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Diesel Demand Hits 26-Year Low
US diesel demand plummeted to its lowest seasonal level in 26 years in Q1 2024. The production of distillate, the petroleum-based fuel that powers trucking, heating, and heavy industry, plunged to 3.67 million barrels per day in March (down from more 4.1 million barrels last year) according to monthly data from the US Energy Information Administration.
Even in diesel-loving Europe, the diesel engine is dying. Volvo, for example, recently built its last-ever diesel vehicle, and companies like Nissan, Hyundai, and Daimler (parent company of Mercedes-Benz and the Freightliner and Rizon truck brands) have also backed away from developing new internal combustion engines.
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Discovery May Drive Down Cost of Hydrogen Fuel
RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) researchers in Japan have announced that they may have discovered the secret to being able to produce hydrogen fuel far more cheaply than the currently used methods by using 95% less Iridium.
Iridium is used as a catalyst in the production process of hydrogen, and we would need to allocate over 40 years of Iridium production in order to make the necessary hydrogen. Iridium is one of the rarest elements in Earth’s crust, with estimated annual production of only 15,000 pounds in 2023.
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Alternative Power Report, June 2024
Download PDFChina may place 25% tariffs on EVs in retaliation for similar moves by the US and the European Union. Read about this as well as articles on new battery development, the decline in diesel sales and a new battery from CATL in the June 2024 Alternative Power Report from Power Systems Research. PSR
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Hyundai-Kia Offer Different Hydrogen Engine
Guy Youngs Hyundai and Kia have announced that they plan to work together to create a new hydrogen engine that will better overcome the challenges faced by previous generations of the technology. A lack of refueling infrastructure has been a top issue in this area.
With a focus on this issue, the goal of the collaboration between Hyundai and Kia is to greatly enhance the range of the hydrogen engine. In fact, they are aiming for an unprecedented range to greatly improve the appeal of using H2…
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Fool’s Gold May Be Worth More than Previously Believed
In our childhood, many of us would have found iron pyrites and mistakenly believed it was gold. The disappointment of finding out it was Fools Gold may be over. Fool’s gold could kick off this century’s ‘gold rush’ after scientists discovered it contains lithium.
Scientists at West Virginia University discovered a surprising amount of lithium in 15 rock samples of iron pyrite.
Source: Daily Mail (via MSN): Read The Article
PSR Analysis: Sulphur-rich pyrite doesn't require as many resources during the…
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Europe Investigates Chinese EV Subsidies
Last October, the European Commission opened an inquiry into whether Chinese automakers are the beneficiaries of such significant subsidies by the Chinese government that they have an unfair economic advantage over domestic manufacturers. The question is ridiculous, of course. Everyone on Earth knows the Chinese government has been providing massive support to its automotive sector for 20 years.
China has been open about its commitment to electric car manufacturing. It has told everyone its plans and then made those plans a reality. So, it should come as no surprise that Chinese companies can build electric cars in China, ship them overseas, and still undercut the price of electric cars from domestic manufacturers by 25% or more.
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Unsold Chinese EVs Clogging European Ports
Guy Youngs The threat of masses of cheap EVs made in China has governments concerned in Europe and the US. The USA has introduced a bill that would raise the tariff on EVs from China to 100% to protect US auto workers “from the existential threat posed by China” but Europe has no such tariff protections. The lack of high import tariffs has encouraged Chinese manufacturers to look to Europe as a place where they can send boatloads (literally) of electric cars.
A report by the Financial Times claims that Chinese manufacturers are sending more EVs to Europe than they can sell, which has led to thousands of EVs being parked at port facilities. The port operators are displeased because the glut of cars is interfering with other port activities. Some now say they are no longer ports but rather car parks for newly arrived Chinese EVs
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Alternative Power Report, May 2024
Download PDFThe May 2024 Alternative Power Report from Power Systems Research features several stories on Chinese EVs and the impact they are having on European and US markets. There also are stories on hydrogen development and hydrogen fueling stations. PSR
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Are Sodium Ion Batteries Viable Alternative to Lithium?
ALTERNATIVE POWER REPORT
Guy Youngs Despite lithium ion battery prices continuing to fall, interest in sodium ion (Na-ion) energy storage has not waned. Sodium ion batteries are undergoing a critical period of commercialization as industries from automotive to energy storage bet big on the technology. Sodium ion looks well placed, with superior safety, raw material costs, and environmental credentials.
Sodium ion cells, produced at scale, could be 20% to 30% cheaper than the dominant stationary storage battery technology, lithium ferro/iron-phosphate (LFP), primarily due to abundant sodium and low extraction and purification costs. Sodium ion batteries can use aluminum for the anode current collector instead of copper, which is used in lithium ion batteries, further reducing costs and supply chain risks.
Source: PV Magazine: Read The Article
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New Hydrogen Colors to Watch in 2024
Hydrogen has the potential to be emissions free but only if we understand how the hydrogen is generated / manufactured or whether it occurs naturally. Several new terms have been used recently in the press, and this article explains them.
Gold hydrogen refers to naturally occurring deposits of the gas trapped underground in a way similar to how natural gas and oil deposits are found under the Earth’s surface. This type of H2 is different from White in that White now typically refers to the gas when it is above the surface, such as in the atmosphere, but Gold refers specifically to the gas found in underground deposits.
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