World Hydrogen Summit:  The Hype Is Over

EUROPE REPORT 
Emiliano Marzoli
Emiliano Marzoli

Rotterdam, the Netherlands–During the World Hydrogen Summit (WHS) here many industry leaders, politicians and stakeholders came together to discuss the state of the art of this growing industry.  The event, held at Rotterdam Ahoy centre between May 13-15, was one of the largest global meetings for the hydrogen industry.  During the conference, many topics were covered, but some were more central amongst the panels PSR attended.  

The time of the hydrogen hype is over, and while there has not been the revolution seen in previous years, different projects across the globe have been launched, stating the start of a new and more mature phase in the hydrogen industry. 

While Europe has very ambitious targets, the industry asked for more support from institutions, and more clarity on objectives and regulations.  Currently, the EU focus is on Green hydrogen, while some of the industry representatives asked for the definition of a low carbon hydrogen category to boost projects in this initial phase of transition. 

The United States presents a more intricate and ambiguous scenario, as the upcoming November election raises questions about the longevity of incentives beyond this year. 

Globally, many countries are emerging as candidates to fuel energy decarbonization.  Morocco, wants to become one of the main exporters of green energy to the EU, and a major player in the production of Green Hydrogen.  The country has abundant solar and wind resources, and already the gas pipeline infrastructures connected to Europe.

Similarly, different countries in the Middle East are looking at the green economy transition as an opportunity to grow.  Oman is among these, with many projects already signed off to develop both renewable energy facilities, and hydrogen production projects. 

On the other hand, the Netherlands, and in particular the city of Rotterdam, are investing significant resources to become one of Europe leaders in the hydrogen economy.  The port of Rotterdam has a developed infrastructure for the distribution of natural gas, and they want to leverage their pipelines to become one of Europe’s gateways for the imports of hydrogen in the old continent.  They have already developed corridors with German, Belgium, France and the Scandinavian countries.   The large infrastructure, and the strong gas industry in the country will allow the Dutch to become a major player in the decarbonization of the European energy sector.  PSR

Emiliano Marzoli is Manager-European Operations for Power Systems Research

Komatsu Develops Hydrogen Generator

JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

Komatsu has announced the development of a hydrogen-powered generator that will be used to power an electric mini excavator. It can be transported to the job site, allowing electric construction equipment to be used in places where there is no electric power infrastructure. The system will be tested at customer sites by September 2024.

The generator was developed in cooperation with DENYO. The generator is 3.1 meters long, 1.1 meters wide and 1.7 meters high. It generates electricity by mixing up to 40% hydrogen with light oil. HVO fuel (hydrogenated vegetable oil), a type of biofuel made from waste cooking oil, can also be used.

Komatsu has developed hydrogen-blended combustion power generators for use in on-site power generation at factories and other facilities. The company sells seven types of electric construction equipment but is unable to supply power to sites where there are no power distribution networks, so it has been working to commercialize an electric power supply infrastructure.

Source: The Nikkei

Read More»

Alternative Power Report, May 2024

The 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

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.

Read More»

Kubota Unveils First Fuel Cell Tractor

JAPAN REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

On March 28, Kubota unveiled the first prototype of a fuel cell-powered tractor. Although no release date has been set, the company will consider installing fuel cells in unmanned, automated tractors. Kubota is also developing battery-powered agricultural equipment, but the company believes that hydrogen-powered fuel cells will be effective for medium-large sized agricultural equipment.

Kubota is rushing to commercialize fuel cells because it believes demand will grow in developed countries such as Japan, Europe and the United States as a result of the trend toward decarbonization. The prototype machine has about 60 horsepower and has three hydrogen tanks installed above the cabin, which are used in Toyota’s Mirai fuel cell car. It generates electricity by reacting hydrogen with oxygen to power the engine. In the experiment, a tractor was equipped with a plowing unit to till the soil.

Read More»

Alternative Power Report, April 2024

The April 2024 Alternative Power Report by Power Systems Research features several articles on batteries including one on sodium ion batteries as an alternative to Lithium Ion batteries, and another on the dropping cost of EV batteries. Hydrogen power sources show increasing promise, and there is an article on Chinese manufacturer CATL launching a battery pack with Yutong Bus Co to power commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks that has a 15-year warranty. PSR

South Korea Plans World’s Largest Semiconductor Manufacturing Base

SOUTH KOREA REPORT
Akihiro Komuro
Akihiro Komuro

The South Korean government announced a plan for a semiconductor industrial park in which Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix will invest a total of 622 trillion won (approx. $470 Billion). With Japan and Taiwan aggressively investing in the semiconductor industry, the government aims to compete with them by establishing the world’s largest base and stabilizing the supply of semiconductors to Korea.

According to the plan announced by the government, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plan to invest 500 trillion won and 122 trillion won, respectively, by 2047. In addition to the existing 21 factories, 13 new semiconductor factories and 3 research facilities will be built. The semiconductor industrial park, which stretches from Pyeongtaek to Yongming, is expected to become the world’s largest manufacturing base with a monthly production capacity of 7.7 million wafers by 2030.

Read More»

Kubota Plans To Produce Batteries for EV AG Equipment

JAPAN REPORT

Kubota is considering in-house production of batteries for electric agricultural equipment. It is considering developing and designing its own batteries and building a new plant in Japan.

The company intends to launch electric tractors and mowers in Europe and the United States by 2030. Kubota is preparing for increased demand in Europe, the U.S., and other markets by establishing a system for in-house production of batteries, which determine the running time of electric agricultural machinery.

Kubota currently manufactures diesel engines for agricultural machinery, mainly in Thailand and Japan and ships them to the United States and Europe for final assembly. Regarding batteries, which are a key component of electric agricultural machinery, President Kitao said, “As with engines, we would like to be able to produce batteries for Asian markets in Thailand, and those for Japan, Europe, and the United States in Japan.”

Read More»