Green steel investments surge, Germany's hydrogen push, and hydrogen trams in Malaysia
Green steel is becoming more and more popular, and the demand is high. Hydrogen plays a key role in the production of green steel.
The IAA, one of the largest car shows in the world, was an interesting one. While the main focus of the show has been electric cars and the supply chain behind them, hydrogen did play a small role. It was BMW who showcased their i5 Hydrogen SUV and also made it clear that they see a significant opportunity to produce a wider array of hydrogen-powered cars. They also emphasized that hydrogen will play a role for all manufacturers. In order to lower the CO2 footprint of car production, the use of green steel is necessary.
The Swedish startup H2 Green Steel is one of the few companies that has a facility that can produce large amounts of steel. Meanwhile, the demand for their products is so great that they have to quickly increase production capacity. Of course, this costs a lot of money, but there are enough investors who are willing to invest large sums. In the largest private placement in Europe this year, H2 Green Steel has raised about €1.5 billion in equity from an investor group led by Altor, GIC, Hy24, and Just Climate. The round will finance the world’s first large-scale green steel plant and Europe’s first giga-scale electrolyzer. https://www.h2greensteel.com/latestnews/h2-green-steel-raises-15-billion-in-equity-to-build-the-worlds-first-green-steel-plantnbsp
Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany was the largest importer of Russian natural gas. After the war started, a frantic search to replace the gas began, and hydrogen played a pivotal role in this effort. Decarbonizing heavy industries in Germany and becoming more independent of imports are going hand in hand. The large energy providers are key players in this rapid change. RWE, one of the largest energy producers in Germany, has now announced that they will construct a 200-MW green-hydrogen plant. This plant will be capable of producing up to 35,000 tons of green hydrogen per year. The hydrogen is intended to enable industrial companies to significantly reduce their carbon emissions. The electrolyzer project in Lingen is the first production plant for hydrogen of this size in Germany.
https://www.chemengonline.com/rwe-receives-regulatory-clearance-to-construct-200-mw-green-hydrogen-plant-in-germany/?printmode=1
One of the newer innovations in the fight to make cities less congested is the Smart Tram. Essentially, these trams function like normal trams but do not rely on tracks. Like buses, they have the flexibility to navigate freely within a city. However, compared to a bus they can transport a larger number of people, which makes them more cost-effective to operate. Malaysia has recently acquired 38 of these Smart Trams. They are powered by a fuel cell and have autonomous driving capabilities. The ART, constructed by a subsidiary of China’s state railway firm CRRC, follows double dashed lines painted on the road using the same Lidar technology as autonomous Tesla cars. This eliminates the necessity of embedding rail tracks in existing roads, although a driver is still required for safety reasons.
https://www.hydrogeninsight.com/transport/made-in-china-world-s-first-hydrogen-powered-smart-tram-begins-on-road-testing-in-malaysia/2-1-1515317
While most car manufacturers are reluctant to invest in hydrogen-powered cars, Toyota has taken a different approach. For nearly a decade, Toyota has been selling the Mirai to costumers, and although production numbers are low, the car has been selling well worldwide. Toyota sees a future for hydrogen-powered cars and is now enlarging their portfolio. A new version of the popular pick-up truck, the Hilux, now features a fuel cell. The project was developed in the UK and is considered a test to determine whether a fuel cell-powered pick-up is a viable and appealing option for customers. Initially, they plan to only produce ten cars, but the hope is that this test phase will mark just the beginning of larger production numbers.
https://www.h2-view.com/story/toyota-to-build-10-hydrogen-fuel-cell-electric-hilux-trucks-by-year-end/
South Korea stands out as a major player in the field of hydrogen technology. Hyundai has been successful in selling the Nexo, a hydrogen-powered SUV, in significant quantities. Additionally, the country is making substantial investments in various aspects of hydrogen utilization. In the midst of intense global competition to advance hydrogen mobility technologies and achieve carbon neutrality, a breakthrough has been achieved in Korea. A new technology has emerged—a 2-liter class hydrogen-fueled engine designed for passenger cars, capable of operating exclusively on hydrogen. This pioneering development was led by Principal Researcher Young Choi from the Department of Mobility Power Research at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), in collaboration with Researcher Hong-gil Baek from the Zero-Carbon Engine Research Lab at Hyundai-Kia Motor Company (HMC). They successfully created the "direct injection hydrogen engine" that functions entirely on hydrogen fuels.
https://techxplore.com/news/2023-09-team-liter-class-hydrogen-capable.html?h2fd
The Extreme E electric off-road racing series, with team owners including Formula One champions Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, and Jenson Button, is gearing up for a transition to hydrogen, rebranding as Extreme H starting from 2025. Founder Alejandro Agag told Reuters on Thursday that a decision would be made in the next few months, but teams were supportive.
https://fuelcellsworks.com/news/extreme-e-plans-switch-to-hydrogen-as-extreme-h-from-2025/
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