The Hydrogen Stream: Plug Power commissions 1 MW PEM electrolyzer

A number of hydrogen projects are moving forward in the United States, India, Germany and Denmark. In other developments, the German state of Saxony is teaming up with other partners, including the Czech Republic, to set up a hydrogen network in Eastern Europe.

Image: Plug Power

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Plug Power has commissioned a 1 MW electrolyzer system at an Amazon fulfilment center in Aurora, Colorado. The proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer is the first for Amazon and is producing hydrogen to fuel more than 225 hydrogen fuel cell-powered forklift trucks at the site. The hydrogen will be compressed on site and will be stored in a gaseous hydrogen storage tank. Plug Power has collaborated with Amazon to deploy more than 17,000 fuel cells to replace batteries in forklifts in more than 80 fulfilment centers in North America. “For most of these locations, hydrogen to power the forklifts is produced elsewhere, liquified, and delivered by trucks to an on-site storage and dispensing system,” said Plug Power.

Torrent Power will set up a 100 ktpa green hydrogen/green ammonia production facility in Banaskantha/Dahej district of the Indian state of Gujarat with a proposed investment of INR 7,200 crore ($866.4 million).

Adani New Industries Ltd (ANIL) from Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) is developing end-to-end solutions to produce globally competitive green hydrogen and its associated sustainable derivatives. Its first project of 1 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) green hydrogen is being implemented in phases in Gujarat. The initial phase is expected to start production by FY2027. Depending on the market conditions, ANIL aims to increase capacity to up to 3 MMTPA of green hydrogen in the next ten years, with an investment of about $50 billion.

The US government has announced $623 million in grants to build electric-vehicle (EV) charging networks and hydrogen fueling infrastructure in urban and rural communities across the United States. In particular, it will allocate $70 million to build up to five hydrogen fueling stations for medium- and heavy-duty freight trucks in Texas, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. “The project will help create a hydrogen corridor from southern California to Texas,” said the US Department of Transportation. 

Hexagon Purus has raised approximately NOK 1 billion ($95.7 million) from strategic investors Mitsui and Hy24. “The proceeds will support Hexagon Purus’s growth strategy, including its ongoing global capacity expansion program,” said the Norwegian company. The five new production facilities are in the US state of Maryland, the Canadian province of British Columbia, Germany, and China. In addition, the company plans to open a new site in Dallas, Texas, in 2024.

H2 Energy Europe has secured environmental approval for a large-scale green hydrogen production facility in Esbjerg, Denmark. “This achievement marks a significant milestone for the project, bringing it closer to a Final Investment Decision (FID),” said the Zürich-based company, explaining that the pipeline is set for completion by 2028. According to Jesper Frost Rasmussen, the mayor of Esbjerg municipality, the development sends a message to green energy companies, demonstrating that private investors can secure approvals for their projects and are prepared to start construction of large-scale hydrogen facilities. The facility will produce surplus heat, which has the potential to supply the majority of households in Esbjerg with district heating.

ArcelorMittal Bremen and energy service provider EWE have signed a letter of intent to jointly develop hydrogen production projects for green steel manufacturing. In April 2023, ArcelorMittal Bremen, EWE, and a subsidiary of EWE, SWB, started working on a 10 MW hydrogen production plant in Bremen, Germany, which is due to go into operation this year. “We want to use hydrogen instead of coal as a chemical reducing agent and thus further reduce CO2 emissions towards net zero,” said Frank Hohlweg, chief operating officer for ArcelorMittal Bremen. “Until green hydrogen is available in sufficient quantities and at competitive prices, we are planning to use natural gas in the transition phase.”

The German state of Saxony and the Czech Republic have signed a letter of intent to cooperate on the development of a hydrogen infrastructure and the use of hydrogen. “The plans include the establishment of a cross-border hydrogen network and the promotion of cooperation and exchange between German and Czech research institutions and companies,” said the government of Saxony. The two countries have agreed to convert existing natural gas pipelines to hydrogen. “This should ensure the supply of large quantities of hydrogen from Eastern and Southern Europe at low cost by 2029, if possible.” Poland, as an important trading partner, is likely to engage in new hydrogen projects with Germany, given the Polish government’s new green approach, said Saxony Economics and Transport Minister Martin Dulig.

The Ukrainian government has presented its 2050 Hydrogen Strategy, saying that the move brings the country closer to European energy transition goals. The document includes pilot ideas for the production of renewable hydrogen. “The project was prepared by the experts of the Reform Support Office under the Ministry of Energy with the assistance of the Reform Architecture Fund in Ukraine (ARU Fund), which is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),” said the Ukrainian government. 

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