Australasian Transport News’ Post

#EU approves €2.2bn German plan to decarbonise industrial processes through green #hydrogen or #electrification This state aid would take the form of direct grants to companies currently relying on fossil fuels for energy or as a feedstock #greenhydrogen #decarbonisation #decarbonization #subsidies #germany #stateaid https://lnkd.in/e-pSYtUk

Sorry rest of the world 😊 you have no chance to advance your hydrogen ambitions for next 3-5 years! I am asked this question, what about Green Hydrogen. And this is my answer, in next 5 years, US goverment is going to pump crazy money that no hydrogen technology company can ignore. So while companies will do lip services, real action will be in the United States. It’s not a bad thing overall, at the end of this investment cycle, hydrogen will become mainstream clean technology and all will benefit. To spark production, last year’s climate law created a tax credit of up to $3 per kilogram for companies that gets more lucrative as the production process generates less emissions. Many companies are lobbying the administration for looser rules that would let projects using fossil-fuel power to make hydrogen receive tax credits. Environmentalists say the move would risk increasing carbon emissions.

In May, the Japanese parliament approved the Hydrogen Society Promotion Act and the CCS Business Act into law. These two bills are Japan's first laws relating to the business of hydrogen and the business of carbon capture and storage respectively. Learn more here: https://whcs.law/3KYPUwr #hydrogen #decarbonization #netzero

GREEN HYDROGEN One of the laws, strategies, and principles of nature - Respect the Powers of Limits, applies to hydrogen molecules. Hydrogen is a promising clean energy carrier due to its high energy content and potential for low emissions when used in fuel cells, storing and transporting it over long distances poses significant challenges. Some of the main reasons are: (1) Low density and high volume: Hydrogen has a very low density, which means it occupies a large volume compared to other conventional fuels. To store a significant amount of hydrogen, either in gaseous or liquid form, large and bulky containers are required, making it impractical for long-distance transport. (2) Leakage and embrittlement: Hydrogen molecules are small and can penetrate most materials, leading to leakage issues in storage and transportation systems. It can also embrittle metals, which poses a safety concern when dealing with high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks and pipelines. (3) Energy-intensive compression and liquefaction: To increase the energy density and facilitate transportation, hydrogen must be compressed or liquefied. Both processes require a considerable amount of energy, leading to efficiency losses and potentially higher costs. (4) Infrastructure development: To transport hydrogen over long distances, a dedicated and extensive infrastructure is needed, including pipelines, filling stations, and storage facilities. Establishing such an infrastructure is costly and time-consuming, hindering the widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy carrier. (5) Safety concerns: Hydrogen has a wide  flammability range, and any accidental release could lead to hazardous situations. Ensuring the safe storage, handling, and transportation of hydrogen requires robust safety measures and additional investments. (6) Material compatibility: Hydrogen's high reactivity makes it challenging to find materials that can withstand exposure to hydrogen over extended periods without degradation. Selecting suitable materials for long-term storage and transport systems is crucial to avoid safety risks and maintain system integrity. (7) Cryogenic challenges: Liquid hydrogen needs to be stored and transported at extremely low temperatures (around -253°C or 20 K). Handling cryogenic temperatures adds complexity to the design and operation of storage and transport systems. (8) Energy loss during transport: Even with the best infrastructure, there will be unavoidable losses during the transportation of hydrogen, especially when using compression or liquefaction methods. These energy losses further reduce the overall efficiency of hydrogen as an energy carrier. Despite these challenges, there are ongoing research and development (R&D) at Triton Hydrogen Corporation https://lnkd.in/gSzfwD4j in materials science, infrastructure design, and hydrogen technologies aim to overcome these obstacles and make hydrogen a viable option for long-distance transport in the future.

