Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers

Utilizing renewable energy sources (RESs) such as wind and solar to convert electrical energy into hydrogen energy can promote the accommodation of green electricity. This paper proposes an optimal capacity planning approach for an industrial electricity-hydrogen multi-energy system (EHMES) aimed to achieve the local utilization of RES and facilitate the transition to carbon reduction in industrial settings. The proposed approach models the EHMES equipment in detail and divides the system’s investment and operation into producer and consumer sides with energy trading for effective integration. Through this effort the specialized management for different operators and seamless incorporation of RES into industrial users can be achieved. In addition the variations in investment and operating costs of equipment across different installed capacities are considered to ensure a practical alignment with real-world scenarios. By conducting a detailed case study the influence of various factors on the capacity configuration outcomes within an EHMES is analyzed. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively address the capacity configuration of equipment within EHMES based on the local accommodation of RES and variable unit cost sequence. Wind power serves as the primary source of green electricity in the system. Energy storage acts as crucial equipment for enhancing the utilization rate of RES.

This is a summary report of a study which aimed to understand the safety feasibility cost and impacts for 7 industrial sites to switch from natural gas to 100% hydrogen for heating. The volunteer industrial sites:<br/>♦ are located away from industrial clusters<br/>♦ use natural gas to meet most of their energy demand<br/>♦ will likely be most impacted by decisions on the future of the natural gas grid<br/>We have published the report in order to share its findings with other industrial sites and wider industry in particular those considering hydrogen as an option for decarbonisation.<br/>Note that:<br/>♦ some work was carried out on a non-hydrogen alternative energy source but to a lesser level of detail and not to determine the optimal decarbonisation solution<br/>♦ the findings do not apply to other end user environments because of differences between these environments and the consumption of gas<br/>The study was commissioned in 2022 by the former Department for Business and Energy and undertaken by AECOM and their safety sub-contractor ESR.<br/>The evidence will inform strategic decisions in 2026 on the role of low carbon hydrogen as a replacement for natural gas heating.

In this podcast David Ledesma talks to Martin Lambert and Abdurahman Alsulaiman about the potential hydrogen import market particularly focusing on the EU which currently holds the largest and earliest hydrogen target. The podcast explores the emerging hydrogen trade market and considers numerous possibilities for its open up providing better clarity on policy statements and balance them against project announcements.

Throughout the podcast Martin and Abdulrahman delve into various key points – they shed light on the primary areas of focus for projects set to be completed by or before 2030 as well as the distinction between announcements and tangible progress such as projects currently at the Final Investment Decision stage or under construction.

Additionally they explore the EU’s role as one of the few countries to have publicly announced its requirements for hydrogen imports and its ambitious hydrogen import target. The EU is currently establishing a benchmark for the future hydrogen market. However in order for the EU to succeed in establishing future hydrogen supply lines with future trade partners it will be crucial to engage in open dialogues covering a wide range of topics.

Join us in this podcast as we uncover the potential of the hydrogen import market with a specific focus on the EU and discuss the necessary steps for its success.

The podcast can be found on their website.

This study examines the structural chemical and hydrogen storage properties of graphitic carbon nitride (gC3N4) nanotubes synthesized via a novel grinding-solution-synthesis (GSS) method which involve two consecutive precursor mixing processes: grinding and solution mixing. The impact of grinding duration on morphology surface area and hydrogen storage capacity was analyzed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed characteristic (100) and (002) peaks at ~13.1◦ and 28.0◦ respectively. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy identified tri-s-triazine heterocycles and hydrogen-bonded amino groups with a new peak at 1650 cm− 1 suggesting structural modifications. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed elemental composition with minor bonding variations. Nitrogen adsorption/desorption analyses showed that the 30-min ground sample (B1G30) had the highest specific surface area (321 m2 g-1) and pore volume (1.07 cm3 /g) while prolonged grinding (60–90 min) caused nanotube degradation reducing these properties. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM/TEM) confirmed nanotubular morphology with decreasing diameters and increasing structural collapse at longer grinding durations. Hydrogen storage tests revealed B1G30 exhibited the highest capacity (0.81 wt% at 3.7 MPa) decreasing with extended grinding (B1G60: 0.79 wt% B1G90: 0.75 wt%) due to structural collapse. Extrapolated data suggested B1G30 could reach ~4.0 wt% at 10 MPa. These findings underscore the importance of nanotube integrity in optimizing hydrogen adsorption and highlight g-C3N4 nanotubes’ potential for hydrogen storage applications. This GSS technique presents a cost-effective method for industrial-scale fabrication of high-surface-area g-C3N4 nanotubes enabling their large-scale use in energy storage carbon capture photocatalysis and other applications.

The demand for green hydrogen as an energy carrier is projected to exceed 350 million tons per year by 2050 driven by the need for sustainable distribution and storage of energy generated from sources. Despite its potential hydrogen production currently faces challenges related to cost efficiency compliance monitoring and safety. This work proposes Hydrogen 4.0 a cyber–physical approach that leverages Industry 4.0 technologies—including smart sensing analytics and the Internet of Things (IoT)—to address these issues in hydrogen energy plants. Such an approach has the potential to enhance efficiency safety and compliance through real-time data analysis predictive maintenance and optimised resource allocation ultimately facilitating the adoption of renewable green hydrogen. The following sections break down conventional hydrogen plants into functional blocks and discusses how Industry 4.0 technologies can be applied to each segment. The components benefits and application scenarios of Hydrogen 4.0 are discussed while how digitalisation technologies can contribute to the successful integration of sustainable energy solutions in the global energy sector is also addressed.

