U.S. granting $34 million to green hydrogen research projects
- August 20, 2023
- Posted by: Quatro Strategies
- Categories: ESG & Renewable Energy, United States
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated almost $34 million to support 19 industry and university-led research projects aimed at advancing clean hydrogen technologies. These projects intend to make clean hydrogen more affordable and accessible for electricity generation, industrial decarbonization, and transportation. These investments align with DOE’s Hydrogen Shot initiative, which aims to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per kilogram within a decade, fostering new hydrogen pathways in the US.
A collaborative research team from South Korea and the US, led by Chanho Pak from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, has developed a novel catalyst for efficient proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). This catalyst consists of an iridium nanostructure supported on mesoporous tantalum oxide (Ta2O5). The design enhances the utilization of iridium, leading to improved electrical conductivity and a larger electrochemically active surface area. The catalyst achieved enhanced activity and stability for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), crucial for PEMWE.
Fidelis New Energy has chosen Mason County, West Virginia, for its lifecycle carbon-neutral hydrogen production facility called The Mountaineer GigaSystem. This project will utilize the FidelisH2 technology to produce hydrogen with zero lifecycle carbon emissions through a combination of natural gas, carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration, along with renewable energy. The project will consist of four phases, each producing over 500 metric tons per day of net-zero carbon hydrogen.
The Danish Minister of Industry, Morten Bødskov, visited HySynergy to discuss the potential of green fuels and hydrogen as the next major export venture for Denmark. The facility showcases a small hydrogen pipeline that can deliver more than 8 tons of hydrogen daily from producer Everfuel to customer Crossbridge Energy. The combination of renewable energy sources and Power-to-X technology could make Denmark a significant exporter of green fuels.
Wärtsilä has been selected to provide front-end engineering design (FEED) for a liquefaction and storage facility for liquefied synthetic methane (LSM) in Kristinestad, Finland. The plant is part of the Koppö Energy Cluster and will have a capacity of 200 MW, converting green electricity into hydrogen and sustainable LSM. The facility will be supplied with emission-free renewable energy from up to 500 MW of wind and 100 MW of photovoltaic power.
The UK government has shortlisted 17 projects with a total electrolyzer capacity of 262 MW for the Hydrogen Business Model allocation round. This initiative aims to support the growth of low-carbon hydrogen production and accelerate the UK’s transition to a net-zero economy. The contracts for these projects are expected to be awarded in the fourth quarter of 2023, with the first projects becoming operational in 2025.
Japanese company Toppan plans to enter the hydrogen market by leveraging its proprietary manufacturing method for Catalyst Coated Membrane (CCM)/Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEA), crucial components of water electrolysis equipment for hydrogen production. This technology enables mass production of high-performance CCM/MEAs, contributing to the advancement of hydrogen production technologies.
Interested in learning more?
Sign up for Top Insights Today
Top Insights Today delivers the latest insights straight to your inbox.
You will get daily industry insights on
Oil & Gas, Rare Earths & Commodities, Mining & Metals, EVs & Battery Technology, ESG & Renewable Energy, AI & Semiconductors, Aerospace & Defense, Sanctions & Regulation, Business & Politics.
Read more insights
Lockheed halves Patriot costs for the drone warfare era
Lockheed Martin has announced a lower-cost Patriot interceptor that would cost less than half as much as its four-million-dollar PAC-3 MSE missiles, a response to the cost-per-kill arithmetic that the era of the mass drone and missile warfare has made unsustainable and to the startup competition that promises the cheaper weapons at scale.
The PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector, or ACE, unveiled at Farnborough with the initial production possible within thirty-six months and the development shared with the American and European industry partners, marks the incumbent giant’s concession to the economic logic that the Ukrainian air defense, the Gulf missile exchanges, and the two-trillion-dollar rearmament wave have jointly established: the interceptors costing millions cannot indefinitely counter the threats costing thousands.
Tariffs turned Europe into a pressure valve for China’s e-commerce machine
U.S. tariff tightening is not so much “stopping” China’s export machine as forcing it to reroute. When the United States removed (or effectively neutralized) the low-value parcel loophole that had protected ultra-cheap direct-to-consumer shipments, the immediate effect was to degrade the core value proposition of platforms built around speed, price, and frictionless customs clearance.
The predictable response has been a rapid pivot toward jurisdictions where the regulatory and customs regime still made small parcels comparatively easy to land, chiefly the European Union (with its duty exemption under €150) and the United Kingdom (with a £135 relief).
India faces sharpest earnings downgrades in Asia as tariffs bite
Indian companies are facing their sharpest earnings downgrades in Asia as U.S. tariffs weigh heavily on growth prospects, signaling a shift in investor sentiment toward what had recently been the region’s favored equity market. Analysts have cut forward 12-month earnings estimates for India’s large- and mid-cap firms by 1.2% in the past two weeks, the steepest reduction across Asia.
The downgrades come on the back of a weak corporate earnings season, extending a slowdown that began last year and has put pressure on benchmark equity indexes. Although India’s economy is predominantly domestic in nature, with Nifty 50 companies earning only about 9% of revenues from the United States, the steep U.S. tariff hike of up to 50% on Indian exports has amplified downside risks.