Berlin: BAM and South Korea intensify cooperation on H2 technologies +++ Denmark: Increased range for Fendt tractors thanks to hydrogen +++ Stade: Building permit granted for LNG terminal with green gases +++ France: Lhyfe supplies HYmpulsion filling stations with green hydrogen +++ China: 26 new H2 filling stations installed by September +++ Australia: Liquid hydrogen transporter Suiso Frontier returns +++ Denmark: Green hydrogen from offshore wind power +++ Berlin: Enapter delivers AEM Flex 120 electrolyzer to brick manufacturer +++ DISCOUNT promotion: Your advertisement on the PtX portal
A selection of PtX topics summarized at the end of the week
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The German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) and South Korea are deepening their cooperation in the field of modern hydrogen technologies. Cooperation between BAM and three institutes has been ongoing for several years. The focus of the collaboration is "ensuring the safety of hydrogen infrastructure and establishing a quality infrastructure as well as regulatory frameworks with corresponding norms and standards for Germany and South Korea, which are intended to accelerate the market ramp-up of hydrogen," the agency announced. On the South Korean side, the Korea Gas Safety Corporation (KGS), Hoseo University in Cheonan, and H2Korea, an organization that advises the South Korean government on hydrogen-related issues, are involved. The cooperation covers the entire value chain, from safe production and storage to reliable transport and utilization.
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With methanol and fuel cells, the operating time of an electric Fendt tractor can be extended. © AGCO
Blue World Technologies and AGCO Power have developed a range-extending prototype for the Fendt e100 Vario electric tractor. Based on Blue World Technologies' fuel cell platform, the concept uses methanol as a liquid fuel to enable longer operating times. According to the company, the energy carrier is converted into hydrogen-rich gas, which powers a fuel cell that in turn charges the tractor's batteries. Each fuel cell stack typically contains 90 to 160 cells with a total output of five to 20 kilowatts. Multiple fuel cell stacks can be connected to meet the required energy demand. The fuel cell technology doubles the operating time of the electric tractor and allows for rapid refueling. Green methanol is a suitable candidate for new drive solutions and, as a liquid fuel, can be stored in a tank similar to diesel. Using standard components such as methanol reformers and fuel cell stacks, the platform can be tailored to the desired application and energy requirements.
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Hanseatic Energy Hub GmbH has been granted permission to build and operate a permanent LNG terminal in Stade. The Lüneburg Trade Supervisory Office issued the permit. The terminal will also be able to process climate-neutral gases produced from renewable energy sources. Commissioning is planned for 2027. Stade will become a hub for renewable energies combined with green hydrogen, alongside Wilhelmshaven, says Lower Saxony's Environment and Energy Minister Christian Meyer.
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Graphical representation of HYmpulsion's hydrogen filling station in Clermont-Ferrand. © HYmpulsion
The French company Lhyfe will supply up to 1,6 tons of green hydrogen daily to HYmpulsion for a period of ten years, starting in 2025. According to the company, production will take place in Le Cheylas (Isère). The planned production capacity is two tons per day (five megawatts). A distribution agreement has now been signed. The Zero Emission Valley (ZEV) project, launched in 2017, aims to develop a profitable and sustainable carbon-free mobility chain in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region by building an environmentally friendly infrastructure for the production, storage, and distribution of hydrogen and by providing hydrogen vehicles. HYmpulsion is the lead company, whose shareholders include the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Engie, Michelin, Crédit Agricole, and Banque des Territoires.
