Cop 27: US launches nuclear H2 project with Ukraine

Market: Hydrogen
14/11/22

US president Joe Biden launched a project that aims to produce clean hydrogen and ammonia from nuclear power to support Ukraine's energy and food security.

The Ukraine Clean Fuels from SMRs Pilot project will pair electrolysis with a small modular reactor (SMR), the White House said last week.

The project aims to pilot "commercial-scale" clean fuel production via solid oxide electrolysis, and will be built on an existing US cooperative program launched in 2020, special presidential climate envoy John Kerry and Ukraine energy minister German Galushchenko said.

The production of clean hydrogen would help support Ukraine's energy goals, and could be used in the synthesis of clean ammonia for fertilizers to assist with long-term food security.

The project's partners include the US' Argonne National Laboratory, Ukraine's Energoatom, National Security and Defense Council and State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, as well as companies such as South Korea's Doosan Enerbility and Samsung C&T, US FuelCell Energy, NuScale Power and Starfire, and Japan's IHI and JGC corporations.

By Emmeline Willey

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25/11/24

Uruguay's left-wing candidate wins presidency

Montevideo, 25 November (Argus) — The left-wing opposition Frente Amplio will return to power in Uruguay after winning a hard-fought run-off election on 24 November. Yamandu Orsi, former mayor of the Canalones department, was elected president with close to 51pc of valid votes. He defeated Alvaro Delgado, of the ruling Partido Nacional. The Frente will control the senate, but will have a minority in the lower chamber. It last governed from 2015-2020. Orsi will take office on 1 March in one of Latin America's most stable economies, with the World Bank forecasting growth at 3.2pc for this year, much higher than the 1.9pc regional average. He will also inherit a country that has been making strides to implement a second energy transition geared toward continued decarbonization and new technologies, such as SAF and low-carbon hydrogen. He will also have to decide on future oil and natural gas exploration. Uruguay does not produce oil or gas, but has hopes that its offshore mimics that of Nambia, because of similar geology. TotalEnergies has made a major find there. The Frente's government plan states that it "will deepen the energy transition, focusing on the use of renewable energy, and decarbonization of the economy and transportation … gradually regulating so that public and cargo transportation can operate with hydrogen." On to hydrogen Uruguay is already the regional leader with renewable energy, with renewables covering 100pc of power demand on 24 November, according to the state-run power company, UTE. Wind accounted for 49pc, hydro 35pc, biomass 10pc and solar 6pc. Orsi will need to make decisions regarding high-profile projects for low-carbon hydrogen, as well as a push by the state-run Ancap to get private companies to ramp up oil and gas exploration on seven offshore blocks. The industry, energy and mining ministry lists four planned low-carbon hydrogen projects, including one between Chile's HIF and Ancap subsidiary Alur that would have a 1GW electrolyzer. Germany's Enertrag is working on an e-methanol project with a 150MW electrolyzer, while two Uruguayan groups are working on small projects with 2MW and 5MW electrolyzers, respectively. The Orsi government will also need to decide if it continues with Ancap's planned bidding process for four offshore blocks, each between 600-800km² (232-309 mi²), to generate up to 3.2GW of wind power to produce 200,000 t/yr of green hydrogen on floating platforms. The Frente has been noncommittal about the future of seven offshore oil and gas blocks, including three held by Shell, two by the UK's Challenger — which recently farmed in Chevron — and one each by Argentina's state-owned YPF and US-based APA Corporation. The Frente's government plan states that "a national dialogue will be called to analyze the impacts and alternatives to exploration and extraction of fossil fuels." By Lucien Chauvin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Clean NH3 integration needs CoC methods: Hinicio

