Everything About Hydrogen

The transportation and mobility sector is vast, complex, unwieldy, and, most excitingly, an obvious area of focus for hydrogen fuel cell technology applications. Hydrogen FCEVs allow vehicles to run in a wide range of environments with zero tailpipe emissions and can do so without the need for extremely heavy battery cells and can be refueled in the same amount of time as a modern ICE vehicle. This makes hydrogen FCEVs an ideal fit for the heavy commercial transportation industry and is why Hyzon Motors has jumped at the opportunity to revolutionize the industry. The company has grabbed headlines all over the world with its ambitious plans for rolling out its trucks in the United States and other major markets. It has also made news with its recent announcement that the company is going public and has attracted significant investor interest. The EAH team is joined on this episode by Hyzon's CEO Craig Knight to talk about how the company is tackling some of the most significant challenges in decarbonizing transport and how it can make trucking a zero-emission operation.

Sponsor Links:

BayoTech, Inc. website: https://www.bayotech.us/

BayoTech news: https://www.bayotech.us/news

Links:

Hyzon Motors website: https://hyzonmotors.com/

Hyzon Motors news & announcements: https://hyzonmotors.com/media/

Forbes article on Hyzon SPAC: https://www.forbes.com/sites/greggardner/2021/02/09/hyzon-a-hydrogen-fuel-cell-truck-maker-in-spac-deal-valued-at-21-billion/

TechCrunch article about Hyzon manufacturing: https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/01/hyzon-motors-hydrogen-fuel-ambitions-include-two-us-factories/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHoTn-6mK-sOfFM8JMEk14Fy7Z6dQQYZ5-4pVM0v6D9mybZxeWZ4aNlLgburIcu0JxenQ8WYTFJZ4DsJcsOiUJ6pVjQAJb30kKF6jN0OfcU1AQbl4bjwJVRO37N7CESgmDH6S41mq9bzQP4HcKXmDzafMAHT8J9pU14F8leEf4Rw

For our 40th episode of the Everything About Hydrogen podcast, the gang are joined by hydrogen luminary Marco Alverà, the CEO of Snam. Founded in 1941 and listed on the Italian stock exchange since 2001, Snam is a leader in the European gas market and operator of over 41,000km of transport networks. Hailed as a visionary who has led the pivot of the world’s 2nd largest gas distribution company towards a clean gas trajectory, Marco is widely recognized as a thought leader and a key figure driving the transition towards hydrogen. On the show the team discuss why Marco decided to lead Snam's pivot towards hydrogen, what he sees as the role of hydrogen in the energy transition and how blue hydrogen can sit alongside green hydrogen as part of the solution to a decarbonized gas network.

Prior to Snam, Marco was the Director of Corporate Strategy at Enel and the CEO of Eni Trading & Shipping.  His forthcoming book, The Hydrogen Revolution: a Blueprint for the Future of Clean Energy, is scheduled for publication on August 26, 2021.

Sponsor Links:

https://www.bayotech.us/

Episode Links:

https://www.snam.it/en/energy_transition/hydrogen/snam_and_hydrogen/

https://www.snam.it/en/Media/Press-releases/2020/Snam_Baker_Hughes_test_first_hydrogen_blend_turbine.html

https://www.snam.it/en/Media/Press-releases/2020/Snam_green_hydrogen_technologies_partnership_with_ITM_Power.html

https://www.snam.it/en/Media/news_events/2020/Snam_Linde_hydrogen.html

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/the-hydrogen-revolution-a-blueprint-for-the-future-of-clean-energy/marco-alvera/hardback/9781529360271.html?utm_campaign=eq_whs&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=awin&awc=3017_1621286011_9254c0d0c5cdbf46db8ea6f8e49f7d07

Founded in 2007 and based in Denmark, Green Hydrogen Systems designs and manufactures efficient, standardized and modular electrolysers for the production of green hydrogen with renewable energy. Niels-Arne Baden has led the company to the upper echelons of the electrolysis sector and he now leads the company's strategy and and public-facing initiatives as the Vice President for Strategy and Public Affairs. On this episode of the Everything About Hydrogen podcast, the EAH team sits down with Niels to talk about the journey of the clean hydrogen sector over the recent decades and its rise to prominence in the transition to a decarbonized energy future and how modular electrolysis fits into that picture.