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Hydrogen filling station in Wuhan. © China Hydrogen Bulletin
China built 26 new hydrogen refueling stations by September of this year. According to the state-run China Hydrogen Alliance, more than 70 stations are under construction, some of which could become operational this year. Of the 387 active hydrogen refueling stations, 66 are located in Guangdong province, followed by Shandong (37), Jiangsu (31), Zhejiang (29), and Henan (26). However, the country is "far behind schedule." An industry survey compiled all hydrogen strategies at the provincial level and the hydrogen refueling station targets set by local governments. The overall target for establishing hydrogen refueling stations is 1.096 by 2025. Therefore, China needs to build and operate over 600 hydrogen refueling stations next year. The Alliance cites several reasons for the delay, including a shortage of affordable hydrogen and the fact that most stations are located in developed coastal provinces that are "quite far from particularly low-carbon resources," which are generally found in northern or northwestern China. Station owners have to raise prices to maintain profitability, or some stations are heavily reliant on government subsidies, "which can make their revenues volatile and unpredictable." However, China is currently constructing over 2.000 kilometers of hydrogen transport pipelines to connect production sites with consumption centers.
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The liquid hydrogen transporter Suiso Frontier in Melbourne, Australia. ©HESC
The liquid hydrogen tanker "Suiso Frontier" has returned to Australia in conjunction with the 60th joint Australian-Japanese Economic Conference, held in Melbourne. The vessel was a key component of a pilot project called the "Hydrogen Energy Supply Chain" (HESC), which was completed in February 2022. At that time, the ship arrived in Kobe, Japan, carrying a cargo of liquefied hydrogen produced in the Latrobe Valley (Gippsland, Victoria). The $500 million cost was funded in part by the Commonwealth, the State of Victoria, and the Japanese government. According to Yuko Fukuma, Acting General Manager of Hydrogen Engineering Australia, the company intends to continue working with the Australian and Victorian governments "to establish an international clean hydrogen supply chain at commercial scale," supporting both countries' decarbonization efforts. Hydrogen Engineering Australia is a subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Iwatani Corporation, and Inpex Corp. They also agreed to acquire further shares in Japan Suiso Energy, Ltd. (JSE), a joint venture between Kawasaki and Iwatani founded in 2021. Kawasaki will thus hold 36,6 percent, Iwatani 33,4 percent, and Inpex 30,0 percent of JSE.
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“Sealhyfe”: A wind turbine floating 20 kilometers off the coast of France with an output of one megawatt is intended to supply the electricity for hydrogen production. Pictured: Offshore platform still docked in the port of Saint Nazaire. © Lhyfe
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), Flexens and Lhyfe are jointly launching the “Åland Energy Island” project. Large-scale hydrogen production is to be developed on Åland, fed by offshore wind turbines in the gigawatt range in Åland waters. The exact configuration of the Åland Energy Island project will be “developed in close consultation with the local government and other local stakeholders,” the companies said. A timetable was not given. CIP is a fund manager for investments in renewable energy and green hydrogen. Lhyfe operates the world's first offshore hydrogen production facility (“Sealhyfe”),
which is powered by a floating wind turbine. Flexens is a regional developer of hydrogen projects on the Åland Islands.
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Electrolyser AEM Flex 120 from Enapter. © Enapter AG
Enapter AG has delivered the first model of its new AEM Flex 120 electrolyzer to the ABC-Klinkergruppe in Hörstel, Germany. The green hydrogen production system is scheduled to go into operation this year and will drive the decarbonization of the German brick manufacturer's production processes, the company explained. The green hydrogen produced by the AEM Flex 120 will be fed into the company's gas mix and will replace some of the natural gas previously used for process heat generation. According to Enapter, the AEM Flex 120 closes the market gap between the AEM EL 4 electrolyzer (one kilogram per day) and its multi-core megawatt system (450 kilograms) presented in May. The new electrolyzer can produce almost 54 kilograms of hydrogen per day, corresponding to a nominal output of 120 kilowatts. The product was launched at the end of September, and there are already 26 further orders from Europe, Asia, and Africa. The planned applications include industrial projects, hydrogen refueling solutions for forklifts, cars, and bus charging stations, as well as electricity storage for peak load reduction and energy independence. The order volume amounts to approximately seven million euros. The Enapter Group's total order backlog stood at around 27 million euros at the end of the third quarter of 2023.
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Photos
iStock / © Danil Melekhin
