New Energies, new possibilities

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

De Nora together with Maffei Sarda Silicati to build a plant that will generate about 50 tons per year of Green Hydrogen in Sardinia

Ossi (Sassari), November 12, 2024 – De Nora – an Italian multinational company specializing in electrochemistry and a leader in sustainable technologies and the emerging green hydrogen industry – is partnering with Maffei Sarda Silicati to build a green hydrogen production plant located in the Sardinian municipality of Ossi (Sassari).

The project, financed through PNRR funds and promoted by the local company Maffei Sarda Silicati – operating in the field of extraction, processing, and marketing of raw materials mainly intended for the ceramic and hollow glass markets- is coordinated by Make Energy as technical advisor and sees De Nora involved for the supply of its Dragonfly® small electrolyzer, with a production capacity of 1 MW.

The production site, located on a decommissioned industrial area in the municipality of Ossi, will be redeveloped by Maffei Sarda SilicatI itself and will generate about 50 tons of hydrogen per year, which the Sardinian company will use to power its industrial plant, partly replacing the fossil fuel currently used, with significant decarbonization benefits. In addition, the green hydrogen plant will be powered by a new 1.5 MW photovoltaic plant located in the same area, thus ensuring a 100% sustainable industrial process.

Significantly, the role of the municipal administration, which is in charge of issuing the compulsory authorizations for the construction of the plant, was immediately welcomed by the Mayor of Ossi – Pasquale Libinu.

In addition to meeting Maffei Sarda Silicati’s energy needs, the green hydrogen thus generated may have various applications, such as in sustainable mobility, industry, power generation, and heating, positively contributing to the decarbonization of the Sardinia Region.

Paolo Dellachà, CEO of De Nora, commented,

We are proud to have been selected as a partner in this project that will significantly boost Sardinia’s green transition.

“Through its sustainable and innovative solutions, such as the Dragonfly® electrolyzer, De Nora is once again a facilitator of green production processes, positively impacting territories and communities. Our electrolyzer, developed in-house and patented, is confirmed to be a leading product, particularly suitable for local industrial needs, as a modular plug-and-play solution.”

Federico Fiorelli, President of Maffei Sarda Silicati, added,

Maffei Sarda Silicati SpA is pleased to announce the agreement reached with the company De Nora; agreement implemented for the construction and installation of a 1 MW electrolyzer by June 2026 that will be used for the production of green hydrogen.

“The hydrogen will be fed into the drying process of the sands mined by the company, with a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. This is yet another step that Maffei Sarda Silicati SpA is taking to achieve zero emissions within all its activities and increasingly in line with its policy of respect for the environment.”

Pasquale Libinu, Mayor of Ossi:

The topic of renewable energy sources has become increasingly relevant; the innovative project presented by Maffei and the PNRR funding achieved is also a good result because they are located on a site that was exploited from a mining point of view, then restored and now again affected by this intervention.

“The future, which requires more and more energy, is not in coal or other fossil sources but in the use of clean energies, which must be realized not only because they are incentivized but because they are necessary for the environment.“

READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central

De Nora together with Maffei Sarda Silicati to build a plant that will generate about 50 tons per year of Green Hydrogen in Sardinia, source  

De Nora together with Maffei Sarda Silicati to build a plant that will generate about 50 tons per year of Green Hydrogen in Sardinia - Hydrogen Central (hydrogen-central.com)

The Norwegian manufacturer is currently in talks with the European Commission to clarify regulations that could restrict its equipment from being used in subsidised green hydrogen projects

Norwegian electrolyser manufacturer HydrogenPro has warned in its Q3 results that its reliance on China for its supply chain could present a risk for future revenue.

In September, the European Commission introduced a new rule for its upcoming €2.2bn ($2.33bn) European Hydrogen Bank auction, which would restrict bidders to sourcing no more than 25% of their electrolysers from China.

Given that HydrogenPro’s 500MW of stack manufacturing capacity is based in Tianjin, China, this presents a risk that the Norwegian company will be avoided by developers bidding for EU subsidies.“First, I want to emphasise here that import from China is not banned or embargoed. The European content is only relevant for those projects being subsidised by EU,” said CEO Jarle Dragvik on an earnings call, adding that in HydrogenPro’s portfolio, 75% of its projects were not dependent on EU funding.

Dragvik noted that the firm, along with its EPC partner Andritz, is currently engaged in discussions with the European Commission to clarify the regulations.

“What qualifies and what doesn’t qualify? Until now, the Hydrogen Bank has admitted that it cannot answer, and do not know themselves how to understand their own requirements,” he argued.The CEO said the company is confident that it can qualify as European supply for customers that have been awarded subsidies already, such as Salzgitter, which had been given the greenlight for €1bn in federal and state funding in Germany.“We have a European base, we are assembling in Europe, and we are coating [electrodes] in Europe,” Dragvik said, adding that the company was investigating whether it could move other aspects of the supply chain from China to Europe without increasing costs.

The firm has already decided to invest NKr70m ($6.3m) in a new production line for electrodes in Denmark, which in August had been increased from 90-100MW to 350MW of capacity with no additional investment.The firm’s Danish subsidiary had been awarded an EU Innovation Fund grant worth €16.5m ($17.5m) and DKr35m ($5m) from the Danish Export and Investment Fund towards the electrode production line, which is due to start up in the first quarter of next year.

Dragvik also noted in the call that the results of the US election have had little impact on the firm’s discussion with American clients. “Concerns related to the political changes in the US are not reflected by our prospects. From my point of view, I am more optimistic now than I was 15 months ago, when I started my tenure.”

'Slower pace than initially planned'
HydrogenPro has struggled over the past year, as it has been slow to secure firm orders to rebuild its backlog while delivering equipment to its flagship customers, the 220MW ACES Delta project in the US and the 100MW project by Salzgitter in Germany.While its result for Q3 2024 — a loss of NKr38m — was comparable to its NKr34m loss for the same quarter a year ago, its loss for the year to date has slipped to NKr162m, or more than double the loss for 2023 as a whole.

This is in part due to lower revenue this year, with around NKr126m in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to NKr441m secured in the same period last year.“Within HydrogenPro’s pipeline, projects are maturing and developing towards FID [final investment decision],” the firm noted in its report. “However, some projects may still experience delays in reaching fruition, primarily due to some funding uncertainties and the challenge of establishing viable offtake agreements.”

The manufacturer added that some projects in its pipeline may end up scaling back scope or capacity compared to what customers had originally envisaged.

HydrogenPro noted in its report that the wider market for green hydrogen projects has seen a number of high-profile cancellations in recent months.“For HydrogenPro’s portfolio of projects, whether undertaken independently or in partnership, we have observed relatively few cancellations or any significant delays, although the pace is somewhat slower than initially planned,” the manufacturer pointed out in its report.

It added that projects focusing on hydrogen derivatives such as ammonia or its use as a fuel are seeing more activity than green hydrogen for refining or as feedstock for synthetic aviation fuel.

“This trend may be due to the substantial hydrogen volumes these industries require, combined with anticipated lower carbon taxation and the allowance of low-carbon hydrogen (such as blue hydrogen) in several major projects.”

'Our reliance on manufacturing electrolyser stacks in China presents a risk', admits HydrogenPro | Hydrogen Insight