Paul Rodden • Season: 2023 • Episode: 265
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Welcome to The Hydrogen Podcast!
In episode 265, Norway looks to set the global tone for the hydrogen industry and GE Vernova and Next hydrogen sign a massive MOU. I’ll go over these topics and give my thoughts on today’s hydrogen podcast.
Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy the podcast. Please feel free to email me at info@thehydrogenpodcast.com with any questions. Also, if you wouldn’t mind subscribing to my podcast using your preferred platform… I would greatly appreciate it.
Respectfully,
Paul Rodden
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From water electolyzers to flow batteries and fuel cells, Nafion™ Proton Exchange Membranes play a major role in advancing the Hydrogen Economy. Through their high conductivity, superior strength, and chemical durability, Nafion™ membranes provide the performance needed to make green hydrogen safer, more sustainable, and more affordable. Learn how Nafion™ ion exchange materials support the decarbonization of energy across the globe at www.nafion.com.
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Transcript:
Norway looks to set the global tone for the hydrogen industry and GE Vernova and Next hydrogen sign a massive MOU. I’ll go over these topics and give my thoughts on today’s hydrogen podcast.
So the big questions in the energy industry today are, how is hydrogen the primary driving force behind the evolution of energy? Where is capital being deployed for hydrogen projects globally? And where are the best investment opportunities for early adopters who recognize the importance of hydrogen? I will address the critical issues and give you the information you need to deploy capital. Those are the questions that will unlock the potential of hydrogen, and this podcast will give you the answers. My name is Paul Rodden, and welcome to the hydrogen podcast.
In an article in forbes.com, David Blekhman writes Norwegian electrolysis big plans for the US hydrogen market Nordic notes. David writes, As of October 2023, the USA has entered a new era for hydrogen, marking a transformational change in the Department of Energy’s announcement of seven hydrogen hubs receiving $7 billion in federal funding through the inflation Reduction Act. These hubs are also encouraged to collaborate with other states, promising not only business expansion, but also significant financial advantages, which can be reaching above $40 billion by 2023. Norway with its rich energy and hydrogen history can benefit as well by exporting its modern technology and expertise to the USA.
Norway’s hydrogen sector has thrived, nurtured by a robust research and industrial community deeply rooted in hydrogen technology since starting the hydrogen production from hydropower at the Hydro Rjukan site in 1929. The country’s business and technical expertise have further developed through its renewable energy maritime and offshore oil and gas industries. This becomes evident when networking with executives and chief engineers in their Norwegian electrolysis emerges as a key player in advancing green hydrogen technologies, with notable newsmakers coming from Norway, including industry players, such as Nel, Hystar and HydrogenPro.
Entering the US market approximately 10 years ago, the oldest player is Nel, tracing its roots back to 1927 and 2017. Nel specialising in alkaline electrolyzers acquired proton energy systems a proton exchange membrane or pm electrolyzer company and Connecticut. Among its recent achievements, Nel inaugurated a new 500 megawatt fully automated, alkaline electrolyzer factory at Herøya, Norway in 2022, with plans for gradual expansion for up to two gigawatts in response to market growth. And September of 2022. Nel also announced the establishment of a four gigawatt factory for alkaline and pm electrolyzers in Plymouth charter Township, valued at $400 million. Additionally, Nel secured a contract for 200 megawatts of alkaline electrolyzers amounting to approximately $60 million destined for a project in Ardmore, Oklahoma. This project lies beyond the hydrogen hubs award. For reference, one gigawatt electrolyzer Park would produce approximately 500 tons of hydrogen per day in October of this year Hystar established in 2020, as a spin off from the country’s Research Institute, SINTEF, announced the commencement of construction in early 2024 for a fully automated 4 GW PEM electrolyzer factory in Høvik, Norway, slated for completion in 2025.
Banking on lucrative growth and investments, the company plans to expand into North America with a multi-GW factory, establishing production in 2027. Founded in 2013 Hydrogen Pro operates with a mission to design and deliver green hydrogen technology with its headquarters and test facility situated also in Herøya in Norway. Collaborating with the Austrian engineering company Andritz HydrogenPro is engaged in a 200 megawatt alkaline electrolysis plant for a green fuel project in Kristinestad, Finland as part of a power to x feed project supplying fuel to Germany. All three companies mentioned before this are members of the Norwegian hydrogen Forum, which recently conducted a survey titled The Norwegian hydrogen landscape, identifying 126 Hydrogen projects underway in the country. The number of projects has doubled since its last report in 2021. On the production side, 51 projects aim to produce hydrogen or hydrogen derivatives, which is primarily ammonia of these 47 or renewable hydrogen production projects with a projected capacity exceeding four gigawatts by 2030.
4 Other projects involve blue hydrogen generated by steam methane reforming or SMR from natural gas is projected to maintain approximately 50% of the total production. The survey is complemented by an interactive map on the page enabling users to hover over the map and access key information about the projects. This tool is highly valuable using numerous requests for assistance in finding Norwegian partners by local and international companies. While, projects are distributed across the country. Most are situated along the extensive Norwegian coast catering to off takers in the large maritime sector, local industry and facilitating trade with Europe. The organization boasts over 90 members and has doubled in membership in the past few years celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2021. The forum is a seasoned player in the field. Okay, so some great insight into the hydrogen landscape in Norway in the Big Three players operating in both the US and the EU.
