Having witnessed the extreme climate events this northern hemisphere summer, it was heartening to see momentum for new renewable projects on display in Sao Paulo, where I spoke at a recent conference. In the Netherlands, an important decision on the Porthos project will - hopefully - create space for infrastructure development.
German energy company EnBW has acquired a 10% equity stake in the SkiGA project, as well as securing long-term offtake rights to the renewable ammonia produced at the Norwegian facility. SkiGA will be completed in 2026, producing 100,000 tonnes per year of renewable ammonia.
New analysis from the Global Maritime Forum has found that the cost gap between ammonia fuel and conventional fuel could be closed as early as 2026 for their new NoGAPS vessel. A series of levers need to be pulled to fully finance NoGAPS and similar vessels (such as long-term charters), but the authors report favorable deals should be readily available. The authors also map out three commercial pathways for NoGAPS to operate, the easiest being exclusive bunkering on the US Gulf Coast.
Germany’s updated national hydrogen strategy forecasts that hydrogen demand in the country will skyrocket by 2045, including new demand for hydrogen and ammonia power generation. An auction process ending in 2026 will spur the construction of 4.4 GW of “sprinter” power plants around the country, generating electricity from pure hydrogen or ammonia. This will support the continued integration of renewable energy into Germany’s national grid.
Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolysis combines concepts from alkaline and PEM. Although AEM can potentially offer the best of both worlds compared to conventional technology, challenges such as oxygen sensitivity, stack scale-up and current density still need to be addressed. Germany-based Enapter is leading the commercialization of AEM systems, with other electrolyzer manufacturers now developing their own products.
Hydrogen Certification 101, the Hydrogen Council’s new report, provides a helpful summary of key certification terminology and concepts. It is the latest report to advocate for mutual recognition as a solution to inconsistency in energy policy, while also delving into practical measures to support the fundamental design principles of certification schemes.
As the maritime industry gears towards the use of more sustainable fuels, Denmark-based cargo pump supplier Svanehoj reports increased orders for ammonia-capable equipment to be used on LPG tankers. Navantia and H2SITE will combine their expertise in shipbuilding and ammonia cracking to create hydrogen-based propulsion systems. Thyssenkrupp Uhde’s ammonia technology will be used in SwitcH2’s floating ammonia production vessels to harness offshore wind energy. And Iverson eFuels will use ECOnnects’ jettyless gas transfer technology at its 200,000 tonnes per year ammonia production facility in Norway.