New Energies, new possibilities

Receiving type approval from DNV, a leading maritime classification society, confirms that the Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System meets the most stringent performance and safety standards required by the maritime industry.

Olaf Drews, Head of Engines & Pressurized Equipment Maritime said: "It is a special fuel cell system, because the Pelican uses nitrogen for inerting of the fuel cell space. It is the first fuel cell system that uses this technology and this brings it to a very preferred safety level. This is a milestone, and we look forward to the first ship project."

Despite technology improvements and advancements in battery electric vessels, most vessels cannot achieve zero-emission operations for extended periods of time using batteries alone. For vessels on longer routes and vessels that are unable to charge often enough, we need to add clean fuel and fuel cells to enable extended zero-emission capabilities.

Corvus' CEO, Fredrik Witte, is clear on the success factors for the project: “Toyota's unsurpassed knowledge in developing high-quality and efficient fuel cells, in addition to the strong collaboration and high level of maritime experience among the partners in this development project, has been key. This is a milestone for net zero shipping. We now have a high-quality range extender to add to our existing ESS portfolio with the scalability and the safety needed to be a real driver in the future of marine decarbonisation.”

Proven in more than 30 000 cars worldwide, the building block of the Pelican FCS is a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell module from Toyota. According to Thiebault Paquet, Vice President of Toyota Hydrogen Factory Europe: “DNV Type Approval demonstrates that Toyota fuel cell technology is transferable to the marine sector and is a viable solution to support maritime decarbonisation efforts.”

Combining proven fuel cell technology with a built-for-maritime design, the inherently gas-safe Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System significantly streamlines integration with ship systems. In addition, to optimise power distribution between the fuel cell and energy storage systems, Corvus is developing a real-time advisory system for the shipowner called Corvus CoPilot – a proprietary digital solution designed to increase energy efficiency, enhance performance and extend system lifetime. Corvus CoPilot is complimented by Corvus’ robust digital solutions for energy storage, which include remote performance monitoring, troubleshooting, and State of Health Testing that are unmatched within the industry.

The first Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System is produced and ready to be installed onboard 'MS Skulebas', a 35 m fishing and training vessel owned by Vestland County and operated by Måløy Upper Secondary School in Norway. The vessel already has a 1 MWh battery system onboard. By adding the Corvus Pelican Fuel Cell System and hydrogen storage, the vessel will be able to operate for 4 days on zero emission.

Corvus Energy inherently gas-safe marine fuel cell system awarded type approval by DNV | Global Hydrogen Review

A major focus of this partnership will be the integration of HD KSOE EcoPhin’s eco propulsion systems — such as electrical and control systems — with Amogy’s ammonia-to-electrical power system to provide a turn-key solution to customers in the shipping industry to help with the electrification of their vessels. The two companies will work together to optimise these systems for seamless integration and improved performance. Additionally, they will explore further collaboration opportunities and potential commercial ventures to advance their shared goals.

Amogy’s ammonia-to-electrical power system splits, or 'cracks', liquid ammonia into its base elements of hydrogen and nitrogen, which then funnels the hydrogen into a fuel cell, generating high-performance power without carbon emissions. This technology offers a sustainable, clean energy solution, tailored for hard-to-abate sectors like maritime shipping, as well as stationary power generation applications.

“PEM fuel cells will be one of the main power sources in the near future, especially for small and medium sized vessels. So we are pleased to have a powerful partner, Amogy,” said Jongkuk Park, COO of HD KSOE EcoPhin. “We will integrate Amogy’s system into our eco propulsion system from power generation to propulsion and provide our customers with the most optimised solution.”

“We are thrilled to announce our partnership with HD KSOE EcoPhin,” said Seonghoon Woo, CEO of Amogy. “By integrating HD KSOE EcoPhin’s propulsion systems with Amogy’s innovative ammonia-powered core technology, we are poised to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of maritime energy systems. We look forward to the opportunities this collaboration will bring.”

HD KSOE EcoPhin and Amogy partner to advance ammonia-powered solutions for maritime industry | Global Hydrogen Review

Saudi Arabia’s NEOM Green Hydrogen Plant launches mass recruitment drive.

NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC) has initiated a major recruitment campaign for its world-leading green hydrogen plant in Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city NEOM, as the project moves closer to its operational phase.

