From pv magazine Global

US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm is set to join local senators and the governors of Ohio and Pennsylvania this week for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) Program Office. ARCH2 said in an email that the hub recently received up to $925 million in federal funding, marking a major milestone in its development and the nation’s shift to clean energy.

American Airlines said it will add hydrogen-powered aircraft to its fleet by 2032. The company, part of the ZeroAvia project, has agreed to the conditional purchase of 100 hydrogen-electric engines for regional jets from ZeroAvia’s powertrain development program. “In early 2023, ZeroAvia flew the maiden flight of its 19-seat Dornier 228 testbed aircraft, retrofitted with a full-size prototype hydrogen-electric powertrain on the left wing. Since then, it has completed 13 test flights and has an active certification application with the FAA for this powertrain in aircraft with up to 20 seats,” the company said in its sustainability report.

Marubeni Europower has announced a joint plan with Suntory Global Spirits to develop a small-scale hydrogen plant for decarbonizing whisky production at Auchentoshan Distillery in Scotland. “Public and stakeholder engagement is currently underway on the project, as the team continues to progress the proposals with West Dunbartonshire Council. Timings for the site to be live are to be defined, but it is expected that a planning application will be submitted later this year, with the hope that the hydrogen production facility will be up and running by 2027,” Marubeni Europower told pv magazine.

Cepsa has agreed to sell its Gasib liquefied gas subsidiary in Spain and Portugal to Abastible, a subsidiary of Chilean Empresas Copec, to support its investments in the energy transition. “This transaction is another step in our strategy to become a benchmark in the energy transition, driving investments in sustainable energy such as green hydrogen and biofuels, businesses that we expect to represent more than half of our activity by 2030,” said Cepsa CEO Maarten Wetselaar.

Linde Engineering has signed an agreement with Shell Deutschland to build a 100 MW renewable hydrogen plant for the oil company’s project at the Rheinland Energy and Chemical Park in Wesseling, Germany. ITM Power will supply the PEM electrolyzer stacks. The plant is scheduled to go into operation in 2027, said Linde Engineering. 

From pv magazine Global

The European Court of Auditors said the European Union will likely miss its 2030 renewable hydrogen targets because the bloc’s political ambitions are not backed by solid analysis. “The auditors call for a reality check to ensure that the EU’s targets are realistic and that its strategic choices on the way ahead will not impair the competitiveness of key industries or create new dependencies,” the European institution said in a recent report. 

The US Department of Energy said it has signed a $12.6 billion deal with Arches to build a hydrogen hub in California – the first of seven planned across the United States. California Governor Gavin Newsom said that hydrogen will help to decarbonize three major ports and support more than 200 cargo-handling machines, 5,000 fuel-cell trucks, 1,000 fuel-cell buses, and one marine vessel.

ZeroAvia said it will partner with Ryze to supply hydrogen for engine and flight testing at Cotswold Airport, England. This partnership will support increased hydrogen demand for the ZA600 powertrain, designed for up to 20-seat aircraft, said ZeroAvia.

Masdar said it has raised $1 billion through its second green bond issuance, divided into two $500 million tranches with five-year and 10-year tenors. It has allocated 70% to international investors and 30% to investors across the Middle East and North Africa. The funds will support equity commitments for new greenfield projects in developing economies. Masdar said aims to expand its renewable energy capacity to 100 GW by 2030 and become a leading green hydrogen producer.

From pv magazine Global

CATF said in a new report that dedicated clean hydrogen production and use can be a costly and inefficient decarbonization strategy for the power sector. The use of electrolytic hydrogen as a storage fuel to balance excess clean electricity may have limited applications, it said, but noted that “alternative strategies that minimize the need for long-duration storage, such as deploying clean firm generation like geothermal or nuclear, would likely be more cost-effective.” The report also noted the significant need for infrastructure investments to ensure any future role for hydrogen storage and transmission in the power sector.

American Airlines has signed a conditional purchase agreement with ZeroAvia for 100 hydrogen-electric engines to power regional jet aircraft. ZeroAvia said it will also receive more funds from the airline, following an initial investment in 2022 and a Series C financing round.

Extreme H has launched its first hydrogen-powered racing car. “The ‘Pioneer 25’ hydrogen race car was revealed in front of global media and invited guests aboard the series’ St. Helena vessel, with London’s Tower Bridge; providing a stunning reveal setting as the countdown officially begins to its maiden season starting in April 2025,” said the FIA-sanctioned international off-road racing series.

Nikola has wholesaled 72 Class 8 Nikola hydrogen fuel cell trucks, above the high end of truck sales guidance of 60 units during the second quarter of the year. For the first half of 2024, the company wholesaled 112 hydrogen fuel cell trucks. “We are continuing to secure our first-mover advantage in zero-emissions Class 8 trucks in North America, as well as with our HYLA hydrogen refueling solutions,” said Nikola CEO Steve Girsky. 

Hyzon said that it will halt its operations in the Netherlands and Australia. The US-based manufacturer of hydrogen fuel cell systems said that government support for fuel cell-powered transportation in Europe and Australia has diminished compared to North America’s efforts to accelerate the hydrogen transition and the adoption of zero-emission technology. The company said it expects to incur charges of around $17 million.

