Europe Office

Power Systems Research EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) is the leading source of information on engines and power equipment in this diverse and growing region. We have the broadest and deepest knowledge of the power product markets available for EMEA, which provides our customers with the best opportunity for growth. Our local team of industry professionals is supported by our analysts in key markets around the world. Whether you need detailed global data, forecasts or customized local market studies, we can provide you with Powerful Possibilities. Let’s start today.

2024-05-25

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

2024-04-17

A New Path for Van Hool

EUROPE REPORT 
Emiliano Marzoli
Emiliano Marzoli

Brussels, Belgium – After weeks of uncertainty and, finally, a bankruptcy, bus and trailer manufacturer Van Hool can look to the future again.  The company trustee has accepted the bid from the competitor VDL – Schmitz-Cargobull.  This move was seen by the trustee as the quickest and most efficient way to restart the operations without losing additional company value, and important resources. 

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2024-03-17

Van Hool Making Major Changes

Emiliano Marzoli
Emiliano Marzoli

At a special works council recently, bus manufacturer Van Hool announced over 1,100 jobs will be lost at the company between now and 2027. The redundancies and other job losses are part of the ‘Van Hool Recovery Plan’ the company is introducing to get the business back on track.

The largest number of job losses – about 830 – are planned for this year.  Bus production is now being moved to Macedonia, while trailers, industrial vehicles, R&D will remain in Flanders. 

Source:  VRT News.     Read The Article      Read This Article, Too

PSR Analysis:   Van Hool has struggled recently under the pressure of competition from Chinese manufacturers.  Even in the Flanders, home of Van Hool, Chinese bus manufacturer BYD was able to win a public tender for the supply of 300 electric urban busses.  The biggest advantage of Chinese companies is the know how and attractive price they can offer on battery powered busses.   In recent time, Van Hool has invested heavily in Fuel cells busses, but this move has not pay off. 

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Rolls-Royce Reports 16% Revenue Growth in 2023

EUROPE REPORT 
Natasa Mulahalilovic
Natasa Mulahalilovic

Rolls Royce Power Systems Business Unit, based in Friedrichshafen, Germany, reported sales of EUR 4.56 billion in fiscal 2023, a 16% increase over 2022. Operating profit hit 10.2%, up from 8.4% in 2022.

The operating profit increase is due to the investments in transformation and process optimization, implementation of a new commercial policy, better cost, and stock management.

Strong demand for standby power generation especially for data centers, implementation of the “From bridge to the propeller” strategy for large yachts, and development of an energy storage systems in Europe integrating renewable energies into the Duch public grid have contributed significantly to the revenue growth.

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2023-10-23

2023 Cannes Yachting Festival Sets Records

EUROPE REPORT
Natasa Mulahalilovic
Natasa Mulahalilovic

The 46th Cannes Yachting Festival was the largest one ever, hosting 610 exhibitors and 705 boats. The Cannes Yachting Festival remains the largest and the most visited European pleasure boat show organized on the water.

The show’s organizers said the event has never hosted that many motor and sailing, mono and multi hulls, outboard boats, ribs and semi-rigid boats, tenders, electric, hydro-foiling, and other types of boats. 

The show ran Sept. 12-17, offering six days of meetings and exchange with boat builders, engine and equipment manufacturers, designers and architects and other professionals from the pleasure marine industry.

The event hosted by a beautiful Mediterranean Cannes attracted 55,000 visitors coming from more than 130 worldwide countries. As usual, it was organized in two locations in the city, Vieux Port and Port Conto des Cannes. Motorboats and yachts in all sizes and with all propulsion types were displayed at the Vieux Port and sailing yachts and catamarans at the Port Canto des Cannes.

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2023-08-20

New Machinery Requirements

Christopher Bamforth
Christopher Bamforth

New Machinery requirements have been published for Europe and will replace the existing Machinery Directive Jan. 20, 2027. OEMs will have to be compliant with the new requirements on that day since there is no transition period.

With a heavy focus on safety, the environment and machine learning, the main takeaways are that these are EU regulations. This means that manufacturers will not have to wait for each member state’s upgrade of the regulation into law. This may streamline the process although it could mean big changes for some member states that previously had fewer requirements.

And there’s another important consideration. Since we have entered the digital age, all certifications and instructions can be in digital format. One exception is the non-professional machinery’s safety measures which must be included in paper format.

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2023-07-26

Ammonia-Powered Fuel Cell Developed for Deep Sea Shipping

ShipFC is the project financed by the Union European program Horizon 2020 and Hydrogen Europe aiming to prove that fuel cells powered by green ammonia can meet the strict IMO standards of zero-emission Deep Sea shipping.

Currently, a 100% zero-emission solution is not available in this segment. Batteries do not last longue enough with a size that can fit a ship onboard, and Hydrogen technology has some other challenging issues to resolve. Alternative fuel solutions are promising but still need to be tested, confirmed, and approved by DNA.

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