Norway has always stood out to me as a hydrogen beacon in Europe due to their embracing of all hydrogen production technologies. And the three companies mentioned for the Nordic hydrogen forum, nel, hydrogen, pro and Hystar are all making massive strides in advancing hydrogen technology, as well as providing ready to use equipment for systems coming online today. And Nel’s finances are looking better year over year. Their q3 report shows remarkable revenue improvements, and for the first time they’ve hit 1 billion in NOK mark, with another quarter to go. Hystar is looking at 10 gigawatts of future production and globally and is making solid strategic partnerships for their planned growth. Hydrogen Pro has also been raking in revenue up 61% from q2, and up 14 times since this time last year, one of their biggest bumps coming from Mitsubishi power, successfully validating, installing and operating two of their electrolyzers. These three companies are showing the world that hydrogen can not only be economic, but that the hydrogen transition is within our grasp.
Okay, I need to break away from the story for a second to share a quick word from our sponsor. From water electolyzers to flow batteries and fuel cells, Nafion™ Proton Exchange Membranes play a major role in advancing the Hydrogen Economy. Through their high conductivity, superior strength, and chemical durability, Nafion™ membranes provide the performance needed to make green hydrogen safer, more sustainable, and more affordable. Learn how Nafion™ ion exchange materials support the decarbonization of energy across the globe at www.nafion.com. Now back to the show.
Next in a press release on November 21, GE Vernova and Next Hydrogen signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate electrolysis technology with power systems to produce green hydrogen, GE Vernova’s power conversion business and Next Hydrogen Solutions Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate next hydrogen electrolysis technology with GE Vernova power systems offerings to produce green hydrogen. The process of producing hydrogen involves the separation of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis, a process that requires a significant amount of efficient and reliable electricity. Green hydrogen is a gas that is produced using a process that generates little to no greenhouse gas emissions and serves as a component for E fuels and ammonia products.
The integration of GE Vernova power conversion technology provides next hydrogen water electrolyzers with direct current power sourced from renewable energy including solar wind, and hydro. GE Vernova power conversion will integrate DC power supplies along with power quality such as synchronous condensers energy storage motors and drives for compression and water and controls with energy management. And a quote from Raveel Afzaal, President and CEO of next hydrogen. Next hydrogen is pleased to partner with GE Vernova given its established market channels, broad ability to reach a large number of customers and its solid track record on project delivery and execution.
He also says our partnership with GE Vernova supports next hydrogens commitment to pioneering innovative green hydrogen technologies addressing climate change and promoting global energy sustainability for a cleaner future. And in a quote from Rodrigo Elias, the general manager for North America for GE Vernovas power conversion business, we are poised to drive the hydrogen revolution and contribute to decarbonisation in diverse market segments such as industrial gas powered marine and oil and gas industries by delivering turnkey systems that seamlessly incorporate next hydrogen electrolyzers.
In its inaugural phase GE Vernova and next hydrogen planning to pioneer advanced power systems that align with the forthcoming generation of next hydrogen electrolyzers, which are scheduled to launch in 2024. This collaborative effort will encompass installation, rigorous testing, and the seamless integration of a next hydrogen water electrolyzer, with a power supply meticulously designed and fabricated by GE Vernova. subsequent phases of this dynamic partnership will focus on near term market demonstrations and deployments, paving the way for expanded large scale commercial green hydrogen initiatives.
Okay, so a very interesting partnership, but one that could have a big impact on the green hydrogen market in areas needing turnkey systems to produce electrolytic hydrogen. Now, if you don’t know about GE Vernova. They are a planned purpose built global energy company that includes power, wind, and electrification segments, and it’s supported by their accelerator businesses of advanced research, consulting services and financial services. They’re built on over 130 years of experience, tackling the world’s challenges. Ge Vernova is uniquely positioned to help lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify the world while simultaneously working to decarbonize it. GE Renova helps customers supply economies and deliver electricity that’s vital to health, safety, security, and improve quality of life. Ge Vernova is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with more than 80,000 employees across 140 countries around the world. GE Vernova power conversion business provides energy conversion technologies, systems and services across the power and energy intensive industries, driving electric transformation of the world’s energy and industrial transformations. So what does that snippet really mean? Well, that means that GE Vernova is perfectly poised to help electrify and decarbonize hard to abate sectors.
And with them partnering with next hydrogen, we’re looking at large scale, decarbonisation operators that can easily integrate a hydrogen platform for any organization wanting to leverage hydrogen as those means of decarbonisation. This looks to be a big win for both GE and next hydrogen. And I look forward to seeing how they together help begin integrating with the US hubs are right. That’s it for me, everyone.
If you have a second, I would really appreciate it. If you could leave a good review on whatever platform it is that you listen to Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google, YouTube, whatever it is, that would be a tremendous help to the show. And as always, if you ever have any feedback, you’re open to email me directly at info@thehydrogenpodcast.com. So until next time, keep your eyes up and honor one another. Hey, this is Paul. I hope you liked this podcast. If you did and want to hear more. I’d appreciate it if you would either subscribe to this channel on YouTube, or connect with your favorite platform through my website at www.thehydrogenpodcast.com. Thanks for listening. I very much appreciate it. Have a great day.
