CLEAN HYDROGEN PRODUCTION TAKES SMALL STEPS FORWARD

While the stream of new clean hydrogen project announcements continues unabated, moving these projects to implementation phase has been a challenge amid supply chain and local permitting delays as well as the need for additional clarity around regulation and taxation. Nevertheless, a very small amount of capacity has come to fruition recently and the front end of the supply wave is discernable. Production launches over the past year include:

Air Liquide
In May, Air Liquide commissioned a $250m waste-to-hydrogen plant in Las Vegas, NV. The plant will convert landfill gas into 30 tons-per-day of liquid hydrogen primarily for the California mobility market including fueling stations owned by FirstElement Fuel.

Siemens
In September, Siemens commissioned an 8.75MW electrolyzer powered by solar and wind from the Wunsiedel Energy Park in Upper Franconia, Germany. The plant will produce 1,350 tons of green hydrogen per year that will be used primarily by regional industrial customers.

Fusion Fuel
In November, Fusion Fuel commissioned its H2Evora plant in Portugal. The demonstration plant will produce 15 tons per year of solar powered green hydrogen to be converted into electricity using a Ballard fuel cell during times of peak demand on the Portuguese electric grid.

Kubel Power Plant
Also in November, the Kubel Power Plant in Switzerland commissioned an electrolyzer system that will divert hydro power when grid demand is low to produce approximately 250 tons per year of green hydrogen. About four containers of hydrogen will be transported daily to regional fueling stations.

MPREIS, Larsen and Toubro, Linde
Other new production includes the March launch of a 3.2MW Sunfire high pressure alkaline electrolyzer that German grocery store operator MPREIS will use to power an industrial scale bakery and delivery trucks. In August, Larsen & Toubro began operation of a rooftop solar powered 380KW alkaline electrolyzer that will supply Indian Oil Corp’s Hazira manufacturing facility. Subsidiaries of Linde also began operations of electrolyzers powered by renewable energy in Greece in November and Brazil in December.

In aggregate, this new production barely qualifies as a drop in the bucket. Nevertheless, these projects represent continued progress in the development of a market for low carbon hydrogen and will advance the learning curve on installing and operating production equipment as well as storage and distribution of the hydrogen produced.  If you are aware of other recent commissioning of low carbon hydrogen production not cited above, your comments below are welcome.