Featured Articles

The hydrogen value chain must scale up on several fronts. Various solutions are available for compression and liquefaction, with the choice of the most suitable technology often tailored to the transportation and distribution strategy, closely linked to production volumes. This article offers an overview of available compression and expansion technologies in the hydrogen sector, drawing on the Baker Hughes portfolio, recent experiences, and case studies in the field of energy transition, along with planned developments. Beyond presenting technical aspects, the focus extends to unveiling the economic fits and gaps of current technologies to cope with the forecasted increase in demand for hydrogen production.

As the global community confronts the escalating climate crisis, the steel industry, accounting for up to 8% of worldwide carbon emissions, stands at a critical juncture. Long-term expectations for a carbon-neutral future are pervasive, but the realities within the current business landscape are constraining the speed of innovation and, ultimately, execution. However, slower progress toward larger ambitions should not hinder actions that can yield benefits today.

The energy transition is well underway, with hydrogen expected to play a key role as an energy carrier to achieve net-zero ambitions. As a result, many network operators are assessing the suitability of their gas pipelines for conversion to hydrogen or hydrogen/gas blend service. This article summarises some of the key challenges faced in pipeline repurposing currently being tackled by Wood as they support operators in conversion.

Three concepts have the power to slow and possibly reverse the momentum in the US hydrogen market: temporal matching, additionality, and deliverability. This is happening at a time when the hydrogen industry is beginning to develop solutions for niche markets in the great energy transition. These are markets where electrification is difficult and carbon-free alternatives do not exist.

Horizon 2020 research and innovation project BEST4Hy – SustainaBlE SoluTions FOR recycling of end-of-life Hydrogen technologies – is developing low-environmental-impact technologies for the recovery and recycling of materials vital to the hydrogen supply chain, while considering the policy framework that could support sustainable management of end-of-life (EoL) fuel cells. This article introduces the BEST4Hy project and provides an analysis of the challenges and opportunities associated with the recycling of EoL hydrogen technologies.

It is well documented that all electrolysers require ultrapure water (UPW) as a feedstock for hydrogen production. Nine litres of water are required to produce 1 kg of hydrogen, and approximately 200 litres per hour of UPW are required per MW of electrolyser capacity. The importance of UPW is to ensure the efficiency and longevity of the electrolyser through the prevention of fouling or scaling. Electrodeionization (EDI) is an electrochemical membrane process that may be used as part of the UPW preparation. This article aims to explain the EDI process and highlight its advantages, especially for high capacities that will be needed as hydrogen generation scales up.

Ammonia, a cornerstone of the global food supply chain, has traditionally been produced through carbon-intensive methods. This article discusses the need for and potential of green ammonia, which is produced by integrating green hydrogen with the Haber-Bosch process. It highlights the challenges such integration presents, innovative solutions to overcome them, and the positive impact of doing so.

In a world grappling with the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, the future of hydrogen is undeniably bright. As the demand for low-carbon hydrogen continues to grow, we find ourselves on the cusp of a transformative energy shift. According to the two-degree Paris Agreement scenario, the demand for low-carbon hydrogen is projected to reach a staggering 343 million metric tonnes per annum (Mtpa). Of this potential demand, green hydrogen is expected to account for 70%, or roughly 241 Mtpa. Now, compare that to today’s reality, where a mere 80 Mtpa is being produced as grey hydrogen worldwide. This means that the green hydrogen market alone is poised to become three times the size of the current grey hydrogen market.

Sealing performance and reliability are among the most critical features of an energy system that is becoming increasingly reliant on the smallest molecule in the universe. With a legacy of leadership in materials and sealing innovation spanning over 65 years and backed by Saint-Gobain, ranked among the Top 100 industrial corporations, Omniseal Solutions is ideally positioned to lead the way in precision sealing for the burgeoning hydrogen economy. Already serving the majority of hydrogen applications, the company’s portfolio of sealing solutions is now expanding to include gaskets for electrolyser stacks.