Agora Industry has mapped the cost of green hydrogen production in Europe, highlighting two emerging regions. “The levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) map shows that while wind resources are more favorable in coastal plain areas around the North and Baltic Seas, solar PV performs best in Southern Europe,” said the think tank in a report. “These hotspots could become renewable energy hubs supplying Europe with much of the electricity needed to decarbonize all sectors, including those few applications requiring green hydrogen.”

From pv magazine ESS News site

The energy storage market was worth between $44 billion and $55 billion in 2023, and it’s predicted to reach up to $150 billion by 2030. However, it faces major economic and supply challenges related to the usage of batteries made with scarce and price-volatile materials. How can your company help address these issues?

Eloisa de Castro: Enerpoly develops and manufactures batteries using zinc and manganese as the active materials. The strategic use of globally available and reusable materials plays a significant role in ensuring a stable and reliable supply chain that is resistant to price volatility and geographical constraints. Our zinc-ion batteries rely 100% on a European supply chain, which reinforces their resilience.

Our batteries are environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and safe, and address various large-scale stationary energy storage requirements, including grid stabilization services or reliable backup power. In essence, the attributes of our batteries allow us to provide scalable, reliable and sustainable energy storage solutions.

Enerpoly’s technology meets the affordability, safety, and sustainability demands that are essential for the clean energy transition. Additionally, our recent grant from the Swedish Energy Agency, which will be used to build the world’s first megafactory for zinc-ion batteries, demonstrates that zinc-ion batteries can be affordably and mass-produced at scale.

How did you solve the rechargeability issues typical of zinc-ion batteries?

Enerpoly implemented several key innovations to address these issues. Our zinc-ion batteries use a zinc metal anode and manganese dioxide cathode. We developed strategies that limit inactive manganese species from forming. This is important because manganese oxide could change phase to electrochemically inactive Mn3O4 and cause battery degradation. This innovation significantly enhances both battery performance and rechargeability.

Second, we had to tackle the problem of zinc dendrite formation on the anode. Zinc dendrites can cause short-circuits. We developed a proprietary electrolyte and a controlled battery operation approach to prevent dendrites. Optimization of the battery as a whole must be considered each time there is an innovation to one component, and we have been careful to balance any potential side reactions that can occur with each new modification.

What would the rise of zinc-ion batteries entail for the supply chain and zinc prices?

Zinc is already used in a variety of industrial applications, so an increase in the demand of zinc batteries is unlikely to result in major price fluctuations. Zinc-ion batteries are better insulated from supply chain issues and inflation that have impacted the energy space in recent years. If you look at the zinc prices compared to lithium prices in 2022 and 2023 when commodity prices were the most volatile, lithium had a 14x price volatility and zinc had around 1x.

In addition to that, I expect that the existing recycling of zinc and the extraction of zinc from other important industrial applications creates a more circular supply chain and makes the sourcing flexible, therefore keeping the price quite low and stable. Enerpoly’s focus on zinc, a more stable and less geopolitically constrained material, positions us to appropriately manage any potential cost instability even as demand rises.

How viable is mining and refining of zinc? 

Here’s what is in zinc’s favor: zinc is responsibly and sustainably mined in Europe, and there is 200 times more mining capacity for zinc than there is for lithium in Europe. As for the refined battery-grade materials, Enerpoly uses similar materials as in non-rechargeable zinc-alkaline batteries, and the refining and manufacturing of zinc for European battery manufacturing has been done successfully and reliably for decades by the suppliers of existing European battery giants for the non-rechargeable version of this battery. I cannot say for certain that we will never run into issues, but I have confidence that the chance of coming across major obstacles is very, very low.

Apart from supply chain issues, lithium-ion batteries also carry significant safety risks and face sustainability challenges in their manufacturing and recycling processes. How are zinc-ion batteries different?

Enerpoly’s zinc-ion batteries use no components that can cause thermal runaway, and our zinc-ion batteries, unlike other battery chemistries, are not classified as dangerous goods and are therefore safe for transportation and storage. Some potential positive effects of increased safety include further reduced cost because there is no need for specialized fire suppression components and lower insurance costs, and the ability to deploy in safety-critical applications as well as dense urban areas without the risk of explosions.

Enerpoly’s batteries also use state-of-the-art dry electrode manufacturing and they do not require dry rooms or toxic solvents in production, all of which significantly reduces the energy consumption to manufacture them. Because our batteries use similar materials to the well-established zinc alkaline non-rechargeable battery, there is already an existing recycling infrastructure available for recycling worldwide, further contributing to a decarbonized economy and interestingly, potentially making the batteries even more cost-effective due to lower cost of decommissioning batteries that have fulfilled their lifetime.

To continue reading, please visit our new EES News website.

AiLO Logistics, a drayage carrier operating in the Port of Los Angeles, has placed a 100-unit order for Nikola hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Delivery is scheduled for 2025. AiLO Logistics, a newly rebranded company combining multiple corporations, had previously ordered 50 Nikola FCEVs. “Deliveries from that original order have commenced and are ongoing throughout 2024,” said Nikola.

Volvo said it is developing trucks with combustion engines that run on hydrogen. “On-road tests with trucks using hydrogen in combustion engines will begin in 2026, and the commercial launch is planned towards the end of this decade,” said the Swedish company, adding that the hydrogen trucks will have an operational range comparable to many diesel trucks.

