New Energies, new possibilities

A green hydrogen facility in Uzbekistan, developed in partnership by ACWA Power, PowerChina Huadong Engineering Corporation, and LONGi Hydrogen, has begun producing hydrogen as it prepares for full commissioning.
LONGi Hydrogen supplied four 1000 Nm³/h alkaline electrolyzers, along with associated systems including power supply, control units, gas–liquid separation, and purification equipment. The systems were delivered in accordance with international standards, including relevant EU directives and U.S. industrial codes.

As of late June, all four electrolyzers had undergone energization, current ramp-up, gas separation and purity checks, venting trials, and emergency shutdown drills. Initial results indicate stable operation and production of high-purity hydrogen and oxygen. Full commissioning is expected to follow.

The project is powered by 52 MW of wind energy and is designed to produce approximately 3,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year. The hydrogen will be used in ammonia synthesis, enabling the production of around 500,000 tonnes of low-carbon fertilizer and potentially reducing CO₂ emissions by 30,000 tonnes annually.

This marks Uzbekistan’s first green hydrogen project and represents several milestones for LONGi Hydrogen: its first large-scale deployment in Central Asia, the first successful international operation of a 1000 Nm³/h ‘4-to-1’ electrolyzer system, and the first use of its technology in a green ammonia application outside China.

Designed as a closed-loop system, the facility integrates renewable power, hydrogen production, and ammonia synthesis to support industrial decarbonization.

고려아연은 최근 5년간 신재생에너지 분야에 누적 1조원 이상을 투자했다고 9일 밝혔다. 올해 신재생 중심의 '그린메탈' 전략을 본격화하며 해외는 물론 국내에서도 인프라 확장에 속도를 내고 있다.

고려아연의 '2024 지속가능경영보고서'에 따르면, 지난해 고려아연의 신재생에너지 투자액은 5666억원으로 전년(492억원) 대비 약 12배 증가했다.

5년간 투자 추이는 △2020년 234억원 △2021년 79억원 △2022년 3675억원 △2023년 492억원 △2024년 5666억원으로 누적 총액은 1조146억원에 달한다. 투자 중심지는 신재생 확보 여건이 유리한 호주다. 지난 2018년 124MW 규모의 산업용 태양광 발전소 '썬-메탈스 솔라팜'을 시작으로, 지난 2021년 현지 자회사 '아크에너지'를 설립했다.

이후 2022년엔 호주 신재생개발사 '에퓨론'을 인수했고 지난해에는 남반구 최대 규모인 923MW급 맥킨타이어 풍력발전소 지분 30%를 확보했다. 이 중 일부(277MW)는 이미 가동 중으로 약 63만가구에 전력을 공급 중이다. 호주 뉴사우스웨일스주에서는 에너지저장장치(BESS) 기반의 '리치몬드밸리' 프로젝트도 추진 중이다. 현재 고려아연이 보유한 현지 신재생 개발 파이프라인은 약 9GW에 달한다.

수소사업 확장도 주목된다. 지난해 착공한 'SunHQ 수소허브'는 올해 초 시운전에 들어갔으며 연간 140t의 그린수소를 생산해 모빌리티 실증에 활용할 계획이다. 장기적으로는 연 100만t 규모의 그린암모니아를 호주에서 국내로 수출하는 '한-호 공급망 프로젝트'도 구상 중이다.

국내 사업도 탄력을 받고 있다. 고려아연은 지난 3월 재생에너지 전력 중개기업 '한화신한테라와트아워'에 33.3% 지분을 투자하며 신재생에너지 전기공급사업(PPA) 시장 진출 기반을 마련했다. 또, 지난해 8월에는 국가산업단지 내 최초로 울산 온산제련소 제1공장에 수소지게차 충전소를 설치했다. 수소지게차 실증사업도 병행 중으로 지난해 5대 도입에 이어 올해 25대를 추가 배치할 예정이다.

고려아연, 5년간 신재생에너지 투자 1조 돌파… 국내외 인프라 확장 속도 - 파이낸셜뉴스

Draft royal decree also calls for 1.5% of the H2 used in refineries to be RFNBO by the same date

The Spanish government has unveiled a draft royal decree that would transpose the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) into Spanish law, with an ambitious target for the use of green hydrogen and its derivatives in the sector.

RED III ­says that at least 1% of all transport fuel used in the EU must be RFNBO (renewable fuels of non-biological origin – ie, green hydrogen and its derivatives) by 2030.

