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Producing “green hydrogen” from renewable energy sources in an economical way is a key objective.
As hydrogen increasingly emerges as a promising alternative fuel for the transport and energy sectors, much more hydrogen will be needed and processes to produce it cleanly will become increasingly important.
Hydrogen production methods are colour-coded according to their level of greenhouse emissions, with green hydrogen being the cleanest. In this context, “green” hydrogen refers specifically to gas produced by electrolysis powered by renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
HydrogenPro, a Norwegian manufacturer of electrolyser systems for the production of green hydrogen, has recently signed an agreement with the German J. Heinr. Kramer Group, a German engineering and industrial construction company, to develop projects in Germany, Austria and the Benelux countries focusing on 5 to 50 MW installations. A 10 MW electrolyser is expected to produce about 4.8 metric tons of hydrogen per day, enough to refuel the hydrogen calls of more than 100 trucks.
In its third quarter earnings report, HydrogenPro said it had received €16.5 million from the EU Innovation Fund to support plans for the future H2-GIGA large-scale production plant, focusing on the new electrolysis technology. This amount is in addition to a €4.7 million grant from Denmark’s Export and Investment Fund to help finance the project.
According to New York-based hydrogen startup Ecolectro, the global green hydrogen market was valued at $7 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow by 41.6% annually over the next ten years. This relatively modest market reflects current demand as well as the cost and scalability of the electrolysis method. Ecolectro is striving to stimulate demand for green hydrogen by lowering costs and increasing production.
The company, founded out of chemical research at Cornell University, is focused on developing an alternative to existing electrolysis technologies, which use rare metals and toxic materials.
The electrolysis process starts with water and separates it into hydrogen and oxygen gas by passing electricity through a membrane that keeps the gases separate. Current systems rely on membranes that incorporate iridium, an expensive material, as well as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says are persistent chemicals that may be linked to harmful effects on human and animal health.
Ecolectro says its patented anion exchange membrane (AEM) technology uses readily available materials that are recyclable and more environmentally friendly. According to the company, its technology results in a 78% cost reduction compared to existing electrolysis systems. In addition, its AEM electrolysers offer reliable performance with variable inputs from solar, wind and other intermittent renewable sources, which is a requirement for green hydrogen production.
Last summer, Ecolectro launched its first commercial pilot program with Liberty New York Gas, deploying a 10 kW electrolyzer to produce hydrogen that was blended with natural gas to heat commercial buildings. The company claims that each kilogram of hydrogen reduces at least 5.5 kg of CO2 emissions that would have been produced if natural gas was used alone.
Liberty was able to produce green hydrogen for less than $2.50/kg, below the $3/kg target set for 2030 by the US Department of Energy. Based on this performance, Ecolectro says Liberty is planning to scale up the pilot deployment to 1 MW.
Earlier this month, Ecolectro received $10.5 million in a funding round led by Toyota Ventures. This brings the total capital raised to $27.7 million, including grants from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Science Foundation, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The company says it will use the investment to produce commercial prototypes of 250 kW to 500 kW and 1 MW to 5 MW electrolyzers in containerized systems that will be deployed with industrial partners next year.
The ability to locate hydrogen production systems close to the user of that hydrogen is considered essential because costs rise dramatically when the gas has to be compressed and transported. Figuring out how to integrate hydrogen production into end-use applications is especially important for potential high-volume consumers, such as the transportation sector.
DOE has awarded $946,000 to a team led by Drive Clean Colorado, a nonprofit focused on clean transportation, to study the performance of fleets of hydrogen fuel cell-powered trucks. The project includes hydrogen vehicle developer Qualtron and hydrogen producer and fueling station developer New Day Hydrogen.
In late October, Avina Clean Hydrogen broke ground on a facility near Long Beach, California, that will produce environmentally friendly hydrogen fuel cell refueling trucks for the port. The facility is expected to be able to handle up to 100 heavy-duty trucks per day. |