Plug Power, Delta Air Lines, and Airbus plan to carry out a feasibility study for a hydrogen-based hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). “The study, which preliminarily launched earlier this year, will help define the infrastructure, operational viability, and safety and security requirements needed to implement hydrogen as a potential fuel source for future aircraft operations at ATL,” said Airbus. The study is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.

Airbus UpNext has launched a new technological demonstrator integrating a 2 MW-class superconducting electric propulsion system cooled by liquid hydrogen via a helium recirculation loop. “Our previous demonstrators have shown that superconducting technologies would be a key enabler for the high-power electrification of future hydrogen-powered aircraft,” said Airbus UpNext CEO Michael Augello. “The new demonstrator will lead to performance improvements of the propulsion system, translating into significant weight and fuel-saving potential.”

Nel Hydrogen has signed a technology licensing agreement with Reliance Industries (RIL). The deal provides RIL with an exclusive license for Nel Hydrogen’s alkaline electrolyzers in India and allows RIL to globally manufacture them for captive purposes. “Nel will through this agreement get a revenue stream from a rapidly growing market Nel could not have accessed on its own,” said Nel Hydrogen President and CEO Håkon Volldal.

Metacon and Siemens have signed a collaborative agreement to manufacture systems for green hydrogen production in Sweden for the European market. Metacon said it will become a technology partner to Siemens, with the latter contributing its digital services and software for optimization, standardization, and simulation in the manufacturing and operational phases of hydrogen plants.

From pv magazine Global

The US Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) has published a detailed strategy and planning document that will help guide hydrogen innovation and research in the coming years. It outlines HFTO’s mission, goals, and strategic approach, said the Department of Energy. The document aims for “clean” hydrogen production costs of $2/kg by 2026 and $1/kg by 2031, but also electrolyzer system costa of $250/kW (low-temperature electrolyzers) and $500/kW (high-temperature electrolyzers) by 2026.

Plug Power has agreed to supply up to 3 GW of electrolyzers to Allied Green Ammonia (AGA) for its planned hydrogen-to-ammonia facility in the Northern Territory, Australia. The basic engineering and design package is expected in May, with a final investment decision expected by the fourth quarter of 2025, said Plug Power. It noted that it aims to start delivering 3 GW of electrolyzer from the first quarter of 2027.

From pv magazine Global: The Hydrogen Stream

BayoTech has completed its first hydrogen hub in the United States. The first hub in Wentzville, Missouri, should be followed by two other inaugurations in 2024. “These upcoming hubs are strategically planned to be located in Northern California and Southern California,” the company told pv magazine. The company is also working on developing 12 other sites across the country. “The selection of these sites is driven by the company’s keen attention to market demand, ensuring that we can effectively meet the growing needs of our customers.” The company said it wants to produce hydrogen close to the point of demand. BayoTech’s proprietary hydrogen production technology is Steam Methane Reforming (SMR). “We use a blend of natural gas and renewable natural gas to produce carbon-neutral hydrogen.”

Versogen said it has achieved membrane production capacity to support 1 GW of AEM electrolyzers per year. “From the company’s roots in a research lab at the University of Delaware, Versogen has scaled up the production capabilities of its proprietary PiperION polymer by a factor greater than 2,000 times,” said the Delaware-based startup.

Lhyfe has inaugurated its renewable hydrogen production site in Buléon, France – the first of its kind to be built in Brittany. “Lhyfe Bretagne will mainly supply the region’s mobility and the industrial processes of regional companies,” said the French company in an emailed note. Lhyfe will produce up to 2 tons of green hydrogen per day, or up to 575 tons per year, banking on 5 MW of installed electrolysis capacity.

The UK government has announced backing for 11 green hydrogen projects and confirmed suppliers will receive a guaranteed price for the clean energy they supply. In return for this government support, the projects should invest over GBP 400 million in the next three years, delivering 125 MW of new hydrogen. The government mentioned a project in South Wales, one in Scotland and one in England. The first will lead Port Talbot paper mill to replace 50% of the current gas boiler consumption with hydrogen, the second plans to run a boiler on 100% hydrogen for use in InchDairnie Distillery’s distilling process, the third will allow PD Ports in Teesside to use hydrogen to replace diesel in their vehicle fleet, decarbonizing port operations from 2026. “Today’s announcement represents the largest number of commercial-scale green hydrogen production projects announced at once anywhere in Europe,” said UK Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho.

The British government has also decided not to proceed with the proposed trial in Redcar as designed. It said that the decision was “due to issues in obtaining a robust, local hydrogen supply.” The authorities will decide in 2026 how hydrogen will contribute to decarbonizing household heat.

Jan Rosenow, director of non-governmental organization RAP, has published a summary of 54 independent studies assessing the scientific evidence for using hydrogen for heating buildings. “The analysis concludes that the scientific evidence does not support a major role for hydrogen in cost-optimal decarbonization pathways being associated with higher energy system and consumer costs,” he said in “A meta-review of 54 studies on hydrogen heating,” which was recently published in Cell Reports Sustainability. Rosenow concluded that electrification and district heating are deemed preferable due to higher efficiency and lower costs in the majority of analyzed studies. “Roughly speaking, you could say that heat pumps and distract heating are between three to five times more efficient,” Rosenow told pv magazine. “In terms of costs to consumers, the median of all estimates would suggest that hydrogen would be almost twice as expensive as the other alternatives.”

