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Released March 08, 2024 | SUGAR LAND
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Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--New agreements on so-called green hydrogen, a potent and clean energy carrier, show enthusiasm in the nascent technology continue after an initial phase of exuberance.
Hydrogen technologies are nothing new, but they emerged as the darling of the energy transition during the COVID-19 pandemic as fossil fuel use declined in response to the social restrictions meant to control the spread of the virus.
Hydrogen is a very potent energy carrier. This means it does well at moving usable energy from one place to the next. It can take more energy to produce it in some cases, but it has a high energy content per unit of weight, which makes it useful for rocket fuel and fuel cells. Hydrogen continues to be considered for a growing number of applications to help solve environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies, including use as a fuel source for industrial heating, power generation, fuel cells and many other applications. And while it's the most abundant element in the universe, it rarely exists by itself and must be produced from other molecules, such as methane (CH4) or water (H2O).
Hydrogen production processes are described using a color spectrum. So-called grey hydrogen breaks natural gas apart into carbon and hydrogen and is the most common production method today, though carbon is released as a byproduct. Blue hydrogen is similar to grey but employs processes to capture the carbon.
Green hydrogen uses an electric current to separate water into its elemental components of oxygen and hydrogen, with few harmful byproducts. This week, S&B Engineers (Houston, Texas) said it completed construction on what it said was the largest operating green hydrogen production facility in the United States.
The facility in Camden County, Georgia, has a peak capacity of 15 metric tons of liquefied hydrogen per day. It will service everything from fuel cells to power applications for customers such as Walmart, Amazon and The Home Depot.
"This achievement underscores S&B's capability to deliver sustainable energy solutions and stands as a significant contribution to the nation's growing green hydrogen infrastructure," said John Parker, S&B's president and chief operating officer.
Owned by Plug Power Incorporated (NASDAQ:PLUG) (Latham, New York), the facility was completed in 18 months. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Chemical Processing Project and Plant databases can click here for the project report and click here for the plant profile.
Elsewhere, Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) (San Jose, California) said it would work with Anglo-Dutch major Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) (London, England) to develop an electrolyzer for hydrogen production. Bloom said its technology can produce enough green hydrogen to offset supplies for fossil-fuel derived grey hydrogen. "This technology could represent a potentially transformative moment for opportunities to decarbonize several hard-to-abate industry sectors," said KR Sridhar, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Bloom Energy.
Those sectors include major industries such as steel and cement manufacturing, which typically rely heavily on fossil fuels and account for around a quarter of the world's annual emissions of carbon dioxide.
Critics of green hydrogen, however, argue the renewable resources used to power the electric current that breaks water into its elemental components would be better off on the grid. Recent analysis from consultant group Wood Mackenzie adds that once factors such as transportation come into play, emissions intensity starts to build up across the hydrogen value chain.
Green hydrogen also can be cost prohibitive. Analysis from PricewaterhouseCoopers, better known as PwC, found that costs will decline, however, by about 50% from current levels as early as 2030 and continue to fall from there as electrolyzer technology scales up.
Lucrative tax credits for hydrogen are embedded in U.S. President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act. The government in October offered $7 billion in funding to support the development of hydrogen hubs across the country.
Industrial Info estimates there are $9 billion worth of high-to-medium probability green commodities projects that will start construction this year in North America. Nearly all of that is slated for green hydrogen.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
Hydrogen technologies are nothing new, but they emerged as the darling of the energy transition during the COVID-19 pandemic as fossil fuel use declined in response to the social restrictions meant to control the spread of the virus.
Hydrogen is a very potent energy carrier. This means it does well at moving usable energy from one place to the next. It can take more energy to produce it in some cases, but it has a high energy content per unit of weight, which makes it useful for rocket fuel and fuel cells. Hydrogen continues to be considered for a growing number of applications to help solve environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies, including use as a fuel source for industrial heating, power generation, fuel cells and many other applications. And while it's the most abundant element in the universe, it rarely exists by itself and must be produced from other molecules, such as methane (CH4) or water (H2O).
Hydrogen production processes are described using a color spectrum. So-called grey hydrogen breaks natural gas apart into carbon and hydrogen and is the most common production method today, though carbon is released as a byproduct. Blue hydrogen is similar to grey but employs processes to capture the carbon.
Green hydrogen uses an electric current to separate water into its elemental components of oxygen and hydrogen, with few harmful byproducts. This week, S&B Engineers (Houston, Texas) said it completed construction on what it said was the largest operating green hydrogen production facility in the United States.
The facility in Camden County, Georgia, has a peak capacity of 15 metric tons of liquefied hydrogen per day. It will service everything from fuel cells to power applications for customers such as Walmart, Amazon and The Home Depot.
"This achievement underscores S&B's capability to deliver sustainable energy solutions and stands as a significant contribution to the nation's growing green hydrogen infrastructure," said John Parker, S&B's president and chief operating officer.
Owned by Plug Power Incorporated (NASDAQ:PLUG) (Latham, New York), the facility was completed in 18 months. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Chemical Processing Project and Plant databases can click here for the project report and click here for the plant profile.
Elsewhere, Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) (San Jose, California) said it would work with Anglo-Dutch major Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) (London, England) to develop an electrolyzer for hydrogen production. Bloom said its technology can produce enough green hydrogen to offset supplies for fossil-fuel derived grey hydrogen. "This technology could represent a potentially transformative moment for opportunities to decarbonize several hard-to-abate industry sectors," said KR Sridhar, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Bloom Energy.
Those sectors include major industries such as steel and cement manufacturing, which typically rely heavily on fossil fuels and account for around a quarter of the world's annual emissions of carbon dioxide.
Critics of green hydrogen, however, argue the renewable resources used to power the electric current that breaks water into its elemental components would be better off on the grid. Recent analysis from consultant group Wood Mackenzie adds that once factors such as transportation come into play, emissions intensity starts to build up across the hydrogen value chain.
Green hydrogen also can be cost prohibitive. Analysis from PricewaterhouseCoopers, better known as PwC, found that costs will decline, however, by about 50% from current levels as early as 2030 and continue to fall from there as electrolyzer technology scales up.
Lucrative tax credits for hydrogen are embedded in U.S. President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act. The government in October offered $7 billion in funding to support the development of hydrogen hubs across the country.
Industrial Info estimates there are $9 billion worth of high-to-medium probability green commodities projects that will start construction this year in North America. Nearly all of that is slated for green hydrogen.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
