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Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and Fuji Electric to unveil world’s first hydrogen-cartridge-powered vending machine at Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Inc. and Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. will unveil the world’s first (Note 1) vending machine that uses hydrogen cartridges to generate power (hereinafter referred to as “this vending machine”) at EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan (hereinafter “Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025″).

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and Fuji Electric have developed a vending machine that uses hydrogen as its power source, which is expected to serve as a new alternative energy that could further drive the ongoing efforts to reduce CO2

emissions with an aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. As the next-generation vending machine that is unaffected by weather or location and emits no CO2 while operating, one unit of this vending machine will be installed at Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 site that is conceptualized to be the “People’s Living Lab” where advanced technologies from Japan and abroad will be brought together, offering many visitors an opportunity to experience “the vending machine of the future.”

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and Fuji Electric intend to continue contributing to the realization of a decarbonized society through the development of environmentally friendly vending machines.

(Note 1) As of October 30, 2024, according to Fuji Electric (Note 2) The design may be subject to change.

Hydrogen energy is highly compatible as a power source for vending machines because it allows the machines to run in any weather conditions and does not require much space to operate them. Challenges to address going forward include the infrastructure for supplying hydrogen and optimization of the overall cost.

Hydrogen energy is highly compatible as a power source for vending machines because it allows the machines to run in any weather conditions and does not require much space to operate them. Challenges to address going forward include the infrastructure for supplying hydrogen and optimization of the overall cost.

More information on the vending machine that uses hydrogen cartridge to generate power: https://youtu.be/0AY1uChkiYY Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and Fuji Electric to unveil world’s first hydrogen-cartridge-powered vending machine at Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025, 

Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan and Fuji Electric to unveil world's first hydrogen-cartridge-powered vending machine at Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 - Hydrogen Central (hydrogen-central.com)

CF Industries plans to take a final investment decision on a new blue ammonia facility early next year.

With 1.4 million tonnes a year of production capacity, the project would be even larger than the US fertiliser company’s Donaldsonville No. 6 plant — the world’s biggest single grey NH3 production unit built to date (which, incidentally, is part of a complex due to be retrofitted with carbon capture equipment to enable production of blue ammonia).

“Our evaluation of the greenfield low-carbon ammonia plant is advancing well with a final investment decision expected in early 2025,” chief operating officer Christopher Bohn told an analyst call this week.

“We are nearing completion of our autothermal reforming ammonia plant FEED [front-end engineering design] study, giving us greater clarity on the capital required to construct new capacity.”

However, CF Industries CEO W. Anthony Will told the call that the cost of the project would be “in the neighbourhood of $4bn”.

This is double the $2bn estimate that had been announced by state agency Louisiana Economic Development in September 2023.

The fertiliser company is confident that low-carbon ammonia will be competitive, particularly when exported to Europe as the EU phases in its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

Bohn noted that European ammonia production capacity is already being shut down, increasing dependence on imported volumes.

“By 2030, we would see that there’d probably be another three million to four million nutrient tonnes of imports required into Europe,” the COO estimated, adding that some of this would take the form of raw ammonia and some the form of upgraded nitrogen fertilisers.

While ammonia production within Europe would have to meet a target of 42% renewable hydrogen use by 2030, analyst BNEF has previously suggested that this would not apply to imports of fertilisers.

CBAM is set to kick in from 2026 — the same year the European fertiliser industry’s free allowances will start to be phased out — adding the weekly average auction price of the EU’s Emissions Trading System certificates onto imports of a variety of products—including hydrogen and ammonia.

Bohn estimated that by 2034, when free allowances are fully phased out, grey ammonia could cost $150 per tonne more than the product of an ATR that has sequestered 95% of its emissions.

“With the average sale price in the neighbourhood of $450 a metric tonne, along with the 45Q benefit [a tax credit for carbon capture projects] that we would expect to be able to generate, that should earn a reasonable rate of return on the kind of investment that we’re looking at making here,” Will said.

CF Industries is also betting that demand from global markets for cheap, low-carbon ammonia will vastly outweigh available supply in the late 2020s.

Air Products and OCI have both announced final investment decisions on large-scale blue NH3 production capacity for the latter half of the decade, while Bohn highlighted that Qatar is also expected to bring a project onstream in 2028.