Plug Power, a company that is building an end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystem, saw its stock fall more than 30% on the Nasdaq on Friday, following its report stating that its 2023 financial performance was negatively affected by unprecedented supply challenges in the North American hydrogen network, despite a more than threefold increase in electrolyzer sales.

The New York-based company said it will seek additional capital to fund its activities, expressing confidence that the hydrogen supply issue is temporary, expecting full capacity production at its Georgia and Tennessee facilities by year end.

Green hydrogen reportedly has a bright future. According to a report from the Deloitte Center for Sustainable Progress (DCSP) the hydrogen fuel produced by renewable energy sources set global market milestones of $642 billion by 2030, $980 billion by 2040, and $1.4 trillion by 2050, with growth in the industry split among the major global economies relatively evenly by mid-century. 

Hard-to-abate sectors like steelmaking, chemical manufacturing, aviation and global shipping require high amounts of energy dispatch, something that can be difficult for electrochemical batteries to achieve. While batteries may serve mobile devices, electric vehicles, and grid-scale energy storage, hydrogen may present a viable path forward for decarbonizing these high-dispatch use cases.

The report said that these sectors may drive hydrogen demand and use six-fold by 2050, leading to nearly 600 million tons of hydrogen fuel use. While hydrogen electrolysis requires large amounts of electricity, the only byproduct of burning hydrogen fuel is water, making it an emissions-free source when created by renewable sources.

Read more about Deloitte’s report here.

From pv magazine Global

The US Department of Energy (DoE) says it has earmarked $7 billion to launch seven nationwide Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) for the rapid deployment of low-cost clean hydrogen. The H2Hubs aim to collectively produce 3 million metric tons of hydrogen per year, contributing to nearly one-third of the 2030 US production targets. The funds will also support clean hydrogen storage, delivery, and end-use. The seven selected hubs are as follows: the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub between West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania; the California Hydrogen Hub in California; the Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub in Texas; the Heartland Hydrogen Hub between Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota; the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub between Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey; the Midwest Hydrogen Hub between Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan; and the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub between Washington, Oregon, and Montana. The H2Hubs selectees are investing $40 billion.

The Mission Possible Partnership (MPP) – in cooperation with RMI, Systemiq, Power2X, and industry leaders – has set up the Transatlantic Clean Hydrogen Trade Coalition (H2TC) to enable the initial shipment of clean hydrogen from the United States to Europe by 2026. H2TC will provide members with access to regulatory and infrastructure requirements analysis, supply and demand matching, and integration with capital markets. The coalition seeks to connect US fuel producers with heavy-industry consumers in Europe, facilitating the first shipment of clean hydrogen-based fuels by 2026. Their aim is to expand transatlantic trade to 3 million metric tons per year by the end of the decade.

ITM Power says it will launch bidding on projects in the US market, offering its electrolyzer stack for both CE and ASME territories. The UK electrolyzer producer says it will pursue a streamlined, asset-light entry into the US market, capitalizing on existing relationships in North America. By standardizing production processes and supply chains, it aims to simplify operations and achieve economies of scale.

From pv magazine Global

Researchers led by MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have demonstrated solar-powered multi-stage membrane distillation. They claim it can significantly reduce the cost of water production.

“The configuration of the device allows water to circulate in swirling eddies, in a manner similar to the much larger ‘thermohaline’ circulation of the ocean,” the scientists said. “This circulation, combined with the sun’s heat, drives water to evaporate, leaving salt behind. The resulting water vapor can then be condensed and collected as pure, drinkable water. In the meantime, the leftover salt continues to circulate through and out of the device, rather than accumulating and clogging the system.”

From pv magazine Global

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the award of nearly $34 million to 19 industry- and university-led research projects to make clean hydrogen a more available and affordable fuel for electricity generation, industrial decarbonization, and transportation. With the recent selections, DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) has announced investments of more than $122 million in 72 projects since January 2021. “These projects support DOE’s Hydrogen Shot initiative, which seeks to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per 1 kilogram in one decade to grow new, clean hydrogen pathways in the United States,” said the DOE.

A research team from Korea and US, led by Chanho Pak from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in Korea, has developed a novel mesoporous tantalum oxide (Ta₂O₅)-supported iridium nanostructure catalyst via a modified formic acid reduction method that reportedly achieves efficient PEM water electrolysis.“The electron-rich Ir nanostructure was uniformly dispersed on the stable mesoporous Ta₂O₅ support prepared via a soft-template method combined with an ethylenediamine encircling process, which effectively decreased the amount of Ir in a single PEMWE cell to 0.3 mg cm^–2,” said Pak.

The Ir/Ta₂O₅ catalyst design improved the utilization of Ir, while facilitating higher electrical conductivity and a large electrochemically active surface area. “X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopies are used to demonstrate the strong metal-support interaction between Ir and Ta. The charge transfer from Ta to Ir has confirmed through density functional theory, which leads to enhanced OER activity of Ir/Ta₂O₅ (ɳ = 0.385 V) over IrO₂ (ɳ = 0.48 V). Ir/Ta₂O₅ presents a higher activity with an overpotential of 288 ± 3.9 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and mass activity of 876.1 ± 125.1 A g_Ir⁻¹ at 1.55 V_RHE,” the researchers wrote in the paper “Electron-rich Ir nanostructure supported on mesoporous Ta2O5 for enhanced activity and stability of oxygen evolution reaction,” which was published in the Journal of Power Sources.

