Alternative Fuel News & Analysis

News: Alternative Power

2022-12-14

Honda To Produce FCVs in the U.S. in 2024

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT

Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Honda announced that it will produce electric fuel cell powered vehicles in the U.S. in 2024. They will also be equipped with a plug-in function that allows them to be recharged externally. Honda has set a goal that all new vehicles sold by 2040 will be either EVs or FCVs.

In North America, its main market, Honda will offer FCVs as an option. The new FCV to be produced is based on the CR-V SUV model and will be manufactured in small quantities at the Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. The plant had produced the Acura NSX sports car until November. Since the plant has not yet developed a sufficient hydrogen supply base, it will be a plug-in FCV that can also be recharged externally. This is said to be the first production vehicle in North America to adopt such technology.

Honda has been developing FCVs for some time, introducing the FCX in 2002 in Japan and the United States. In Japan, it launched the FCV model Clarity Fuel Cell in 2016. However, due to sluggish sales, the company discontinued production of this vehicle in Japan in 2021.

Source: The Nikkei

PSR Analysis: Plug-in FCVs can run on electricity, fed by plug-ins, where there are no hydrogen stations. If FCVs are to be popularized at a stage where the hydrogen filling infrastructure is weak, a plug-in that can be charged from an electrical outlet may be the best combination. After filling up at a hydrogen station, which might be located far away, the vehicle could be operated by recharging its battery, and the hydrogen could be used as a range extender in case of power shortages. Of course, if a hydrogen station were to be established in the same neighborhood, it would be possible to switch to the same operation as at a gas station. The biggest barrier to sales expansion is the price. In the price competition, FCVs will probably lose out to BEVs. The availability and scale of subsidies for FCVs will have a significant impact on sales. PSR

Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research

Solaris Buses Purchases 25 Fuel Cell Engines

EUROPEAN REPORT 
Emiliano Marzoli
Emiliano Marzoli

Ballard Power Systems has announced the sale of 25 hydrogen fuel cell engines to repeat customer Solaris Bus & Coach, a leading European bus manufacturer.

The 70kW fuel cells will be installed in Solaris’ Urbino 12 hydrogen buses for deployment to Polish public transport operator MPK Poznań and are expected to be delivered in H2 2023.

The buses are to be partially funded by the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management’s Green Public Transport program. MPK Poznań requires 30% of its fleet to be zero-emission by 2028. These 25 hydrogen fuel cell buses will increase its zero-emission fleet from 18% to 25%.

Source: Ballard       Read The Article

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2022-08-20

Hyundai Doosan Infracore Plans Hydrogen Engine

FAR EAST: SOUTH KOREA REPORT

Hyundai Doosan Infracore announced that it has been selected as the lead company for the national project “Development of Hydrogen Engine System and Storage and Supply System for Construction Machinery and Commercial Vehicles” by the Industrial Technology Evaluation and Management Agency.

Through this project, the company plans to develop a 300kW, 11-liter class hydrogen engine and hydrogen tank system with zero carbon emissions, which will be installed in commercial vehicles such as trucks and large buses, and construction equipment such as excavators by 2024. After verification, the company aims to begin full-scale mass production in 2025.

“Although hydrogen engines have high energy density, they are expensive and require technological maturity to ensure durability under adverse operating conditions,” said a company official. “For this reason, the engine system is more suitable for construction machinery and medium- to large-sized commercial vehicles than for passenger cars.”

Source: Wow! Korea

PSR Analysis: Hydrogen products in Korea are still far from practical at this point. Hydrogen can be classified as green, blue, or gray depending on the cleanliness of the production process, and the hydrogen fuel cell power plant in Korea that began operating in June emits 10 tons of carbon for every ton of hydrogen it produces. At this point, Korea’s hydrogen industry is still in the gray stage, but I do not think it is time to discuss whether the technology is good or bad, as it will take time for the technology to become more advanced.

The idea that hydrogen is better suited for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles than for passenger cars makes a lot of sense. However, mass production of a commercial model by 2024 is certainly a very high goal. With the lithium-ion battery industry currently thriving in South Korea, I will keep a close eye on the future development of hydrogen in the country. PSR

2022-06-25

Show Report: 2022 NEW Environmental Exposition

FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT

Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Last month, I visited the three-day 2022 NEW Environmental Exposition, an exhibition of environment-related equipment in Tokyo. The show promoted the effective use of resources, new energy and energy reduction, and the utilization of CO2 emission reduction technologies

Source: Official Website

PSR Analysis: The exhibition featured many environment-related devices for waste treatment, demolition, bioplastics, water treatment and purification, heat utilization systems, recycling, and more.

Large equipment such as those that crush and efficiently separate debris mixed with earth, sand, and wood; metal recovery systems from seawater using special fibers, and equipment related to crushing wood, stone, and other materials were eye-catching in variety and size.

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2021-06-27

SK Plans To Develop Hydrogen Base in Ulsan

South Korea’s SK Group has announced plans to build a 140,000 square meter hydrogen fuel base in Ulsan. A liquid hydrogen production plant will be built, and a hydrogen-fueled power plant will also be constructed.

With the participation of Lotte Chemical, the project aims to promote the accumulation of hydrogen-related industries in the city. SK Gas will be the main proponent of the project. The company plans to invest 2.2 trillion won (about 216 billion yen) over the next five years to build infrastructure for the generation, storage, and transportation of hydrogen energy in anticipation of its widespread use, and has also announced plans to build 100 hydrogen filling stations in South Korea by 2030.

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2021-05-24

Doosan To Produce Hydrogen from Waste Plastic

Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction (DHIC) announced on May 6 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Libotec, which has a continuous pyrolysis technology for waste plastics, to develop hydrogen production technology using waste plastics.

Libotec will produce gas from waste plastic through continuous pyrolysis, while Doosan Heavy Industries will be in charge of developing equipment to reform the pyrolyzed gas into hydrogen and building the plant. Doosan Heavy Industries has developed a hydrogen reformer capable of producing about 300 kilograms of hydrogen per day, which will be installed and operated at Libotec’s plant.  The company plans to conduct demonstrations and commercialize a technology that can produce more than three tons of hydrogen per day from waste plastic.

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Komatsu Unveils Concept of Fully Electric Compact Excavator

Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

On May 13, Komatsu announced that it had developed a fully electric compact excavator equipped with lithium-ion batteries. This is Komatsu’s first excavator that does not use cylinders or other hydraulic equipment in the drive unit. In addition to emitting no exhaust gas, the new excavator can be operated remotely and can be used in dangerous places.

Komatsu, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of its founding on May 13, announced this concept model as a response to a decarbonized society.

For the time being, the company does not plan to sell it to the general public. This model is connected to the outside world via wireless LAN, and the driver can operate it remotely without boarding the machine. The remote operation makes it suitable for indoor demolition, disaster rescue, and other dangerous work sites.

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2020-12-21

Japan Sees Hydrogen as Main Fuel by 2030

Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

The government of Japan has set a target of 10 million tons of hydrogen to be used in Japan by 2030, enough to operate more than 30 nuclear power plants. This would be more than 10% of the total electricity capacity in Japan.

It will also hasten the practical application of hydrogen power generation and accelerate the spread of FCVs. The government will provide support through a newly established 2 trillion Yen fund and tax incentives for capital investment.

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