New Energies, new possibilities

BAKU, Azerbaijan-- China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation ("Sinopec", HKG: 0386) has successfully hosted a multilateral event themed Hydrogen Powering Climate Action: Towards A Clean Energy Future with Net-Zero Emissions on November 13rd at the China Pavilion of the 29th Conference of the Parties ("COP29").

Jointly organized by Sinopec, International Hydrogen Fuel Cell Association (IHFCA), and Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (FECO), the event marked a significant milestone as the first hydrogen-themed event co-hosted by a Chinese company at the COP conference.

Two reports were published at the event, the Progress Report on Implementation of the COP28 International Cooperation Initiative "Safe, Climate Beneficial and Sustainable Development of Hydrogen Energy" and IHFCA Green Hydrogen Economy Report, that presented the progress of China's hydrogen energy innovation and practices, unfolded the country's green and low-carbon development, and promoted safe, efficient, and sustainable development of hydrogen energy and international cooperation.

Sinopec, a pioneer in developing green hydrogen, geothermal, and CCUS technologies, accentuates advancing international technological exchanges and cooperation. Ma Yongsheng, chairman of Sinopec, delivered a compelling keynote speech at the event. He emphasized the importance of collective action in building a robust hydrogen industry ecosystem and transitioning towards a "hydrogen era" in the energy sector, while stressing the need for enhanced international cooperation, openness and innovation as well as trade facilitation across the hydrogen industry value chain.

"Sinopec is dedicated to working with all stakeholders and global partners to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals as we address the pressing climate challenges. Together, we are committed to forging a green, peaceful and sustainable future for our planet," said Ma Yongsheng.

Sinopec is gradually establishing a comprehensive industry chain of hydrogen production, storage, transportation, utilization and research, further boosting green hydrogen production capacity and exploring emission reduction solutions in refining and chemical industries. It has put into operation China's first 20,000-ton photovoltaic green hydrogen demonstration project and is now planning the 100,000-ton/year wind and green hydrogen integration project.

As the world's largest single enterprise operating hydrogen refueling stations, Sinopec has built 11 hydrogen fuel cell supply centers and 138 hydrogen refueling stations. In 2023, the stations accounted for about 40 percent of China's hydrogen refueling volume.

Source: SINOPEC

Tata Steel has signed an agreement with CO2 shipping firm Ecolog, the Port of Amsterdam and green hydrogen project developer Gen2 Energy to develop a corridor for shipments of liquid H2 produced in Norway to the Netherlands to be used in green steelmaking.

Gen2 Energy currently has four projects in Norway under development, which aim to use hydropower to produce green hydrogen, with at least two facilities scheduled to start operations in 2027.

Ecolog has agreed to ship the hydrogen as a liquid in self-designed carriers to a planned terminal at the Port of Amsterdam, where it will re-gasify the H2 for delivery via pipeline to Tata Steel’s Ijmuiden site near the port.

The steelmaker currently had two direct iron reduction plants on order with Italian firm Danieli, although in a recent memorandum of understanding for offtake by building materials firm Lindab, it had scheduled green hydrogen-based steel production to only begin in 2030.

While direct iron reduction using renewable H2 has almost no emissions, Tata Steel noted: “In the production of steel, even in the new Green Steel installations, a small amount of CO2 is still emitted.”

However, it added that these emissions are still a fraction of what is emitted by coal-fired blast furnaces.

The steelmaker has signed a separate agreement with Ecolog to also ship liquid CO2 captured from its Dutch facility for subsea storage on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. Ecolog plans to recycle the “cold energy” released during the regasification of liquid hydrogen — which has to be kept at minus-253°C — to liquefy the CO2.

“This creates a liquid hydrogen/CO2 corridor, with efficient management of energy,” the steelmaker said.

However, no commitments have been made when it comes to volumes of hydrogen or CO2, while Gen2 Energy’s projects hinge on the necessary approvals being in place.

Meanwhile, liquid hydrogen has been criticised by many analysts as an inefficient method of transporting H2, compared to ammonia, which actually contains more hydrogen molecules by volume and is easier to store and transport.

Source: Tata
 

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: Fuel Cells Works