All posts tagged: Hydrogen

Clean hydrogen can plug the gaps in a decarbonised energy system

Clean hydrogen can plug the gaps in a decarbonised energy system

Published by skeptic

From long-term storage and flexibility to hard-to-abate sectors and data centres, a thriving clean hydrogen sector will offer much-needed solutions in the net zero energy system of the very near future. EU leaders and Member States will be rewarded if they persevere through the current regulatory challenges. As renewable generation scales rapidly across Europe, policymakers are increasingly confronting a parallel challenge: how to store variable, intermittent energy over long periods, how to decarbonise industries that cannot simply plug into the grid, and how to meet the ever-increasing power demands of the digital economy. In each of these areas, a thriving clean hydrogen sector can play its role to help achieve a sustainable, circular, and energy-sovereign economy. Storage and flexibility One of the defining characteristics of renewable energy is variability. Wind and solar generation fluctuate with weather conditions and seasons, creating increasing pressure on electricity systems to balance supply and demand. Batteries will play an important role in short-duration storage, but they are not designed to provide energy security over weeks or months. This is where …

Scaling green hydrogen across sectors

Scaling green hydrogen across sectors

Published by skeptic

Operational pilots are already in place across production, maritime, and transport. NORHyWAY will now scale these into a fully integrated hydrogen value chain, connecting the Arctic to Europe with renewable energy at its core. A total of approximately €963m in planned investments. Four sectors – maritime, road freight, energy storage and coastal industry – developed in parallel across interconnected use cases. NORHyWAY is built around a clear proposition: that green hydrogen can become commercially viable at scale, across multiple sectors, and compete with fossil fuels on price. Led by RENERGY (Renewable Energy Cluster), with SINTEF as technical coordinator, NORHyWAY is backed by €20m from the EU’s Clean Hydrogen Partnership through Horizon Europe. The project builds on operational pilots already in place across hydrogen production, maritime applications and transport, and moves these into large-scale deployment. At the same time, new pilots – such as hydrogen-based grid flexibility – are being developed and tested as part of the system. Pilot-E – the world’s first hydrogen-powered work vessel, by Moen Marin. What gives NORHyWAY its credibility is its …

We could generate hydrogen from rocks while storing CO2 in them

We could generate hydrogen from rocks while storing CO2 in them

Published by skeptic

The Carbfix facility in Iceland Oksana Baliukeviciene/Alamy We desperately need clean hydrogen for processes that cannot be powered by renewable electricity – and it might be possible to generate vast quantities from rocks deep underground while locking away carbon dioxide at the same time. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have shown that this process works for one common rock type in lab studies. They now want to work with companies on field trials. “We hope to demonstrate that we will be able to generate hydrogen economically while sequestering CO2,” says team member Orsolya Gelencsér. It might even be possible to generate geothermal energy at the same time, she says. Burning hydrogen produces only water, so doesn’t cause global warming. Hydrogen could therefore play a major part in achieving net zero, for instance by helping to decarbonise industrial processes such as fertiliser production and steel-making. The problem is that almost all hydrogen is currently made from fossil fuels, meaning lots of CO2 is emitted during its production. One way to avoid these emissions …

We could generate hydrogen from rocks while storing CO2 in them

Putting CO2 into rocks and getting hydrogen out is climate double win

Published by skeptic

The Carbfix facility in Iceland Oksana Baliukeviciene/Alamy We desperately need clean hydrogen for processes that cannot be powered by renewable electricity – and it might be possible to generate vast quantities from rocks deep underground while locking away carbon dioxide at the same time. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have shown that this process works for one common rock type in lab studies. They now want to work with companies on field trials. “We hope to demonstrate that we will be able to generate hydrogen economically while sequestering CO2,” says team member Orsolya Gelencsér. It might even be possible to generate geothermal energy at the same time, she says. Burning hydrogen produces only water, so doesn’t cause global warming. Hydrogen could therefore play a major part in achieving net zero, for instance by helping to decarbonise industrial processes such as fertiliser production and steel-making. The problem is that almost all hydrogen is currently made from fossil fuels, meaning lots of CO2 is emitted during its production. One way to avoid these emissions …

White hydrogen found in billion-year-old Canadian rock could fuel clean energy production

White hydrogen found in billion-year-old Canadian rock could fuel clean energy production

Published by Jenni Sidey

Deep beneath northern Ontario, some of Earth’s oldest rocks are quietly giving off hydrogen. At Kidd Creek mine near Timmins, geochemists tracked gas seeping from boreholes drilled two to nearly three kilometers below the surface. What they found was not a one-off puff or a short-lived flare. The hydrogen kept coming, in measurable amounts, over months. In some cases, it lasted for more than a decade. That matters because hydrogen already plays a central role in modern industry, especially in fertilizer, methanol, and steel production. Yet most of it still comes from fossil fuels or other energy-intensive processes. The new work suggests some of that supply might instead come straight from the crust. This would be possible in places where the right rocks already lie under active mining districts. Researchers from the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa report that all 35 boreholes they analyzed at Kidd Creek released hydrogen. Across the dataset, the average discharge came to 0.008 tonnes per borehole per year. When extrapolated across the mine’s 14,801 boreholes, that works …