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced that Fidelis New Energy has selected Mason County as the site for a lifecycle carbon-neutral hydrogen production facility called The Mountaineer GigaSystem. “Mountaineer will be implementing the proprietary FidelisH2 technology that enables the production of hydrogen with zero lifecycle carbon emissions from a combination of natural gas, carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) and renewable energy,” said the West Virginia Governor. The project should be built in four phases, each producing over 500 metric tons per day (MTPD) of net-zero carbon hydrogen at an approximate capital cost of $2 billion per phase. The first FidelisH2 train of the Mountaineer GigaSystem should commence operations in 2028. Fidelis New Energy is also working on an onshore CO2 storage facility in Aalborg, Denmark. 

Denmark‘s Minister of Industry Morten Bødskov visited HySynergy to discuss green fuels and the next big export adventure, hydrogen. “On- and offshore renewable energy combined with Power-to-X and the production of green fuels can become the next big export adventure supporting finance Denmark’s welfare society for generations to come, says Everfuel and Crossbridge Energy,” said Everfuel, underling that the facility already displays a small hydrogen pipe that can deliver more than 8 tons of hydrogen per day from the producer Everfuel to the customer Crossbridge Energy. 

Wärtsilä will provide the front-end engineering design (FEED) for the liquefaction and storage of liquefied synthetic methane (LSM) at the plant to be built in Kristinestad, Finland, by Koppö Energia, a joint venture between Germany’s Prime Green Energy Infrastructure Fund and CPC Finland. “The FEED will be booked by Wärtsilä in Q3, 2023. The Power-to-X plant … will have a capacity of 200 MW and will convert green electricity into hydrogen and sustainable LSM. Up to 500 MW of wind and 100 MW of photovoltaic power will be developed under the Koppö Energy Cluster to supply the plant with completely emission-free renewable energy,” said the Finnish technology company. 

The British government announced that 262 MW of electrolyzer capacity had made it to the penultimate step of the Hydrogen Business Model allocation round. The government shortlisted 17 projects to negotiations. “Government is working at pace to ensure that the first electrolytic allocation round (HAR1) concludes before the end of 2023. We expect to award contracts totaling up to 250MW of capacity from HAR1, subject to affordability and value for money. We aim for contracts to be awarded in Q4 2023, with first projects becoming operational in 2025,” said the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero. 

Toppan announced it plans to enter the hydrogen market, leveraging its base sheet transfer technology and uniform coating process for large surfaces. The Japan-based company installed production equipment for Catalyst Coated Membrane (CCM)/Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEA) at its Kochi Plant in Kochi Prefecture. “Aiming to enter the hydrogen energy market, Toppan is using a first-of-its-kind proprietary manufacturing method to enable mass production of high-performance, high-quality CCM/MEAs and is launching sales in August,” said the Japanese company. CCM/MEAs are core components of water electrolysis equipment for hydrogen production.

From pv magazine Italy

Enel Green Power has developed a new robot for automated solar panel cleaning without the use of water, in partnership with Sicily-based startup Reiwa.

The robot can move on the panel rows independently and does not require human assistance. It is also able to recharge itself via solar panels and return to its docking station at the end of the journey.

The SandStorm system is equipped with a system of brushes that act as the cleaning force.

“The approach normally adopted involves cleaning the surfaces with pressure washers or tractors equipped with hydraulic brushes; both cases entail water consumption and gas emissions from the motor vehicles used,” Enel Green Power said. “Sturdy and versatile, SandStorm adapts – when necessary – even to the non-homogeneous alignment of the trackers of the panels, managing to move independently from one row of panels to the adjacent one.”

Enel Green Power has already tested the system at its Innovation LabEGP research center of Passo Martino, near Catania, and then on an industrial scale in a 1 MW section of a PV plant it operates in Totana, Spain.

“Today EGP is scaling up the application of this technology with an initial contract for the implementation of around 150 robots in two Spanish PV plants, Totana and Las Corchas, for a total capacity of 135 MW,” the company said.

From pv magazine Italy

The recent hail storms that occurred in northern Italy have drawn attention to the damage that these sudden and violent atmospheric events can cause to photovoltaic systems. Several system owners have posted photos of damaged plants on social networks, clearly demonstrating the violence of the hailstorms and, above all, the size of the hailstones, which in some cases even reached 20 cm in diameter.

But how big do these grains have to be to damage a photovoltaic system? What can be considered a critical threshold beyond which the damage becomes significant?

pv magazine Italy tried to answer these questions by dusting off a 2019 report by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VUA) which had investigated the insurance damage data of a historic hailstorm that occurred in June 2016 in the Netherlands.

According to the conclusions of the Dutch researchers, damage to solar panels occurs primarily with hailstones with a maximum size of at least 3 cm. “Larger hailstones (more than 4 cm) cause more damage on average than smaller hailstones, but they also show greater variety in the amount of damage to solar panels,” they explained in the paper “The vulnerability of solar panels to hail.”

Starting at 3 cm, both invisible and visible damage can occur, but starting at 4 cm, the percentage of visible damage increases significantly.

The smallest cracks (microcracks) do not form in the front glass layer but in the silicon, resulting in no reduction of the initial yield. After a few months, however, the damaged areas may begin to show a rapid drop in power, and after about a year the micro-cracks also become visible on the outside of the panel. All damage then reduces the lifespan of a solar panel.