A great blog giving a sneak preview of our new report #TheGreenHydrogenGap The full report can be found here - https://lnkd.in/eYBdApQt. It outlines how green hydrogen will play a critical role in decarbonising aviation and shipping, and questions whether the policies and regulations needed to drive the uptake of hydrogen-derived fuels in these sectors are in place (spoiler: we don't think they are). #greenhydrogen #aviation #shipping #LISW

Key insights from the World Hydrogen Summit reveal the contrast between EU and US subsidies for advancing green H2 projects. The panel underscores the critical role of policy, regulation, and incentives in driving progress, advocating for a balanced "carrot-and-stick" strategy. How will you navigate the delicate balance required to enhance natural supply-demand dynamics and propel the uptake of sustainability initiatives? #WorldHydrogenSummit #GreenEnergy #SustainabilityInitiatives

⚠️New blog alert!⚠️ ⛴️✈️"We can’t let shipping and aviation fall through the green hydrogen gap." A combination of industry and government action will be needed to fill the gaping hole in green hydrogen policy. The lack of policies in place to support the production of green hydrogen slows down demand and discourages investment. This is what we call the 'green hydrogen gap', and it’s making it difficult for companies to build and invest in new hydrogen projects. Read more in the full blog here👇 https://lnkd.in/efBs7dhy #LISW #TheGreenHydrogenGap #greenhydrogen #policy #shipping #aviation

🇪🇺 The EU intends to reduce the maximum price of the next hydrogen auction to €3.5/kg #EU #hydrogen #auction #hydrogeneeconomy 📉 This price reduction is accompanied by a reduction in the execution period of the projects, going from 5 to only 3 years. 🛠️ Bosch Rexroth makes an important contribution to the creation of a hydrogen economy with a view to achieving climate neutrality. 💼 Thanks in part to the experience gained in the field of internal combustion engines converted to hydrogen, Bosch Rexroth's portfolio currently ranges from individual components to complete systems that take advantage of this new technology. 🔋 Currently, the company is dedicated to the development of fuel cells for mobile and stationary applications and to equipping the compressors of hydrogen filling stations with its own drive solutions. 📄 Among the new provisional terms and conditions of the document made public by the General Directorate of Climate Action of the Commission, the reduction of the maximum price of subsidies from 4.50 euros to 3.50 euros per kilogram stands out. This measure, aimed at making green hydrogen more competitive, is accompanied by a reduction in the deadline for launching projects, going from 5 years to only 3 after signing the subsidy agreement. ⛴️ Another of the most notable developments is the introduction of new specific financing for projects with buyers in the maritime sector, while other projects will be included in a “general basket”. This measure seeks to address the specific challenges faced by the maritime sector in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 📈 The document also highlights changes to the “completion guarantee” required of developers, with an increase from 4% to 10% of the maximum grant amount for each project. 🔗 Source: https://bit.ly/3QrB2ty .

Germany’s cabinet has approved approved two draft bills to accelerate the integration of hydrogen and carbon capture respectively, into the country’s energy and industrial systems. "The government has identified both technologies as critical components of the country’s drive to become carbon neutral by 2045, while maintaining heavy industries." "Carbon capture and storage - CCS removes from the atmosphere carbon dioxide produced by industrial processes or captures it at the point of emission and stores it underground. In Germany, its use has been restricted, but as Europe’s largest CO2 polluter is likely to miss its climate goals, Berlin has reconsidered, estimating the need to capture between 34 million and 73 million tons per year by 2045." "Hydrogen - The Hydrogen Acceleration Law will fast-track the construction of hydrogen infrastructure, import and production facilities. It will also give infrastructure an “overriding public interest” status, meaning authorities will prioritize it in the approval process. Permitting procedures will be simplified and digitised and legal cases challenging hydrogen projects and environmental impact assessments will be shortened." Euractiv - https://lnkd.in/dKy_WhZE BMWK Pressemitteilung - "CCU/CCS: Baustein für eine klimaneutrale und wettbewerbsfähige Industrie" - https://lnkd.in/ddznnjNQ Image: Scotland's Acorn CO2 storage project

Great post summing up the latest German updates on - #hydrogen production acceleration and - carbon management strategy #ccus Whilst in the USA, the ton of captured and stored CO2 is very clear ($US 85), the German strategy is not (yet?) proposing a price; the benefit lies in the European Trading Scheme for the time being. With #renewableenergy being used straightaway, stored in batteries/salt caverns, or imported, the most important need for turning green hydrogen into hydrocarbons (the U in CCUS, for example) would be for local production of #ekerosene. This will be largely imported from countries like #Australia, though, hence the need for a well-defined carbon management strategy & carbon certification down under, as well as in all exporting countries.