EU approves €1.3bn to accelerate renewable hydrogen production

EU approves €1.3bn to accelerate renewable hydrogen production

Published by skeptic

The European Commission has approved a €1.3bn German state aid programme to expand renewable hydrogen production across Europe. The funding, cleared under EU State aid rules, will support projects selected through the European Hydrogen Bank’s “Auctions-as-a-Service” mechanism following the 2026 auction round. Germany’s plan is designed to finance new hydrogen infrastructure and large-scale electrolyser projects connected to both the Danish Hydrogen Backbone 1 pipeline and the German Hydrogen Core Network. The initiative is expected to help build up to 1,000 MW of electrolyser capacity and produce as much as 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen, while avoiding an estimated 55 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. The approval marks another major step in the EU’s push to scale renewable hydrogen production as part of its wider decarbonisation strategy. Brussels sees hydrogen as central to cutting industrial emissions, reducing reliance on Russian fossil fuels under the REPowerEU plan, and achieving climate neutrality targets by 2050. Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, explained: “This investment in renewable hydrogen production is a step towards Europe’s …

First Hydrogen finalises design and IP protection for enhanced ground drone with amphibious capabilities

First Hydrogen finalises design and IP protection for enhanced ground drone with amphibious capabilities

Published by skeptic

First Hydrogen Corp. is pleased to announce the successful completion of the design and intellectual property (IP) protection of a significant performance and efficiency optimisation including amphibious capabilities to its unmanned ground drone platform (“UGV”). Current UGV technologies generally fall into two categories. At one end are heavy, expensive autonomous tracked vehicles, which offer ruggedness but are costly, heavy, and limited in complex terrain navigation. At the other are quadruped robotic systems, which lack robustness and are constrained by lower speed, limited payload capacity, and restricted range. First Hydrogen’s UGV is designed to bridge this industry-recognised gap by delivering an extremely rugged, amphibious capable, mid-sized yet lightweight platform purpose-built for the demanding environments and high-speed operation. The latest upgrade is designed to enhance energy efficiency, while significantly improving traction and the UGV’s ability to traverse steep, loose, and undulating terrain. Based on the Company’s review of existing technologies and patent filings, First Hydrogen believes the industry has long recognised the need for a ground mobility platform capable of combining rugged terrain performance, payload capacity, range …

Strengthening Europe’s hydrogen storage infrastructure

Strengthening Europe’s hydrogen storage infrastructure

Published by skeptic

Hexagon Purus has proven hydrogen storage experience across Europe, serving a variety of industries. From hydrogen distribution systems serving European industry to emerging maritime fuel solutions, Hexagon Purus draws on decades of high-pressure gas expertise. A track record in hydrogen storage and distribution Hexagon Purus has six decades of experience with carbon fibre composite pressure vessels, and builds on this foundation to deliver high-pressure gas storage and distribution systems across a wide range of applications – from hydrogen infrastructure and transit buses to maritime and rail. At the core of all these solutions are the hydrogen tanks, also called cylinders, that Hexagon Purus designs and manufactures in-house. These high-pressure Type 4 cylinders are the foundation on which their infrastructure and mobility products are built. Unlike traditional steel cylinders, Type 4 cylinders use a polymer liner wrapped in a carbon fibre composite, making them significantly lighter while maintaining the strength needed to contain hydrogen at high pressure. The result is a cylinder that is non-corrosive, leak-free and has excellent fatigue strength – properties that matter greatly …

New type of stainless steel pulls hydrogen directly out of seawater

New type of stainless steel pulls hydrogen directly out of seawater

Published by Jenni Sidey

Green hydrogen has long been sold as one of the clean energy economy’s most important tools. It can be made by splitting water with electricity from renewable sources, then used in industries that are hard to clean up, from fertilizer production to steelmaking. The problem is that making it at scale still costs too much, and some of the equipment wears down too fast. A research team at the University of Hong Kong says it may have found a way around both problems with a new kind of stainless steel designed for hydrogen systems. Called SS-H2, the material was developed under the leadership of Professor Mingxin Huang. The team says it combines the corrosion resistance needed for harsh electrolysis conditions with a much lower cost than the titanium components commonly used today. If that holds up in wider industrial use, it could reshape a part of the hydrogen business that has quietly held the sector back. In many proton exchange membrane, or PEM, electrolysis systems, manufacturers rely on titanium coated with precious metals such as …

Hydrogen radicals identified as key to breaking down PFAS

Hydrogen radicals identified as key to breaking down PFAS

Published by skeptic

New research from Aarhus University reshapes understanding of PFAS destruction and points to more effective water-treatment technologies. The global effort to tackle PFAS pollution may have taken a meaningful step forward. Scientists have identified hydrogen radicals as the primary drivers of the breakdown of these highly persistent chemicals under ultraviolet light. The findings clarify a mechanism that has long been debated and could guide the development of more effective treatment systems. PFAS, widely known as “forever chemicals,” are notoriously resistant to degradation. Their strong carbon–fluorine bonds allow them to persist in water, soil, and the human body for decades. In this new study, researchers demonstrate that intense UV light can trigger their breakdown without the need for added chemicals by generating hydrogen radicals directly from water. The result is a shift in scientific understanding. Earlier models pointed to other reactive species as the main agents of PFAS degradation. By showing that hydrogen radicals play the dominant role, the study offers a clearer pathway for designing technologies that don’t just capture PFAS but destroy them. Why …