How the EU could lose the fight for dominance in the hydrogen market

Nations in Asia and Africa are ramping up their hydrogen production. Ballard System has sold more fuel cells and Cummins Inc has success with their hydrogen ICE.

There is no doubt that investments into hydrogen production are growing exponentially. A new industry is expanding all over the world. This is also necessary to phase out the use of fossil fuels in the future. Without hydrogen, climate change will not stop. However, the development of a hydrogen infrastructure also has a significant political dimension. The more hydrogen a country can produce and use for its own infrastructure, the more energy independent it will become.

The African continent is a prime example of this new development. For decades, it has been reliant on the import of fossil fuels and other goods. At the same time, many countries on the continent have vast reserves of crucial minerals and rare earth metals. Some nations are now considering a new approach to how they can secure their future. As an article in Forbes points out, “In Africa, where climate change threatens both people and ecosystems, investing in green hydrogen will not only enable nations to contribute to global emission reductions but also helps them build resilience against climate change impacts at home. Even though Africa is responsible for only a fraction of global carbon emissions, the continent is actively taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint.”
https://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2023/08/14/the-rise-of-green-hydrogen-in-africa/?h2fd 

Another country that envisions its future in a hydrogen economy is Japan. Toyota is heavily investing in the use of hydrogen for mass transport through the continuous development of the Toyota Mirai. Japan was also the first country in the world to develop and implement a national hydrogen strategy in 2017. Presently, Japan plans to invest 15 trillion yen ($107.5 billion) over the next 15 years to supply the country with hydrogen, as announced by the government on Tuesday. This move is part of their accelerated efforts to shift towards a low-carbon economy by utilizing hydrogen. This investment amounts to approximately 7 billion dollars annually.
https://fuelcellsworks.com/news/japan-to-invest-107-billion-in-hydrogen-supply-over-15-years-2/

China is also investing more money into a hydrogen infrastructure. The Shanghai government issued a hydrogen industry development plan on July 31. According to this plan, Shanghai aims to construct and operate 70 hydrogen refueling stations by 2025, a substantial increase from the current 14 stations. The plan also outlines Shanghai's goal to deploy 10,000 FCEVs (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles) by 2025, a fourfold increase from the approximately 2,500 FCEVs currently in operation. These figures are unmatched by any other country, prompting the question: Is Europe doing enough? There are several key areas where the EU and the US are still leading the pack, especially when it comes to the research and development of fuel cells and the surrounding technologies. But apart from BMW, no major German car manufacturer has a hydrogen car on the market or in development. With this strategy, the EU could lose out in the mobility sector against China and Japan.
https://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/hydrogen-car-market-challenge/8560146/ 

Uniper, the state-owned gas supplier in Germany, is testing a new storage solution for hydrogen. In Germany, there are two types of underground natural gas storage facilities: pore storage facilities and cavern storage facilities. Pore reservoirs are natural reservoirs whose geological formation makes them suitable for storing gas. They are located in porous rock in which the gas is absorbed and stored—similar to a stable sponge. During storage, the gas is fed at high pressure into the tiny pores of the rock layer, which are barely visible to the naked eye. Uniper is confident that their newly developed technology will expand the potential for hydrogen storage in Germany. This is also good news for other countries, who may be able to use this technology for their hydrogen storage.
https://www.uniper.energy/news/research-project-on-hydrogen-storage-launched 

One of the leading fuel cell producers in the world, Ballard Systems, is delivering 96 new fuel cells to the Polish bus manufacturer Solaris. This is one of the largest orders for Solaris. Fifty-two hydrogen buses will be delivered to a German public transport provider.
https://www.h2-view.com/story/ballard-announces-largest-hydrogen-fuel-cell-engine-bus-order-in-europe/ 

Cummins Inc. and Taylor Machine Works Inc., an American producer of heavy industrial lift equipment, have signed a letter of intent to incorporate Cummins’ 6.7-litre and 15-litre hydrogen engines into the Taylor product range. This development is crucial for the success of the newly developed hydrogen ICU from Cummins, and it shows that companies who invest in a hydrogen combustion engine can make profits. It also illustrates that the American industry is switching to a hydrogen economy. https://www.porttechnology.org/news/taylor-machine-cummins-collaborate-to-integrate-hydrogen-engines/ 

If you would like to learn more about the Cummins engine, check out our podcast with Jennifer Rumsey, the CEO of Cummins Inc.