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 Steam methane reformers consume natural gas to make grey hydrogen and they emit carbon dioxide as a consequence. In the long term, that can be mitigated with a transition to ‘green’ hydrogen production using electrolysers which can be fed with renewable electrical power or steam methane reformers fed with renewable biogas. In the short-term retrofitting carbon capture to steam methane reformers (SMR), autothermal reformers (ATR) and gasification reactors to make so-called ‘blue hydrogen’ will make a big difference. Whether the carbon dioxide is captured and utilized (CCUS), or captured and stored (CCS) in permanent underground storage will in some way depend on the use-cases that are developed and commercialised. On the 27th of January the European Parliament voted that blue hydrogen produced on SMRs from natural gas with CCS will be an acceptable bridge on the journey to full decarbonisation with green hydrogen. This must be one of the most important hydrogen policy decisions that ha

  Run by First Bus – Scotland’s largest bus operator – in a project led by Aberdeen City Council, the world’s first fleet of double decker hydrogen buses represent a major step forward in reducing climate change. This launch also underlines the Aberdeen’s role as the energy capital of Europe and shows its commitment to green energy as part of the city’s Net Zero Vision. In addition, plans are in place for Aberdeen to make its own hydrogen to power the buses, making it an even greener energy source for the local community. The new £8.3million project is part of the European Union’s JIVE grant, which aims to aid commercialization of hydrogen buses through joint procurement between cities and funded by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). Manufactured by Wrightbus, the vehicles will be operated mainly on the Service 19 (Peterculter to Tillydrone). “Aberdeen is one of Europe’s pioneering hydrogen cities and through the work of the city council, it has developed a cluster

  Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC) on Wednesday revealed details of its largest ever gas discovery. According to a release, the company said the discovery, which was made through its wholly owned subsidiary KUFPEC Malaysia (SK-410B) Limited, was proven by the Lang Lebah-2 appraisal well in the SK-410B Block, located approximately 90 kilometres offshore Sarawak, Malaysia. The appraisal drilling campaign followed the successful drilling of the first exploration well, Lang Lebah-1RDR2, in the SK 410B Block, in 2019. A statement said: "KUFPEC Malaysia (SK-410B) Limited holds a 42.5 percent working interest under the PSC, with Petronas Carigali Sdn. Bhd. and PTTEP HK Offshore Limited (as operator) holding 15 percent and 42.5 percent working interests, respectively." It added: "The appraisal drilling in Lang Lebah-2 was completed at a total depth of 4,320 metres, with over 600 metres of proven net gas pay." The well was tested and flowed at 50 million

 Centre’s clean air programme got a shot in the arm with Sitharaman announcing a fund of ₹2,217 crore for air pollution control in 42 cities. The Centre will launch a Hydrogen Energy Mission in 2021-22 for generating hydrogen from green power sources. Finance minister announcement of a hydrogen mission could go a long way in reducing India’s carbon footprint, experts said. According to a report titled “The Potential Role of Hydrogen in India – Harnessing the Hype” by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) released in December last year, demand for hydrogen could increase by at least 5-fold by 2050, continuing to grow in the second half of the century in India. Demand for hydrogen is at around 6 metric tonne (MT) per annum, mainly from industry sectors, such as fertilizers and refineries. This can increase to around 28 MT by 2050 mainly due to cost reductions in key technologies and a push to reduce carbon footprint. Demand will mainly grow in steel and road transport, shipping and a

  The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) announced a brand new partnership between Red Bull Advanced Technologies (RBAT) and ORECA to collaborate on the chassis concept that will underpin all the prototypes in the future hydrogen class at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. Both firms have a keen interest in the ACO’s hydrogen program which includes the creation of a distinct hydrogen class in 2024, and so teamed up for the first time in their history in a joint bid. ORECA will draw on its expertise of its Design Office and its production skills as well as its endurance racing knowledge and experience, while RBAT will bring its expertise in racing car design, very much focused on aerodynamics, vehicle dynamics, simulation and energy recovery optimization. The initial task for the partners will be to undertake and provide a detailed feasibility study for the vehicle concept. RBAT and ORECA thus join Plastic Omnium, the exclusive supplier of the hydrogen prototype fuel tanks ultimately for the c

  The entry of the Grupo Industrial Calvera into the HYSLAND project, promoted by a consortium made up of 30 partners from 11 countries, will reinforce what is undoubtedly one of the largest green hydrogen initiatives in Spain and Europe. With a global budget of more than 50 million euros and a European Commission’s contribution of 10 million euros through the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU), HYSLAND aims to create a true green hydrogen ecosystem in the Balearic Islands during the next five years, involving numerous economic sectors to become the reference project in this field in southern Europe. HYSLAND, which is coordinated by Enagás and also includes other prominent players such as Acciona, comprises a broad set of actions and infrastructures that will revolve around the production, distribution and use of more than 300 tons of renewable hydrogen per year, generated from photovoltaic solar technology. This will be used for the supply of bus fleets, rental vehicle

  In a new study, Texas A&M University researchers have uncovered an efficient way to use leftover sludge to make biodegradable plastics. The researchers report that the bacterium Zobellella denitrificans ZD1, found in mangroves, can consume sludge and wastewater to produce polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a type of biopolymer that can be used in lieu of petroleum-based plastics. New Way to Cut Down Upstream Costs for Bioplastics In addition to reducing the burden on landfills and the environment, the researchers said Zobellella denitrificans ZD1 offers a way to cut down upstream costs for bioplastics manufacturing, a step toward making them more competitively priced against regular plastics. “ The price of raw materials to cultivate biopolymer-producing bacteria accounts for 25-45% of the total production cost of manufacturing bioplastics. Certainly, this cost can be greatly reduced if we can tap into an alternate resource that is cheaper and readily obtainable ,” said Kung-Hui (Bella)