The orientation of the roof relative to the direction of the hail can greatly affect the damage caused by hail to solar panels, the researchers explained, noting that this factor could be even more decisive than the size of the hailstones.

Then there is some empirical evidence – on the other hand, not too significant – that even the angle at which the solar panels are installed can influence the damage to the solar panels. A greater inclination, according to the conclusions of the scientists, would help to moderate the damage.

The study also shows that the frequency of hailstorms is increasing in Europe and the Netherlands, as is the damage caused by hailstorms. This indicates that exposed items, such as solar panels, could become more vulnerable in the future.

“Hail risk and the vulnerability of solar panels to hail should be included in risk models and climate adaptation strategies,” the Dutch researchers concluded.

From pv magazine global

University of Michigan researchers developed a new photocatalytic water splitting system that is reportedly able to reach a 9.2% solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency.

The proposed system uses the higher energy part of the solar spectrum to split water and the lower part of the spectrum to provide heat that encourages the reaction. The extra heat also allows the hydrogen and oxygen to remain separate, rather than renewing their bonds and forming water once more.

It works in an indoor environment and uses pure water, concentrated solar light, and an indium gallium nitride photocatalyst. The semiconductor catalyst, a forest of nanowires of indium gallium nitride grown onto a silicon surface, is able to become more efficient during use, according to the scientists. The device absorbs photons and converts them into electrons, which are used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

The nanowires are peppered with nanoscale balls of metal, 1/2000th of a millimeter across, that use those electrons and holes, positively charged gaps left behind when electrons are liberated by the light, to help direct the reaction.

“A simple insulating layer atop the panel keeps the temperature at a toasty 75 C, or 167 F – warm enough to help encourage the reaction while also being cool enough for the semiconductor catalyst to perform well,” the scientists said.

They claim that the system is nearly 10 times more efficient than other solar water-splitting systems of the same kind. They said that the final cost of hydrogen could fall with a bigger semiconductor.

“We reduced the size of the semiconductor by more than 100 times compared to some semiconductors only working at low light intensity,” said researcher Peng Zhou.

The research group described the system in the study “Solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of more than 9% in photocatalytic water splitting,” published in Nature.

“This temperature-dependent strategy also leads to an STH efficiency of about 7 % from widely available tap water and sea water and an STH efficiency of 6.2% in a large-scale photocatalytic water-splitting system with a natural solar light capacity of 257 watts,” they said.

They claimed that the next challenge is to further improve the efficiency and generate ultra-high purity hydrogen that can be directly fed into fuel cells.

From pv magazine global.

North Carolina State University (NCSU) has developed a continuous-flow reactor applying reusable photocatalyst and sunlight to extract hydrogen gas from its liquid organic carrier (LOHC) using less rhodium (Rh). The researchers achieved a 99% yield in three hours, reportedly eight times faster than conventional batch reactors. The room-temperature reactor resembles a thin, clear tube packed with micron-scale grains of titanium oxide (TiO2). The hydrogen-carrying liquid is pumped into one end of the tube. Only the outer grains of titanium oxide, the ones exposed to the sun at the other end of the tube, are coated with rhodium. These photoreactive catalysts react with the liquid carrier to release hydrogen molecules as a gas. “In a conventional batch reactor, 99% of the photocatalyst is titanium oxide, and 1% is rhodium. In our continuous flow reactor, we only need to use 0.025% rhodium, which makes a big difference in the final cost. A single gram of rhodium costs more than $500,” said Milad Abolhasani, corresponding author of the paper recently published in ChemSusChem. According to the researchers, the system should be easy to scale up or scale out to allow for catalyst reuse on a commercial scale. “You can simply make the tube longer or merge multiple tubes running in parallel.” The flow system can run continuously for up to 72 hours before losing efficiency. The catalyst can be “regenerated” without removing it from the reactor in about six hours. The system can then be restarted and run at full efficiency.

Airbus launched its Zero Emission Development Centre (ZEDC) in Bristol, the United Kingdom, to develop, test, and manufacture cryogenic fuel systems. The center will work on the full product capabilities from components up to the whole system and cryogenic testing. The new ZEDC joins other centers focused on cryogenic liquid hydrogen tanks in Spain, Germany, and France. “All Airbus ZEDCs are expected to be fully operational and ready for ground testing with the first fully functional cryogenic hydrogen tank during 2023, and with flight testing starting in 2026,” the European aerospace corporation wrote. 

Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions reached an agreement with Ireland-based Fusion Fuel to study collaboration opportunities, aimed at expanding sales of electrolyzers in Europe and Australia. Fusion Fuel will evaluate the use of Toshiba ESS membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) in its proprietary Proton-Exchange Membrane (PEM) eletrolyzers; and Toshiba ESS will explore using its local sales channels to expand sales of Fusion Fuel’s PEM electrolyzers in Australia. “Furthermore, the two companies will also explore potential collaboration for future sales of Toshiba ESS solid oxide electrolysis cells, which Toshiba ESS targets bringing to market in 2025,” Toshiba ESS wrote. 