Episode Sponsor Content:

BayoTech website: https://www.bayotech.us/

BayoTech announcement of Element2 partnership: https://www.bayotech.us/news/bayotech-partners-element-2

BayoTech announcement of Carbon Clean partnership: https://www.bayotech.us/news/bayotech-partners-with-carbon-clean

Episode Links:

GHS website: https://greenhydrogen.dk/

GHS News: https://greenhydrogen.dk/news-page/

This is the inaugural episode of the EAH: Deep Dive podcast mini-series! Our first episode features the co-founders of Enapter, Vaitea Cowan and Jan Justus-Schmidt. Enapter is a young company that has made a big splash in the hydrogen space with their modular, scalable AEM electrolyzer technology. Last year they made headlines with their successful public offering on the DAX and the company is expected to be a the forefront of the hydrogen sector again in 2021 as they begin construction of their mass production facility in Germany and announce the upcoming Generation Hydrogen event on May 19, 2021.

Join us and listen in on the first episode of EAH: Deep Dive to hear from Vaitea and Jan as they take us through some of Enapter's grand plans for 2021 and beyond.

Links:

Enapter website: https://www.enapter.com/

Generation Hydrogen website: https://www.generationhydrogen.com/

EL 2.1 article from FuelCellWorks: https://fuelcellsworks.com/news/enapter-reveals-new-generation-hydrogen-generator-electrolyser-el-2-1/

Since 2014, when the firm was founded within Anglo-American, AP Ventures has been at the forefront of investment in hydrogen sector technologies. At the time the firm started, the concerns around climate change and investment in renewable energy tech was gearing up, but interest in hydrogen as part of the path to a decarbonized future was limited. The founders of AP Ventures felt differently and saw significant potential for hydrogen to offer a means for cleaning up highly carbon intensive sectors such as heavy transport, industrial manufacturing, and mining operations. Today, that vision for hydrogen appears rather prescient. We are delighted to have two members from the team at AP Ventures with us on the show today. The team is joined by Kevin Eggers - a founding partner at AP - and Michell Robson - associate on the firm's investment team.

Sponsor materials:

This episode is brought to you by BayoTech On-Site Hydrogen. Visit www.bayotech.us to learn more about the modular low-carbon hydrogen production solutions that BayoTech offers.

Links:

AP Ventures website: https://apventures.com/

AP Ventures portfolio page: https://apventures.com/portfolio

H2 investment rationale: https://apventures.com/hydrogen#why-hydrogen

Recent AP Ventures investments news: https://apventures.com/news

Johnson Matthey is a leading manufacturer and supplier to the global chemical industry. The company's products and components sit at the heart of major industrial, manufacturing, and energy production projects all over the world and they have long been involved in the hydrogen sector. Today JM is one of the most influential companies working to decarbonize the UK economy with central roles in major blue hydrogen projects like HyNet and Acorn. On this episode of Everything About Hydrogen, the team is joined by Sam French, Business Development Director at JM, who spent some time speaking with us about the transition from grey hydrogen to low-carbon generation technologies and what steps the UK - and countries all over the world - to use hydrogen as part of the pathway to a sustainable energy future.

Sponsor materials:

This episode is brought to you by BayoTech On-Site Hydrogen. Visit www.bayotech.us to learn more about the modular low-carbon hydrogen production solutions that BayoTech offers.

Links:

Johnson Matthey website: https://matthey.com/en

JM hydrogen website: https://matthey.com/en/markets/energy-generation-and-storage/hydrogen

Article about the "Hydrogen Opportunity" by Sam French: https://matthey.com/en/inspiring-science/expert-insights/the-hydrogen-opportunity

HyNet project website: https://hynet.co.uk/

Acorn website: https://pale-blu.com/acorn/

IEA info on CCUS technologies: https://www.iea.org/fuels-and-technologies/carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage

The globe is awash in waste materials and trash. The detritus of everyday life, much of it in the form of plastics, piles up and has dramatically detrimental effects on the environment if not properly disposed of and managed. Some of these discarded materials are reusable and recyclable, but a significant percentage is comprised of non-recyclable plastics that are relegated to landfills.

There are, however, a number of innovative companies and initiatives aimed at extracting energy from the otherwise non-recyclable plastic waste. Powerhouse Energy Plc is one of the companies leading the charge in the waste-to-energy sector, and they have some proprietary technologies that allow them to produce hydrogen from these plastics.

On this episode of EAH, the team is joined by Tim Yeo, Chairman of Powerhouse Energy, to talk about the work they are doing in the waste-to-energy space and how they see the sector evolving in the coming years.

Sponsor materials:

This episode is brought to you by BayoTech On-Site Hydrogen. Visit www.bayotech.us to learn more about the modular low-carbon hydrogen production solutions that BayoTech offers.

