are conducting a study to measure the acoustics of hydrogen flames and predict their vibrations as part of the EU-funded Hydea project. The study will help GE Aerospace optimize the injection nozzles and "pave the way for a functioning hydrogen engine." (Faure Beaulieu A, Dharmaputra B, Schuermans B, Wang G, Caruso S, Zahn M, Noiray N: Measuring acoustic transfer matrices of high-pressure hydrogen/air flames for aircraft propulsion. Combustion and Flame, October 22, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.combustflame.2024.113776)

+ + + + +

(Germany) PNE AG, based in Cuxhaven, Germany, will receive €190.000 in EU funding to investigate the possibilities for connecting to the European hydrogen network as part of the Polish project "Cross-border Pomeranian Green Hydrogen Cluster." PNE's Polish subsidiary, Sevivon, plans to install wind farms and photovoltaic plants with a total capacity of approximately two gigawatts in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. This will generate green electricity for two 500-megawatt electrolyzers. Connecting the hydrogen production facility requires extensive infrastructure in the gas and electricity networks. To this end, PNE AG is cooperating with the Polish gas network operator GAZ-System and the German company Gascade Gastransport GmbH to conduct a feasibility study on connecting to the national hydrogen network in Poland and the cross-border link between the German and Polish networks.

+ + + + +

(Spain) FCC Medio Ambiente and the Irizar Group have unveiled a fuel cell platform for heavy-duty municipal service vehicles. A prototype has been undergoing testing for months on real-world waste collection routes in various Spanish cities, the companies stated. The initial deployment is on a 21-cubic-meter, three-axle, side-loading collection vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 29 tons. The fuel cell addresses the drawbacks of current all-electric vehicles, says Josu Letona, head of the truck division at Irizar. "In cities where municipal vehicles often operate two or three consecutive shifts, the charging times of all-electric vehicles are a limitation." In the newly unveiled vehicle, the fuel cell charges a battery, improving the efficiency of the electrically powered superstructure, payload, range, vehicle maneuverability, and charging times. The vehicle was developed as part of the "H2 Truck" project, led by FCC Environment and created in collaboration with the Irizar Group and other companies. FCC Environment provides municipal services to 67 million people in more than 5.400 communities across eleven countries, according to its own statements. FCC Medio Ambiente has a fleet of 20.000 vehicles, of which more than 3.600 are sustainably operated (1.600 are electric). Irizar is an international group of companies active in the fields of passenger transport, electromobility, electronics, electric motors and generators, connectivity, and energy.

+ + + + +

Photos
iStock / © Danil Melekhin