Chile development agency Corfo signed agreements with regasification plant GNL Quintero, iron producer CAP, and industrial gas supplier Air Liquide to finance the development of the first green hydrogen production plants on an industrial scale in Chile. The GNL Quintero’s 10 MW project aims to develop, construct, and operate a green hydrogen plant in the Valparaíso Region. CAP’s 12 MW project focuses on the Biobío Region, while the Antofagasta Region will host Air Liquide’s 80 MW project. The three companies were awarded US$5.7 million (€5.3 million), US$3.6 million, and US$11.7 million, respectively. “These three initiatives are part of the six selected by Corfo last December, which, once installed, will have a total electrolysis capacity of 388 MW, equivalent in size to what is currently in operation worldwide. They are expected to generate investments of US$1,000 million and produce more than 45,000 tons of hydrogen per year,” Corfo wrote. 

The German Parliament passed the bill tabled by the Government to bypass specific procedural steps, like the need for an environmental impact assessment, to install two floating terminals in Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel by the coming winter.  The LNG facilities should be “hydrogen-ready.”

US-based Air Products, Oman’s energy group OQ, and Riyadh-based developer ACWA Power signed a joint development agreement toward a multibillion-dollar investment in a world-scale green hydrogen-based ammonia production facility powered by renewable energy in Oman. 

Air Liquide invested $250 million to open its largest liquid hydrogen production and logistics infrastructure facility in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The facility will produce 30 tons of liquid hydrogen per day, mainly for the mobility sector in California, wrote the Paris-based industrial gas business. 

French green hydrogen producer Lhyfe and the Swedish local energy company Trelleborgs Energi teamed up for a pre-study for a local renewable hydrogen production system in southernmost Sweden. The results are due to be presented in the summer of 2022. Earlier this week, Lhyfe entered into an industrial agreement with Spain’s EDP Renewables to identify, develop, build, and manage renewable hydrogen projects.

Algeria’s Sonatrach and Italy’s Eni signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the development of gas fields in Algeria and decarbonization via green hydrogen.

from pv magazine Global

Milwaukee-based Advanced Ionics has launched a new water vapor electrolyzer that is designed to operate in conjunction with commonly available waste or process heat from industry. The Symbiotic Electrolyzes system runs at temperatures below 650 C, and is reportedly able to produce hydrogen for $0.85/kg or less.

“This electrolyzer is the first to work across a wide range of temperatures, from 100 C to 650 C,” Chad Mason told pv magazine. “Our Symbiotic technology is a new class of electrolyzer. It is not alkaline, PEM, or Solide Oxide (SOEC).”

Alkaline, anion exchange membrane (AEM), and polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) are cold electrolyzers using liquid water. Solid oxide electrolyzers are hot electrolyzers working with heated steam, corresponding to higher efficiency. As said, the company’s electrolyzer operates with temperatures in between. The idea is that temperatures in between allow for high efficiency, while also using cheaper materials for the large-scale assembly, including the stack.

The industry is currently trying to step away from platinum. Just last week, two different research teams (the first led by Imperial College London, the second by Clemson Nanomaterials Institute) presented ways to substitute the metal.

Russia is currently the second-largest platinum producer in the world, accounting for more than 15% of world production. Similarly, Advanced Ionics does not use platinum and iridium metals.

“We use common materials more regularly found in an alkaline electrolyzer, but in a unique configuration,” Mason said. 

The technology uses engineered porous metal electrodes and composite ionic materials for its electrolyte. It does not require “delicate” perfluorinated membranes or “expensive” ceramics, said Mason. Advanced Ionics did not provide any additional details about the membrane. 

Andras Perl, a scientist at EnTranCe Centre of Expertise Energy at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, explained that the charge carrier in the membrane would be a pivotal element in understanding the future of this technology. 

“Our electrolyzer works in tandem with process and waste heat already being produced at industrial sites. By tapping into this existing energy source, we are able to dramatically reduce the electricity requirements for electrolysis, which is the dominant factor in the cost of green hydrogen production. Other electrolyzers require a minimum of 40 kWh per kilogram of hydrogen, and usually closer to 50 kWh. We can produce hydrogen for below 35 kWh, and that results in a dramatically lower cost,” Mason said, noting that this assumes that economies of scale have been achieved.

Economies of scale are now key for competing technologies. The timing of funding is also essential. Last week, Advanced Ionics announced the closure of $4.2 million of initial financing, led by Clean Energy Ventures. 

“Leveraging this new funding, Advanced Ionics will be developing a series of demonstration projects during the next year with partners before expanding to deploy larger-scale projects. In the near future, they will also build a large-scale electrolyzer manufacturing facility to serve key markets such as Europe and North America,” Mason said. 

The company is currently in negotiation with private pilot deployment partners. It expects to take commercial orders in 2024 and ship in 2025. 

“We are being very aggressive on our timelines to match the desperate need for green hydrogen supply to decarbonize all aspects of our economy,” a spokesperson told pv magazine.

Clean Energy Ventures said it is optimistic about the technology.

“After more than five years of evaluating the sector, we backed Advanced Ionics because we believe this leadership team can scale a highly competitive technology to produce the lowest-cost green hydrogen at a scale,” said Daniel Goldman, co-founder and managing partner of Clean Energy Ventures.

According to IHS Markit, the levelized cost of green hydrogen produced through electrolysis was around $4/kg  to $5/kg in 2021. Advanced Ionics claims to be able to provide clean hydrogen without the green premium, for less than $1/kg using Symbiotic steam electrolysis in many industrial locations. 