But Spain has gone one step further, calling for 2.5% of the transport fuel supplied in Spain to be RFNBO by 2030.

This is higher than the 1.5% mandate proposed by France and Germany, but lower than the 4% and 5% mandates set by Finland and Belgium, respectively.

RED III also sets a target for a 14.5% reduction in carbon intensity in road transport by 2030, compared to 2010 levels, but Spain is aiming for 15.6% in its draft decree, which is now out for public consultation.

However, the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, also plans a sub-target for 1.5% of the hydrogen used by oil refineries to be RFNBO by 2030 (to replace fossil H2 in the refining process).

Since then, only Romania and the Czech Republic have done so. Other member states have partially transposed some of the transport mandates, while others have released draft legislation only.

Source:  Hydrogeninsight

July 8, 2025, the inaugural shipment of green ammonia departed from Envision’s Zero-Carbon Hydrogen Industrial Park in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, marking the operational launch of the first phase (320,000-ton capacity) of Envision Group’s 1.52-million-ton green hydrogen-ammonia project—the largest facility of its kind globally.

​Technological Innovations

​

1. ​Integrated Zero-Carbon Industrial Chain​
   The project pioneers a complete "Green Power → Green Hydrogen → Green Ammonia" value chain:
   • ​100% renewable-powered operations​ via 1.43 GW wind-solar generation and 680 MWh energy storage

• • ​Dynamic coupling technology​ synchronizes volatile renewable supply with stable chemical production through AI-driven load adaptation

• • ​The proprietary EnOS™ IoT platform​ enables millisecond-level predictive control, achieving "load follows source, source follows load" optimization

.

1. ​Economic & Efficiency Breakthroughs​
   • 30% reduction in green ammonia production costs versus conventional methods

.

• • ​Certification milestone: World’s first ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) renewable ammonia accreditation issued by Bureau Veritas

.

​Commercialization & Global Impact

• ​Offtake agreements: Long-term supply contracts with Japan’s Marubeni Corporation for maritime fuel and industrial decarbonization in Asia-Pacific

.

• ​Scalability: Modular design supports rapid global replication; full-phase completion (1.52 million tons) will reduce CO₂ by 9.12 million tons annually—equivalent to 15.2 million fuel-powered vehicles

• ​Project timeline acceleration:

​

Strategic Significance

​

Zhang Lei, Chairman of Envision Group, stated:

“This ‘New Petroleum’ base transforms deserts into ‘oil fields’—converting inexhaustible wind and sunlight into green fuels to power industries. Just as Daqing Oilfield fueled China’s industrialization, Chifeng’s hydrogen-ammonia complex will drive global green industrialization.”

The project establishes China’s leadership in zero-carbon hydrogen derivatives, providing replicable solutions for hard-to-abate sectors like steel, shipping, and chemicals.

Source: EnvisionEnergy

Youliang Cheng et al. propose a "2D Topology-Curvature Optimization" progressive design method to optimize the bend area structures of serpentine flow channels in PEMFCs. The method combines topology optimization with curvature optimization to improve the mass transfer and overall performance of the fuel cell. The researchers used numerical simulations to compare the topology-curvature optimization model with algorithm-based optimization models and a validation model. The study analyzed the mass transfer, heat transfer characteristics, and output performance of PEMFCs under different flow fields.

The results indicate that the optimized structures significantly improve convection and diffusion within the flow field, enhancing the transport and distribution of oxygen and water within the PEMFC. The performance improvements, ranked from highest to lowest, are TS-III > MD-G (Model-GA) > MD-P (Model-PSO) > TS-II > TS-I. Among the optimized models, TS-III (Topology Structure-III) exhibits the greatest increases in peak current density and peak power density, with improvements of 4.72% and 3.12%, respectively. When considering the relationship between performance improvement and pressure drop using the efficiency evaluation criterion (EEC), TS-II demonstrates the best overall performance.

This study provides a valuable method for optimizing the design of PEMFCs, which can lead to significant improvements in their performance. The "2D Topology-Curvature Optimization" method offers a quick and accurate way to generate optimized structural models, reducing time and trial-and-error costs in the design process. The findings of this research can help advance the adoption of hydrogen fuel cells in various applications, contributing to the global effort towards carbon neutrality.

Original source: https://journal.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-025-0978-4 

Breakthrough Design Boosts Flow in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells