Hydrogen-based fuels: A game changer
HYDROGEN, according to a leading data and analytics company, is anticipated to be a game changer in the global transition to sustainable energy by offering fuel cells, alternative propulsion systems and renewable power.
With the capability to serve as a longterm, large-scale clean energy storage medium that aids power generation from renewable sources, hydrogen and hydrogen-based e-fuels are reaping the benefits of an unprecedented political and business momentum.
“While the race is on for a netzero economy, hydrogen jumps to the top of the global agenda,’’ said Kiran Raj, practice head of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData.
Raj said, “Several nations, corporations, energy enterprises, and startups have realized that now is the time to scale up technologies and bring down costs to tap into the hydrogen potential. New developments should materialize at par with accelerating hydrogen production, revising regulations, developing charging infrastructure, using existing gas infrastructure, and establishing shipping routes to take full advantage of the momentum.”
“Growing technology innovations around hydrogen-based e-fuels and the number of demonstration projects being carried out in recent years have enabled building a sustainable future in sectors that could not be electrified directly such as long-distance aviation, feedstock in chemical production, steel production, and potentially high-temperature industrial processes,” said Shagun
Sachdeva, project manager of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData.
“At the same time, easier storage, and transportation than electricity or pure hydrogen along with being an energyefficient and cost-effective solution has seen the rise in popularity of hydrogenbased e-fuels,” Sachdeva said.
Hydrogen-based e-fuels support game-changing use cases across transportation, pulp and paper, power, and shipping sectors in terms of long-haul freight and heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs).
In September 2022, Amazon signed an agreement with renewable fuels technology company Infinium to power its transportation fleet with ultralow carbon e-fuels derived from green hydrogen and recycled carbon waste.
In July 2022, The Navigator Company and Germany-based developer P2X-Europe announced a JV to produce e-fuels based on green hydrogen and biogenic CO2.
The strategic partnership enables Navigator to add value to biogenic CO2 from its sustainable forest and pulp and paper production as well as P2X-Europe’s parent companies H&R Group and Mabanaft to scale up market supplies to the chemical sector and non-fossil, green jet fuel for the aviation industry.
In April 2022, Porsche announced its plan to invest $75 million in HIF Global LLC, a holding company of internationally active project developers of e-fuel production facilities. The move is in line with Porsche’s plan to electrify 80 percent of its model lineup by 2030.