H2 Energy Group

Construction has started despite the Belgian Government withdrawing a €250m ($270m) funding package that was earmarked for the pipeline network last month. Nevertheless, an online statement released by Fluxys claimed the government will back the initial project through the European Resilience and Recovery Fund. The initial pipeline projects will be built in the port areas of Antwerp and Ghent, as well as the route connecting them between Kallo and Zelzate. The pipelines will be open-access, meaning any company can use them to supply or receive hydrogen. “The decision to build these first hydrogen pipelines was made after extensive consultations with [...]

Alongside the Chancellor’s Spring statement today (March 26), the Treasury said the government would work to remove the Climate Change Levy (CCL) costs from electricity used in electrolysis. The CCL is an energy tax on commercial users to encourage businesses to become more energy-efficient and cut carbon emissions. Currently, the electricity CCL is charged at £0.00775/kWh. Now, the government will conduct a review of the CCL to “simplify” it for hydrogen producers and “ensure it does not act as a barrier to low-carbon electrolytic hydrogen production.” Electricity is the single biggest OPEX cost in electrolytic hydrogen production – accounting for [...]

Politico today (March 26) released a report which said sources had told the publication that a list circulating within the DOE suggests blue-state projects could have funding their Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding cut. However, it suggests funding for the three hubs in Republican states would be maintained. It comes after President Donald Trump suspended funding from the IIJA in a directive to reduce waste and end some of the Biden administration’s climate-focused spending. The seven hydrogen hubs secured the first tranche of their combined $7bn in funding before Biden left office to support preliminary studies. Politico [...]

The nationwide fixed fee will apply to everyone using the network until 2055, with regulators checking its progress every three years. The German Government has said the ramp-up fee is required to cover the high upfront costs of building and operating the network at a time when demand is still low. They aim to keep prices reasonable to encourage early use and spreading costs over time. This approach assumes that as demand grows, future revenues will offset initial losses. “With our proposal, we ensure the use of the hydrogen core network at a reasonable price,” Klaus Müller, President of BnetzA [...]

Matthieu Boisson, Managing Director at CertifHy, the industrial-backed verification programme, claimed the three certification bodies will help ensure the “integrity and transparency of sustainable hydrogen production.” From 2030, RFNBO rules will require green hydrogen producers to use electricity from newly built renewable sources, located in the same grid zone and matched on an hourly basis. Only hydrogen that meets these criteria can qualify for EU subsidies or favourable regulatory treatment. Belgium’s Vinçotte and TÜD Rheinland and TÜD SÜD from Germany will audit hydrogen producers to confirm their hydrogen is made using new, local renewable electricity matched hourly, and confirm that [...]

In 2023 the French firm was placed into receivership, in which an independent third party takes control of company assets, operations and finances. At the time, the court froze Hopium’s debts as it determined a recovery plan. The focus is now on delivering 100kW and 200kW fuel cell modules, which Hopium has said will be 30% smaller and 20% lighter than competitor products, weighing 25kg. Hopium has also cut its headcount to around 30 people and significantly streamlined its cost structure. To support its strategic shift, the company estimates it will need an additional €8m ($8.6m) in 2025 and a [...]

The stacks will initially be manufactured at Bosch’s Bamberg plant in Germany. Bosch is also working with German-based Fest to integrate the stacks into a containerised 2.5MW system. Initially, the pair will deploy a system at Bosch’s Bamberg plant where hydrogen will be used to conduct endurance testing on its fuel cells. Power from Bosch’s fuel cells will be fed back into the electrolyser to test real-world cycling and integration. Looking ahead, Bosch says it is planning to work on “several” European projects this year. “Hydrogen is a strategic growth field for Bosch,” said board member Markus Heyn. “We expect [...]

Fabrum and Ara Ake will develop the systems for Stralis Aircraft’s fixed-wing aeroplane. Under the partnership, Stralis will deliver the hydrogen-electric propulsion systems and aircraft integrated with Fabrum’s tanks and fuel system. “Our hydrogen liquefier provides readily available liquid hydrogen onsite, allowing the capability to access the critical fuel source to prove and test the tanks and fuel system we are developing for Stralis and their fixed-wing fuel cell electric aircraft,” explained Christopher Boyle, Managing Director of Fabrum. “With Ara Ake’s support, we are excited to deliver our lightweight composite tanks and fuel system for Stralis to advance the future [...]

Next to this, workers in carbon-intensive sectors are likely to have many of the necessary skills to work in clean energy project management, engineering and construction roles. The two regions most likely to draw clean energy workers are Scotland (accounting for 16% of adverts) and the South West of the UK (14%), the plan notes. However it finds “acute” skills challenges are anticipated across clean energy sectors, and an education drive is essential as 63% of 16- to 24-year-olds “had never heard of green skills and didn’t know what they are.” The skills gap is likely to be exacerbated by [...]

Two GenH2 trucks were tested at the Simplon Pass in the canton of Valais to validate their fuel cells, batteries, e-axles, hydrogen tanks, and thermal management. Climbing from 600 metres to over 2,000 metres, Dr. Rainer Müller-Finkeldei, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks Product Engineering, said the route provided good conditions for testing the interplay of the fuel cell system with other components. The testing lasted 14 days, with the two trucks covering 6,500km and climbing a combined 83,000 metres, where they tackled 20km-long uphill and downhill stretches with gradients of up to 12%. The vehicles were refuelled by a mobile Air [...]