“The levelized cost of the hydrogen will depend roughly on the cost of heat, electricity, and the capital cost of the setup. If they get cheap heat, almost free electricity, and no expensive materials, then it seems feasible,” said Perl.

He noted that the results of their first demonstration projects would test the feasibility of the technology at a larger scale and in industrial environments.

From pv magazine global

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory launched a new catalyst based on nitrogen and carbon to extract hydrogen from hydrogen storage materials at mild temperatures and under normal atmospheric conditions without using metals or additives. This “breakthrough” would ease current issues with chemical storage and in particular dehydrogenation, the team led by scientists Long Qi and Wenyu Huan said. “The key to its efficiency is the structure of the nitrogen. Catalytic activity can take place at room temperature because of the unique closely spaced graphitic nitrogens as nitrogen assembly which were formed during the carbonization process. The nitrogen assembly catalyzes the cleavage of carbon-hydrogen (C‒H) bonds in LOHCs and facilitates the desorption of hydrogen molecules,” the Ames Laboratory wrote on Thursday. The related article was published on January 28 on Science Advances. 

A team of University of Delaware engineers has demonstrated a way to capture 99% of carbon dioxide from air using an electrochemical system powered by hydrogen. “We demonstrate an electrochemically driven CO2 separator (EDCS) to remove CO2 from the air feed using a shorted membrane that conducts both anions and electrons. This EDCS is powered by hydrogen like a fuel cell but needs no electrical wires, bipolar plates or current collectors, and thus can be modularized like a typical separation membrane,” the six researchers wrote in the article published last week in Nature Energy. The University of Delaware wrote that, as the hydrogen economy develops, this electrochemical device could also be used in airplanes and buildings. The approach tested by the team led by UD Professor Yushan Yan involves internally short-circuiting the device. “It’s risky, but we managed to control this short-circuited fuel cell by hydrogen,” commented Lin Shi, a doctoral candidate in the Yan group and the paper’s lead author.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the country is working on attracting new investments in electric vehicles and hydrogen, adding that priority should be given to green hydrogen given the country’s “unique opportunity.” Germany is considered to be a potentially central trading partner. “Over the past year, [the] government has built on its successful Hydrogen SA strategy to make major strides in positioning South Africa as a global leader in this new market. This includes the development of a Hydrogen Society Roadmap for the next 10 years as well as a Green Hydrogen Strategy for the Northern Cape, supporting the development of a green hydrogen pipeline worth around R270 billion [€15.65 billion],” Ramaphosa said on Thursday in his 2022 State of the Nation Address. Earlier this week, the South African president appointed Daniel Mminele as head of the newly established Presidential Climate Finance Task Team. “His experience before the SARB [South African Reserve Bank] included credit-risk analysis, corporate banking, and project and structured finance at private banking institutions in Germany, the United Kingdom and South Africa,” the government wrote on Wednesday. 

Norwegian consultancy and classification society DNV launched, together with 18 industry partners, a new Joint Industry Project (JIP) to enhance the standardization for hydrogen production systems using renewable energy-powered electrolysis to produce green hydrogen. “We are tackling this challenge by joining forces with major industry partners to work towards a new certification scheme and industry best practice for electrolysers which will facilitate successful water electrolysis projects. We undertook a similar approach for the wind energy industry about 30 years ago which proved to be very successful,” commented Axel Dombrowski, director Innovation & Digitalisation for Renewables Certification at DNV. Partners include BP, EDP, Equinor, Industrie De Nora, ITM Linde Electrolysis, McPhy, Shell, Siemens Gamesa, and thyssenkrupp nucera. The JIP is open for more partners to join until mid-April 2022.

Norway’s Aker Clean Hydrogen has increased its portfolio of projects and prospects currently under development to 2 GW, according to its results for the fourth quarter of 2021. Aker Clean Hydrogen was launched in February 2021. Among its key projects in the last quarter were the completion of the Hegra green ammonia project feasibility phase, the prolonged grid permitting process for the Berlevåg green ammonia project, and some developments at the Aukra project. “Aukra hydrogen hub proving to be technically and commercially viable; initial estimates showing competitive levelized cost of hydrogen,” Aker Clean Hydrogen wrote on Friday.

Energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie expects more technological solutions related to storage and chemical plant design this year, mentioning the case of Haldor Topsoe, who redesigned its ammonia plant to respond to fluctuating hydrogen supply. On the other hand, fewer hydrogen projects are expected to be announced in the next months. “Will we see the same growth rate for the CCUS and hydrogen pipelines in 2022? We don’t believe so. The coming year will be all about maturing projects and securing funding,” the consultancy wrote on January 31. Wood Mackenzie said that translating hydrogen policies into reality will be politically sensitive. On Thursday, for instance, AP news agency reported that a panel of state legislators has rejected a bill that would have provided new financial incentives in New Mexico for hydrogen fuel derived from natural gas.

Boston-based clean energy solutions company Angstrom Advanced wrote that the development of the hydrogen energy industry also depends on the creation of “hydrogen communities.” The idea is to create an integrated energy system based on hydrogen. “At present, a couple of relevant projects have been launched worldwide, including but not limited to Rugao Hydrogen Town, Jiangsu, China; Harumi Hydrogen Town, Tokyo, Japan; and Orkney Hydrogen Town, Scotland,” Angstrom Advanced wrote this week.