“We don’t believe that the true projects that are moving forward is really building that supply side,” the COO said, although he did not mention whether there would be any likely competition with green ammonia producers.

While ATR technology is expected to be more expensive on a capital basis than steam methane reforming (SMR), Will argued that the difference in cost shrinks once the expense of flue gas capture from the latter is factored in.

“One of the big differences that you end up with is more tonnage of production coming out of an ATR in general than an SMR,” he added.

Will noted that the Donaldsonville No. 6 unit, which reportedly has a nameplate capacity of 3,600 tonnes a day, already produces 10% more than its nameplate would suggest. “The ATR would be quite a bit larger than that plant even.”

The fertiliser company is in talks with potential equity partners on the ATR project. But despite the talk of exports to Europe, publicly announced interest in equity and offtake from the project has mainly come from East Asian companies.

Korean steelmaker Posco had in 2023 announced its intention to form a joint venture with CF Industries to develop the project with an eye towards offtake.

Japanese energy company JERA had in April this year signed a joint development agreement that would see it take 48% ownership and procure more than 500,000 tonnes of low-carbon ammonia to be co-fired with coal at its power plants in Japan.

“Initially, we were focused on or structured an agreement around 52% equity,” said Will.

“I could see a scenario that would have us take less than 50% total equity based on the desires of a couple of the partners we’re talking to. We would want operating control and voting control in that kind of joint venture scenario, but it’s entirely possible that we would end up at or below 50% of the total equity.”

Source: HydrogenInsight

Rely has been awarded an EPsCm contract by AM Green India Pvt Ltd. for a 2 x 1,500 tons per day (TPD) green ammonia complex in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India. The project includes 2 x 640 MW pressurised alkaline electrolysers for green hydrogen production, making it one of the world’s largest green hydrogen facilities to advance to the execution phase.

The project involves converting an existing grey ammonia facility (formerly NFCL) into a green ammonia facility. Strategically located at the Kakinada seaport on India’s east coast in Andhra Pradesh, the development reached its final investment decision (FID) in August 2024. It will produce 1 million tons per annum (Mtpa) of RED3 RFNBO-compliant green ammonia, most of which is designated for export to the European market. The facility will benefit from round-the-clock carbon-free power, sourced through a combination of wind, solar, and a pumped hydro storage system.

The facility has already received CertifHY pre-certification for green ammonia, marking it as the first Indian project to achieve this milestone.

Rely will deliver the design, detailed engineering, procurement, construction management, and commissioning (EPsCm) services for the entire facility. This includes electrolysers for green hydrogen production, air separation units for nitrogen, two ammonia synthesis trains, ammonia storage, port-side ammonia loading facilities, and offsite utilities. John Cockerill Hydrogen will provide the pressurized alkaline electrolysers.

The project will be executed locally, leveraging the strong presence and established track record of Rely’s parent companies, Technip Energies and John Cockerill, in India.

Beyond the Kakinada project, AM Green is focused on establishing green ammonia production facilities across multiple locations in India to reach its goal of 5 Mtpa of green ammonia capacity by 2030. This ambitious target is expected to accelerate efforts to meet net-zero goals in India and OECD markets. It equates to approximately 1 Mtpa of green hydrogen, representing a fifth of India’s target for green hydrogen production under the National Green Hydrogen Mission and 10% of Europe’s target for green hydrogen imports by 2030.

Damien Eyriès, Rely CEO commented: “We are honored and proud of having been selected by AM Green to engineer and deliver this flagship project that will massively contribute to the decarbonization of the hard-to-abate industries and illustrate that India plays a major role in our global climate goals. This award marks a significant milestone for Rely, less than a year after its creation, and our team is poised to make a substantial impact on the future of clean energy, driving innovation and setting new standards in the industry.”

Mahesh Kolli, Group President of AM Green said: “We are excited to partner with Rely to transform our existing Green Ammonia facility into one of the largest in India. Rely’s technical expertise will significantly enhance our capabilities in this project. This collaboration not only establishes AM Green as a global leader in energy transition but also plays a crucial role in advancing India’s green hydrogen mission and supporting net-zero targets in both India and OECD markets.”

Source: Hydrogentechworld

Yara and Neste shelve projects in light of low demand, difficult financial environment

by Alex Scott