Kimberly
Green Hydrogen Companies
As renewable energy sources become more common, more green hydrogen companies are sprouting up. Enegix Energy, Bloom Energy, Air Liquide, and Sinopec Star Co. have all made huge moves forward in this area.
These companies have many uses for green hydrogen and are a good start for the future of energy. However, curtailment is a serious issue on an increasing number of grids. So, how are these companies getting their products to market?
Enegix Energy
There are a few green hydrogen companies. Enegix is one of them, and it is aiming to shift the world's energy supply toward hydrogen.
Instead of concentrating on creating clean vehicles, it is building the infrastructure needed to transition to green hydrogen. This can eventually replace oil and coal, and leapfrog other renewable energy sources. The company says that the project will take three to four years to build.
China is the world's largest producer of hydrogen, but most of its hydrogen is still produced from polluting fossil fuels. Recently, China announced that it plans to build a mega green hydrogen plant in Inner Mongolia for $3 billion.
Brazil's renewable energy matrix is 48%, much higher than the global average of 14%. In fact, the country derives a majority of its electricity from renewable sources.
Hydrogen is a clean, abundant source of energy. Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in nature, and demand has tripled since 1975. Today, it accounts for about 70 million tonnes of hydrogen per year. Hydrogen also produces zero residue in the air, making it a perfect energy source.
With this, we could be living in a very different world in twenty-five years. And with the growing use of hydrogen, the Northeast region can play an important role in the international green hydrogen market.
Air Liquide
Air Liquide is a French company and global leader in gases. With offices in 78 countries, Air Liquide employs 64,500 people and serves more than 3.8 million customers and patients around the world.
Hydrogen is an important molecule that fuels life, energy, and matters. As a result, the company is committed to developing green solutions for energy and climate change, while also progressing in other areas like healthcare, high technologies, and digitalization.
As a hydrogen pioneer, Air Liquide is tackling the problem of carbon emissions and is working on innovative solutions to reduce emissions. With a vision of being carbon neutral by 2050, hydrogen will be essential in decarbonizing heavy industry and revolutionizing clean mobility.
The company has built a strong hydrogen expertise, enabling it to master the entire hydrogen value chain, from hydrogen production to storage. That means Air Liquide can deliver clean and green hydrogen to its customers.
In addition to reducing emissions, Air Liquide also aims to produce clean hydrogen for the transportation sector. The company has a hydrogen production facility in La Porte, Texas, and a network of hydrogen pipelines that stretches 200 miles (322 km) and provides 4.5 billion cubic feet of storage capacity.
Those are all positive factors for a green hydrogen company. A successful future for Air Liquide and its customers depends on these three factors.
Bloom Energy
The largest natural gas distribution utility in the United States announced a collaboration with Bloom Energy to produce hydrogen and blend it into its natural gas network, which serves the University of California campuses.
The two companies will demonstrate how hydrogen can be used to decarbonize natural gas infrastructure and balance the world's energy supply. The collaboration will begin next year on the campus of California Institute of Technology. If successful, it could help make hydrogen more affordable and accessible to the general public.
Several countries have committed to net-zero emissions goals over the next few decades, and hydrogen is essential for this goal. While electricity is a renewable energy source, 30% of energy-related CO2 emissions are due to fossil fuels, and electricity alone cannot help mitigate these emissions.
That's why hydrogen is vital to decarbonize heavy industries. As hydrogen continues to become increasingly common, it is becoming possible to combine renewable sources of energy with hydrogen to produce electricity.
In Texas, approximately 60% of homes use electricity to heat their homes and businesses, while the remaining population relies on natural gas or propane. Because natural gas or propane requires a significant amount of maintenance, power plants must shut down during sprint season to cool down.
But with the rising costs of natural gas and propane, hydrogen is an excellent complement to renewable energy. This energy source is carbon-free and can provide long-duration storage for businesses and remote communities.
Sinopec Star Co.
Sinopec Star is a subsidiary of Sinopec, the largest oil refining conglomerate in the world. SINOPEC Star is based in Beijing, China, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
The company focuses on renewable energy and geothermal energy, as well as the comprehensive utilization of natural gas. It also offers engineering services overseas. Sinopec Star has an established track record of success and is a highly regarded name in the industry.
The company has been aggressively expanding its focus on clean energy and plans to lead the country's hydrogen refueling infrastructure. It already owns 30,000 gas stations in China and has plans to turn some of them into hybrid fuel stations.
As a major hydrogen supplier, Sinopec plans to develop green hydrogen and is pursuing this goal through its Star Co. subsidiary. Although it has not released CAPEX figures for either plan, it has announced that it is currently producing 3.5 million tonnes of hydrogen a year.
It has also announced plans to convert 38,000 conventional gas stations into hybrid fuel stations, which will combine hydrogen refueling with electric vehicle charging. Sinopec has recently signed investment agreements with two companies developing fuel cell technology: Air Liquide of France and Cummins.
The company also has exploration projects in Rivers State. And earlier this year, it acquired Addax Petroleum and began supplying electricity. These investments will help Sinopec expand its operations in Africa and Latin America.
Yara Energy
If you are thinking about going green, you may want to consider Yara Energy. The Swedish company uses water electrolysis to create green hydrogen and partially replace the gray hydrogen it currently consumes at its ammonia plant.
The process produces green hydrogen and removes 41,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – equivalent to the emissions of approximately 16,000 passenger cars. In addition, the process produces up to 20,500 tonnes of ammonia a year, which can be converted to 60,000-80,000 tonnes of green fertilizer.
Yara is working with Linde Engineering to develop its green hydrogen plant. Yara has received funding from Enova and Linde Engineering to design the first green hydrogen plant. Yara and ENGIE are collaborating on developing green hydrogen technology and making it affordable.
This partnership is expected to lead to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of jobs. The hydrogen plant will eventually replace fossil fuels and natural gas.
Yara is also building a renewable ammonia plant, the YURI renewable ammonia project, in Western Australia. The Pilbara fertilizer plant provides the ideal site for demonstrating the production of green hydrogen and ammonia.
The Pilbara site is expected to produce 850,000 tons of ammonia a year, equivalent to 5% of the world's merchant ammonia. It will also use natural gas as fuel, and sit next to abundant wind and solar energy resources.
SPIC Hydrogen Technology Development Corp.
China is eager to make its energy security a priority by developing a hydrogen industry that will help the automobile sector become cleaner and more efficient. As a result, the Chinese government included the development of hydrogen stations for new energy vehicles in its 2017 government work report. China's SPIC Hydrogen Energy Co. is a major player in the hydrogen industry and focuses on boosting its innovation ability in a number of key areas.
In 2017, the two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding that outlines their collaboration on hydrogen technology development and utilisation. The agreement also includes plans to expand their cooperation to other green hydrogen projects in the future. Green hydrogen can only be produced with the use of electricity from renewable sources.
The two companies also intend to work together to establish a competency center to develop electrolytic hydrogen. Ultimately, the collaboration is expected to create a high-tech clean energy ecosystem.
The Chinese government recently issued a document that outlines the key technologies to be used for hydrogen production and distribution. The document also calls for China to use hydrogen in relevant areas of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2022.
Similarly, other major energy-consuming countries have renewed their initiatives on hydrogen and moved quickly to demonstrate early commercial applications. Ultimately, the hydrogen technology revolution will have a profound impact on energy security and the environment.
Sources:
- Bloom Energy: https://www.bloomenergy.com/
- SPIC Hydrogen Technology Development Corp.: https://www.power-technology.com/projects/hydrogen-energy-research-centre-hyrec/