Links:

Powerhouse Energy website: https://www.powerhouseenergy.net/

Wired article about waste-to-hydrogen: https://www.wired.com/story/will-the-hydrogen-revolution-start-in-a-garbage-dump/

Parliament site for Tim Yeo: https://members.parliament.uk/member/136/career

Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews paper on WtH applications: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032120306535#:~:text=Waste%2Dto%2DHydrogen%20(WtH,fuel%20to%20replace%20fossil%20fuels

When the pandemic recedes, lockdowns and restrictions are relaxed and eventually eliminated, and millions of residents in cities across the world begin to return to their offices and workplaces, public transit systems will once again be at the core of billions of commuters' daily activities. Urban transit systems are designed to move huge volumes of people through cities and communities quickly, reliably, and cost-efficiently (some systems accomplish these goals better than others!). The energy needed to run these networks of cars, trains, and buses, is enormous and today most of it comes from fossil fuels. How can communities - both large and small - redesign their transit systems to eliminate operational carbon emissions in the future?

Josipa Petrunic, President & CEO of CUTRIC (Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium), spoke with the EAH hosts about the challenge of decarbonizing urban transit at the Hydrogen Decade Virtual Event on February 17, 2021. This episode features a recording of that interview. In the 30-minute conversation with Josipa, the discussion ranged from the advantages of FCEBs over battery-electric buses, FCEB demonstration and pilot projects in Canadian cities, how the Canadian government's national hydrogen strategy stacks up against other such strategies, the implications of the new US administration for the future of climate policy in North America, and much much more.

Sponsor materials:

This episode is brought to you by BayoTech On-Site Hydrogen. Visit www.bayotech.us to learn more about the modular low-carbon hydrogen production solutions that BayoTech offers.

Links:

CUTRIC website: https://cutric-crituc.org/

Mississauga FCEB pilot project announcement: https://cutric-crituc.org/cutric-playing-central-role-in-groundbreaking-hydrogen-transit-study/

CHFCA paper on Canadian leadership in H2 tech: http://www.chfca.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GOC-CDA-Leadership-HFC_en_4pager_WEB1.pdf

FCEBs in Canada: http://www.chfca.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/GOC-Buses_Train_en_WEB1.pdf

Air Liquide announcement of Becancour PEM electrolysis plant: https://energies.airliquide.com/air-liquide-inaugurates-worlds-largest-low-carbon-hydrogen-membrane-based-production-unit-canada

Enbridge materials regarding H2 generation and blending: https://www.enbridgegas.com/Natural-Gas-and-the-Environment/Enbridge-A-Green-Future/Renewable-hydrogen

How do we get green hydrogen (and green ammonia) production to scale and make it cost competitive? It's a great question and we ask it all the time on the show. Well, Alicia Eastman, Co-founder & Managing Director, of InterContinental Energy (ICE) may be one of the best authorities in the world on this topic and she joins us on this episode of EAH to tell the team all about her and ICE's work developing the Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH). Located in Western Australia, the AREH when completed, will be the largest renewable energy project by total generation capacity on the planet. At 26 GW, it surpasses even the likes of the Three Gorges Dam and will act as a central production and distribution point for huge quantities of clean hydrogen and ammonia for offtakers and customers across APAC and beyond. The AREH is a truly massive project that has global implications for the global energy landscape of the future.

Links:

InterContinental website: https://intercontinentalenergy.com/

AREH website: https://asianrehub.com/

AEA article about AREH: https://www.ammoniaenergy.org/articles/green-ammonia-at-oil-and-gas-scale/

Short piece on green ammonia: https://www.cleantech.com/green-ammonia-potential-as-an-energy-carrier-and-beyond/

Decarbonizing aviation is a big challenge. It is one of the most carbon intensive business sectors in the modern world and change comes slowly to the aviation industry. Hydrogen and fuel cell technologies offer a pathway to decarbonize regional flights in the not-so-distant future and big names are looking at potential solutions for long-haul flights in the longer term. But even if we build the aircraft that can use hydrogen as a fuel, how do we get the fuel to them in a timely, reliable, and cost-efficient way?

Fortunately, some of the brightest people in the room are working on this problem. Paul Eremenko, CEO of Universal Hydrogen, and his team are building a capsule-based hydrogen transport and storage solution for both gaseous and liquid hydrogen that they say can make hydrogen-powered flight possible by 2025. Paul comes on the show to tell the EAH team how aviation is the "killer app for hydrogen" and what he means when he says Universal Hydrogen is building the "Nespresso(™) of aviation fueling." THIS IS AN AWESOME CONVERSATION, PEOPLE! DON'T MISS IT!

Links:

Universal Hydrogen website: https://www.hydrogen.aero/

Bloomberg article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-23/universal-hydrogen-wants-to-get-fuel-cell-planes-ready-to-fly-by-2024

Aviation Today: https://www.aviationtoday.com/2020/09/23/universal-hydrogen-secures-electric-propulsion-supplier-magnix/

Plug Power PR re partnership: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/09/23/2097971/0/en/Plug-Power-Partners-with-Universal-Hydrogen-on-Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell-Propulsion-System-for-Regional-Turboprop-Aircraft.html