Fuel cell electric buses (FCBs) have proven to be a technically viable solution for transportation owing to various advantages such as reliability simplicity better energy efficiency and quietness of operation. However largescale adoption of FCBs is hindered by the lack of extensive and structured infrastructure and the high cost of clean hydrogen. Many studies agree that one of the significant contributors to the lack of competitiveness of green hydrogen is the cost of electricity for its production followed by transportation costs. On the one hand to reduce the investment cost of the electrolyzer high operating hours should be achieved; on the other as the number of operating hours decreases the impact of the electricity costs declines. This paper presents an innovative algorithm for a scalable hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) capable of successfully matching and identifying the most cost-efficient levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) produced via electrolysis and connected to the grid based on the HRS components’ cost curves and the hourly average electricity price profile. The objective is to identify the least-cost range of LCOH by considering both the electric energy and the investment costs associated with a hydrogen demand given by different FCB sizes and electrolyzer rated powers. In addition sensitivity analyses have been conducted to quantify the technology cost margins and a cost comparison between the refuelling of an FCB fleet and the recharging infrastructure required for an equivalent fleet of Battery Electric Buse (BEB) has been performed. An LCOH of around 10.5 €/kg varying from 12 €/kg (2 FCB) to 10.2 €/kg (30 FCB) has been found for the best-optimized configurations. The final major conclusion of this paper is that FCB technology is currently not economically competitive. Still a cost contraction of the electric energy price and the electrolyzer capital investment would lead to a 50% decrease in the LCOH. Furthermore increasing renewable energies into the grid may shift the electricity cost curve resulting in higher prices when the BEB recharging demand is more significant. This impact in addition to the peak power load and longer recharging times might contribute to bridging the gap with FCBs.

To achieve the shift to renewable energies efficient energy storage is of the upmost importance. Hydrogen as a chemical energy storage represents a promising technology due to its high gravimetric energy density. However the most efficient form of hydrogen storage still remains an open question. Absorption-based storage of hydrogen in metal hydrides offers high volumetric energy densities as well as safety advantages. In this work technical economic and environmental aspects of different metal hydride materials are investigated. An overview of the material properties production methods as well as possibilities for enhancement of properties are presented. Furthermore impacts on material costs abundance of raw materials and dependency on imports are discussed. Advantages and disadvantages of selected materials are derived and may serve as a decision basis for material selection based on application. Further research on enhancement of material properties as well as on the system level is required for widespread application of metal hydrides.

This paper provides an in-depth review of the current state and future potential of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs). The urgency for more eco-friendly and efficient alternatives to fossilfuel-powered vehicles underlines the necessity of HFCVs which utilize hydrogen gas to power an onboard electric motor producing only water vapor and heat. Despite their impressive energy efficiency ratio (EER) higher power-to-weight ratio and substantial emissions reduction potential the widespread implementation of HFCVs is presently hindered by several technical and infrastructural challenges. These include high manufacturing costs the relatively low energy density of hydrogen safety concerns fuel cell durability issues insufficient hydrogen refueling infrastructure and the complexities of hydrogen storage and transportation. Nevertheless technological advancements and potential policy interventions offer promising prospects for HFCVs suggesting they could become a vital component of sustainable transportation in the future.

In order to eliminate the local CO2 emissions from vehicles and to combat the associated climate change the classic internal combustion engine can be replaced by an electric motor. The two most advantageous variants for the necessary electrical energy storage in the vehicle are currently the purely electrochemical storage in batteries and the chemical storage in hydrogen with subsequent conversion into electrical energy by means of a fuel cell stack. The two variants can also be combined in a battery electric vehicle with a fuel cell range extender so that the vehicle can be refuelled either purely electrically or using hydrogen. The air compressor a key component of a PEM fuel cell system can be operated at different air excess and pressure ratios which influence the stack as well as the system efficiency. To asses the steady state behaviour of a PEM fuel cell range extender system a system test bench utilising a commercially available 30 kW stack (96 cells 409 cm2 cell area) was developed. The influences of the operating parameters (air excess ratio 1.3 to 1.7 stack temperature 20 °C–60 °C air compressor pressure ratio up to 1.67 load point 122 mA/cm2 to 978 mA/cm2) on the fuel cell stack voltage level (constant ambient relative humidity of 45%) and the corresponding system efficiency were measured by utilising current voltage mass flow temperature and pressure sensors. A fuel cell stack model was presented which correlates closely with the experimental data (0.861% relative error). The air supply components were modelled utilising a surface fit. Subsequently the system efficiency of the validated model was optimised by varying the air mass flow and air pressure. It is shown that higher air pressures and lower air excess ratios increase the system efficiency at high loads. The maximum achieved system efficiency is 55.21% at the lowest continuous load point and 43.74% at the highest continuous load point. Future work can utilise the test bench or the validated model for component design studies to further improve the system efficiency.

Reactor structure design plays an important role in the performance of solar-thermal methane reforming reactors. Based on a conventional preheating reactor this study proposed a cylindrical solar methane reforming reactor with multiple inlets to vary the temperature field distribution which improved the temperature of the reaction region in the reactor thereby improving the reactor performance. A multi-physical model that considers mass momentum species and energy conservation as well as thermochemical reaction kinetics of methane reforming was applied to numerically investigate the reactor performance and analyze the factors that affect performance improvement. It was found that compared with a conventional preheating reactor the proposed cylindrical reactor with inner and external inlets for gas feeding enhanced heat recovery from the exhausted gas and provided a more suitable temperature field for the reaction in the reactor. Under different operating conditions the methane conversion in the cylindrical reactor with multi-inlet increased by 9.5% to 19.1% and the hydrogen production was enhanced by 12.1% to 40.3% in comparison with the conventional design even though the total reaction catalyst volume was reduced.