Latest News on the UK Hydrogen Economy - 03/10/22

Ames Goldsmith Ceimig, as a manufacturer of catalysts such as Iridium Oxide, Iridium Ruthenium Oxide, Iridium Black, Platinum Black & Platinum on Carbon support, are strong supports of the emerging Hydrogen Economy and supply many manufacturers of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) technology including PEM Electrolysers and PEM Fuel Cells.

In the UK we are members of the UKHFCA & SHFCA. Here are some of the recent developments in Hydrogen happening in the UK and affecting the Hydrogen Economy more broadly:

BEIS report on long-duration electricity storage with H2 - Weblink

BEIS recently published their Research Paper Number 2022/019 on the Benefits of long-duration electricity storage which considers the role and requirements for long-duration electricity storage and associated system impacts. A key conclusion is that hydrogen will provide the majority of the necessary long duration storage to address the increasingly seasonal balancing requirements that emerge in a weather-driven energy system.

Average cost of green hydrogen to fall to $1.50/kg by 2030 as electrolyser capacity ramps up 50-fold: analyst - Weblink

More than 100GW of electrolysers will be manufactured each year by the end of this decade, up from 2GW in 2020, in line with growing demand for green H2, according to a new report by Rethink Energy.

The UK-based analyst says that Western manufacturers have already committed to building factories to produce more than 42GW of electrolysers annually by 2030, providing the crucial economies of scale that will help reduce the price of electrolysers from about $1,400/kW today to $340/kW by 2030.

These lower electrolyser costs, combined with reduced renewable energy prices, will help ensure that the average cost of green hydrogen globally will reach $1.50/kg by 2030, far below the current worldwide low of $4/kg in the US Northwest (according to S&P Global Platts).

UK Advanced Propulsion Centre reports on FCEV solutions for Li battery demand crunch - Weblink

The UK Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) recently raised concerns about the future lithium availability for EV batteries in an article highlighting a potential lithium demand crunch by 2030. The latest Q2 2022 Automotive Industry Demand Forecast by the APC highlights that global production of electric vehicles would require more than 2,900 GWh of batteries by 2030, but increasing demand for larger batteries could contribute to a potential lithium battery global annual shortfall of more than 1,000 GWh in 2030.

ScottishPower explores the opportunity to develop, build and operate a multi-hundred MW green H2 production facility at the Port of Felixstowe - Weblink

ScottishPower, with Hutchison Ports, is exploring the opportunity to develop, build and operate a multi-hundred MW green H2 production facility at the Port of Felixstowe – with the potential to decarbonize industry and transportation in the region.

The project could help kick-start the low carbon transformation of the UK’s heavy transport sector. The 100-MW facility could deliver up to 40 tpd of green H2, enough to power 1300 H2 trucks. International exports are also being explored.

Equinor’s H2H Saltend to proceed as one of the first large-scale H2 projects in the UK - Weblink

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy announced that Equinor’s H2 to Humber Saltend (H2H Saltend) production facility has been successfully progressed through Phase-2 of the Government’s cluster sequencing process.

The selected projects will now proceed to the due diligence stage of the Phase-2 cluster sequencing process to allow them to connect to the East Coast Cluster’s CO2 infrastructure and be operational in the mid-2020s.

668 homes, a church, and school receive hydrogen blend for 11 months in UK - Weblink

Northern Gas Networks has announced success from its trial where it introduced hydrogen blended with natural gas via a public natural gas network in Winlaton, Gateshead, UK.

According to the firm, the HyDeploy project saw up to 20% hydrogen blended with natural gas on its public network in Winlaton, supplying 668 homes, a church, and a school for 11 months. Northern Gas Networks has said, its customers continued to use their gas supply and appliances as normal, without any need for changes to appliances such as boilers, cookers, fires or pipework.

Loop Energy reveals plans for facility in the UK - Weblink

Hydrogen fuel cell manufacturer, Loop Energy has announced it will be extending its presence in Europe, with plans of expanding into the UK later in August (2022).

The Canadian firm revealed today (August 16), the expansion would see a new facility established in Grays, Essex, near a group of manufacturers driving transport decarbonisation.

Air Products and Associated British Ports partner on renewable H2 production - Weblink

Air Products and Associated British Ports (ABP) announced their intention to partner in bringing the first large scale, green H2 production facility to the UK.

The facility would import green ammonia from production locations operated by Air Products and its partners around the world. This would be used to produce green H2, which would decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors such as transport and industry.

UK music festival powered by hydrogen fuel cell generator - Weblink

In pursuit of cleaning up events, a hydrogen-powered generator was deployed at the major UK music festival, Boomtown Fair, providing power to the site’s public transport hub prior to and throughout the four-day festival.

Provided by Hydrologiq, the EODev GEH2 100kVA fuel cell generator offered a near-silent, emission-free alternative to traditional diesel power, offering a view into what the future of festival power could be.

Carlton Power unveils plans for 10MW hydrogen hub in South West of UK - Weblink

The South West of the UK could become home to a green hydrogen hub, as Carlton Power today (September 1) reveals plans to establish a 10MW hub in Devon and Cornwall.

Coming as a first for the two counties, the planned hub at Langage Solar Farm, eight miles east of Plymouth, Devon, is hoped to provide local companies, including industry and transport with easy access to hydrogen fuel.

Andrex manufacturer signs agreement to offtake hydrogen from Cumbria, UK, hub - Weblink

Manufacturer of consumer products including Andrex®, Kleenex®, and Huggies®, Kimberly-Clark has revealed it has signed an agreement to offtake hydrogen from the recently announced green hydrogen project in Cumbria, UK.

The agreement signed with Carlton Power will see hydrogen supplied to Kimberly-Clark’s manufacturing facility in Barrow-in-Furness, adjacent to the proposed Barrow Green Hydrogen scheme site.