The $8.4 billion facility, set to be the world’s largest green hydrogen production plant, is progressing on schedule for full operations by the end of 2026. The project aims to produce up to 600 tonnes of carbon-free hydrogen daily, potentially eliminating five million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

Wesam Alghamdi, CEO of NGHC, highlighted the project’s alignment with Saudi Vision 2030, stating:

By bringing together top talent from Saudi Arabia and around the world, we are building a skilled team to deliver the world’s largest green hydrogen plant and kick off operations, setting the stage for a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.

Recruitment drive attracts thousands

NGHC’s recent virtual career fair saw over 9,000 registrations, indicating strong interest in the project. The company is seeking talent across various functions, including Corporate, EHSS, Risk, Operations & Maintenance, Finance, and IT & Cyber Security.

As of early August 2024, 16 percent of NGHC’s workforce is female, and 43 percent are Saudi nationals. The company aims to create over 300 direct jobs in NEOM when fully operational by the end of 2026.

Alghamdi added:

“We are committed to working closely with universities in the Kingdom to encourage young people to take up roles in our exciting industry,”

Project details and global impact

The green hydrogen plant, an equal joint venture between ACWA Power, Air Products, and NEOM, will be located in NEOM’s OXAGON. It will integrate up to 4GW of solar and wind energy, with around 5.6 million solar panels and over 250 wind turbines powering 2.2GW of electrolysers.

Producing 600 tonnes of green hydrogen daily is enough to power around 20,000 hydrogen-fuelled buses and trucks around the world and will save almost five million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year compared to diesel trucks or buses.

The green hydrogen will be exported in the form of green ammonia by Air Products, the exclusive 30-year off-taker, for use in hard-to-abate sectors including heavy industry and transportation.

Saudi Arabia’s clean energy transition

This project is a significant step in Saudi Arabia’s pivot towards renewable energy, supporting the Kingdom’s pledge to generate at least 50 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2030 as part of the Saudi Green Initiative.

As NGHC continues its recruitment drive and project development, it positions itself not only as a key player in Saudi Arabia’s energy transition but also as a potential global leader in the green hydrogen sector.

Source: Hydrogencentral

China – Hydrogen electrolyzers latest star export item.

China, celebrated for its strides in sectors such as electric vehicles, lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic technologies, is now on the brink of embracing yet another major potential export product in the realm of new energy products — hydrogen electrolyzers.

Hydrogen electrolyzers use electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. For decades, the hydrogen electrolyzer, a technology entrenched in China’s industrial landscape, primarily served domestic sectors like glassmaking and steel, with only limited export orders.

However, as the global appetite for green hydrogen escalates, a transformative shift is underway. Chinese hydrogen electrolyzer exports are experiencing an unprecedented surge, propelled by booming demand for sustainable solutions in Europe and the Middle East, catapulting this once niche equipment onto the international stage, executives and analysts said.

Beijing Peric Hydrogen Technologies Co, a manufacturer of hydrogen electrolyzers, has seen its export revenue double for three consecutive years due to surging global demand, said Li Haipeng, the company’s marketing director.

The company’s export value of hydrogen electrolyzers reached approximately 70 million yuan ($9.8 million) in 2021, followed by a surge to around 170 million yuan in 2022 and a further jump to nearly 300 million yuan in 2023, Li said, adding that over the next 10 years, order volumes are expected to be over 10 times current levels.

Shandong Saikesaisi Hydrogen Energy Co expects its overseas revenue to overtake domestic performance by the end of this year. Looking beyond the immediate horizon, a bold prediction emerges as a potential reality — a growth surge of several magnitudes in the entire foreign market following a five-year development period.

Rewind the clock two decades and it would have been hard to imagine the vibrant export situation that China’s hydrogen electrolyzer industry now commands, Li said, as the international market size was only around 500-600 million yuan back then.

The explosive growth in China’s hydrogen electrolyzer exports can be traced back to the recent surge in global demand for green hydrogen, according to industry experts.

The International Energy Agency recently said that amid pathways to realizing net-zero emissions by 2050, global hydrogen demand is projected to climb to 528 million metric tons by the middle of the century.

In particular, the report said that around 60 percent of this hydrogen will be produced through water electrolysis, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the world’s total electricity supply.

