2024-08-24
The August issue of PSR’s Alternative Power Report includes several articles on battery development, including ones describing news at Tesla. This month’s report also includes news on hydrogen power and the decline in diesel sales. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast and Technology Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
2024-07-14
Canada is preparing to join the tariff war against Chinese EVs, according to a report in the July 2024 issue of the Alternative Power Report prepared by Power Systems Research. Another article in the report notes that even thought EV sales are lagging, they’re positioned for long-term growth. And there’s plenty of battery news in this report prepared by PSR analyst Guy Youngs. PSR
2024-06-18
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.
China 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
2024-05-27
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 for zero-emission transport and transportation.
Source: Hydrogen Fuel News: Read The Article
PSR Analysis: There has yet to be a passenger vehicle that is ready for drivers to purchase and use for their everyday needs in a realistic, practical, and affordable way. As a result, in order to overcome the lack of infrastructure, the range and appeal of this, will need to be massive, and in fact it may not be possible. PSR
Guy Youngs is Forecast & Adoption Lead at Power Systems Research
2024-05-25
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 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
2024-04-17
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.
2024-04-16
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
2024-03-17
The technology involved in using H2 as an energy source can be costly for several reasons. Their use is considered to have zero-carbon operations but only when green H2 is used, meaning that it is produced using processes powered by renewable energy such as wind and solar. That said, the most common production method currently used involves burning natural gas, a fossil fuel.
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