As countries and industries increasingly seek to decarbonize their operations, the need for high-performance, cost-effective hydrogen production solutions has skyrocketed — and China’s electrolyzer manufacturers have been quick to capitalize on this global trend, said Yu Zhuoping, director of the expert committee for China Hydrogen Alliance.

To accommodate more overseas orders, Chinese electrolyzer manufacturers are proactively scaling up their production capabilities.

Source:  Hydrogencentral

Establishing US center of excellence through a transfer of technology and localization of assembly to enhance customer service and ensure faster delivery.

MILAN, ITALY-- Industrie De Nora, an Italian multinational company listed on the Euronext Milan, specialized in sustainable electrochemical technologies and in the emerging green hydrogen industry, is launching a regional version of its CECHLO-MS 200 ion exchange membrane electrolysis (IEM) technology for the North American market. The initiative will streamline procurement and strengthen local support for municipal and industrial partners using CECHLO™-MS systems for on-site chlorine generation, a proven solution that enhances sustainability and future proofs water and wastewater treatment operations against chemical market volatility.

Backed by 100 years of expertise in electrochemistry, CECHLO-MS 200 systems were introduced in 2021 and quickly adopted into projects in Hong Kong, Korea and Australia. Since then, the company has continuously used customer feedback to standardize the design and introduce enhancements that optimize footprint and ease of use. The plug-and-play, skid-mounted MS 200 systems leverage CECHLO chlor-alkali process technology already installed at 450 sites. These systems feature proprietary DSA® electrodes and high efficiency ion exchange membranes, which are trusted to support approximately 70 percent of global chlorine production. The US launch will take place in October at WEFTEC, a leading water quality event hosted by the Water Environment Foundation (WEF).

CECHLO-MS 200 is an on-site electrolyzer that can safely produce, according to customers’ requirement, either high strength, 12.5 percent sodium hypochlorite or chlorine gas and caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) using just three simple and common consumables – salt, water and electricity. The technology mitigates risks associated with delivering and storing hazardous chemicals. CECHLO-MS 200 modular systems generate from 250 to 3,000 kilograms per day of free chlorine and treat up to 1 million cubic meters per day with low power consumption and no unwanted byproducts, offering maximum efficiency in an ESG-conscious solution.

Modular CECHLO-MS systems come fully automated with remote monitoring capabilities that do not require special training or certifications. Their flexible design enables customers to easily curtail production output, adding capacity without increasing footprint and offering decentralized operations for fresh disinfectant at a reduced cost. Options for demonstration and test agreements will be available in the US market as an introduction to the technology, allowing field demonstration of its competitive Levelized Cost of Operation (LCO).

Product specifications and case studies will be showcased during a WEFTEC presentation at De Nora booth 2616 on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 11:30 a.m.

About De Nora

Industrie De Nora is an Italian multinational company listed on the Euronext Milan stock exchange, specializing in electrochemistry, a leader in sustainable technologies, and has a pivotal role in the industrial green hydrogen production chain. The Company has a portfolio of products and systems to optimize the energy efficiency of critical industrial electrochemical processes and a range of products and solutions for water treatment. Globally, Industrie De Nora is the world's largest supplier of activated electrodes (serving a broad portfolio of customers operating in the fields of chlorine and caustic soda production, components for electronics, and non-ferrous metal refining). Industrie De Nora is also among the world's leading suppliers of water filtration and disinfection technologies (for the industrial and municipal sectors) and the world's leading swimming pool disinfection components supplier. Leveraging its well-established electrochemical knowledge, proven manufacturing capability, and a supply chain established over the years, the Company has developed and qualified a portfolio of electrodes and components to produce hydrogen through the electrolysis of water, which is critical for the energy transition. In this sector, the company also holds 25.85% of thyssenkrupp nucera AG &Co. KGaA, a joint venture established with the thyssenkrupp group.

Founded in 1923, Industrie De Nora generated total revenues of around EUR 856 million and an Adjusted EBITDA of approx. EUR 171 million in 2023. The Company's growth process has developed organically through continued penetration of new markets and applications and through acquisitions in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. De Nora’s continuous innovation drives its growth, represented by its evolving intellectual property portfolio, which currently includes more than 280 patent families with more than 2,800 territorial extensions. The De Nora family controls the Group, which owns 53.3% of the Company’s share capital. Snam S.p.A. is a minority shareholder with about 21.6% of the capital.
 

Source: Fuelcellsworks