25/11/24

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25/11/24

Clean NH3 integration needs CoC methods: Hinicio

London, 25 November (Argus) — Some ammonia producers are implementing their own chain of custody (CoC) approaches in order to incorporate upcoming reduced carbon tonnes into existing ammonia supply chains, ahead of unified regulation, certification or wide-scale clean ammonia availability. But approaches will vary, depending on whether producers are targeting regulatory or voluntary markets, Belgian-headquartered consulting firm Hinicio told Argus ahead of the Clean Ammonia Europe Conference in Rotterdam this month. Hinicio is consulting on three different ammonia certification schemes currently under development. The schemes are being developed in partnership with Fertilizers Europe, the Fertilizer Institute in the US and the Ammonia Energy Association, which is developing a global scheme. The schemes have a mix of both mass balance or book and claim CoC methods, as producers and buyers seek to optimise on cost and carbon intensity (CI) when clean ammonia tonnes become available. Clean ammonia includes renewable ammonia produced with electrolysis and renewable electricity, or ammonia produced with a natural gas feedstock that uses carbon capture and storage (CCS) to reduce carbon emissions. The mass balance approach is well established in other values chains and has been set forth by the EU as the regulatory standard in the Renewable Energy Directive, FuelEU Maritime and the Gas Directive. And the CoC method has already been adopted by ammonia producers such as Yara and OCI. In a mass balance approach, the ratio of sustainable material incorporated into the value chain is tracked and reflected in the products produced and sold to customers. Physical trade flow is accounted for and a defined time (reconciliation) period is assigned. "When talking about chain of custody, the European regulation really dictates to use mass balance for everything you want to call RFNBO or low-carbon in Europe, or for anything that you want to bring to Europe," Hinicio manager Thomas Winkel said. But a ‘book-and-claim' system grants significantly more flexibility for economic operators that are looking to trade in voluntary markets — where companies buying reduced carbon ammonia are looking to reduce scope 3 emissions or EU ETS obligations. Book and claim allows for physical flow of a product to be completely decoupled from attributes like CI. Characteristics are ‘booked' into a central registry to be ‘claimed' by consumers, without a connection to the physical material, like renewable electricity certificates. "The voluntary market is going towards a combination of mass balance and book and claim," Winkel said. Elements of book and claim can be employed if required, within geographic or other constrictions. But Europe's stance on CoC could force companies to employ mass balancing. "I think many players around the world are looking at Europe as their main export market and they are starting to understand their criteria well," Winkel said. Europe currently accounts for around one-fifth of global ammonia imports, or around 4mn-5mn t/yr, according to Argus line-up data. And at least a quarter of the 40-plus offtake agreements Argus is tracking from clean ammonia projects are likely to supply the European market. Renewable ammonia projects in India and Canada have received pre-certification of RFNBO compliance from certification body Certifhy, with European offtakers already lined up. Under currently announced agreements alone, at least 500,000t of renewable ammonia will be shipping to Europe from 2027, pending project delivery, with the potential for a substantial scale-up in volume as the decade draws to a close. That is excluding large-scale ammonia projects with CCS that are scheduled for start-up in the US in 2025-26 and are also eyeing the European market for export opportunities. "Mass balance is the standard — the schemes that are being developed that are for voluntary purposes allow a bit more flexibility otherwise," Winkle said. For most jurisdictions, the regulatory playbook is still being written. Australia, Japan, South Korea, the US and the UK are still developing regulations surrounding low-carbon fuels. But in the meantime, fledgling supply agreements for voluntary markets may opt for book and claim where possible. But regulatory markets in Europe have declared mass balance as the standard. The development of regulatory and certification schemes in other regions will determine global standards moving forward. By Lizzy Lancaster Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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EU countries urged to align green H2 rules for refining

20/11/24

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20/11/24

EU countries urged to align green H2 rules for refining

Brussels, 20 November (Argus) — EU member states must harmonise the incentives they offer refineries to switch to renewable hydrogen in order to simplify investment decisions and ensure a level playing field, delegates heard at the European Hydrogen Week event in Brussels. Frontrunner countries have diverged. Germany has proposed simpler and more lucrative incentives for its fuel producers compared with the neighbouring Netherlands, while Belgium has drafted its plans but is yet to cement them until its new government settles, industry participants said at the event. To stimulate demand, these governments are working on versions of a scheme sometimes called "the refinery route" which allows transport fuel producers to generate tradeable credits if they substitute renewable hydrogen into their processes. But implementation of the scheme has been put in the hands of each EU member, which has yielded different designs even between neighbours. Industry groups from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands argued this week that aligning their hydrogen policies would have an outsized impact and could set a direction for others. The trio account for 30pc of Europe's industry and 40pc of its hydrogen consumption, according to Dutch industry group NLHydrogen's chairman Marcel Galjee. "If we can't find agreement even in these three countries, then it becomes impossible at the European level, so let's take these countries as a start and build from there," Galjee said. Having uniform rules would simplify the calculation of the value of the incentives which is "the only way to drive investment", according to Galjee. "If we would align Germany, Belgium [and] the Netherlands, it would be much easier to determine the value of a refinery route in your business case. That is currently very difficult and it's preventing progress," he said. The Netherlands' recent proposal to deploy a correction factor to curb the value of its credits angered some refiners and industry groups . The Dutch approach to deploy a correction factor to drive more renewable hydrogen use in refineries was good thinking but bad execution, according to Galjee. The Netherlands would be better copying Germany's policies without a correction factor and then increasing the size of the Dutch quota for renewable hydrogen use in transport as a simpler way to get the demand stimulus it wants, he argued. Boosting demand was not the only intention of the correction factor, however, as the Netherlands also wanted to stop the refinery route undermining direct use of hydrogen and derivatives in vehicles. Fully copying Germany may not be a "realistic option in the Dutch environment today", and while Galjee hopes the Netherlands can move closer to Germany's refinery route system, the top priority must be that some form of the Dutch refinery route starts on time in January 2026, he said. Belgian industry also wants its government to replicate the system devised by Germany, according to Belgium Hydrogen Council chair and Port of Antwerp-Bruges chief operations officer Tom Hautekiet. "Don't try to be smart, just copy and don't change anything from the German system. I want it exactly the same, with the same multipliers, the same objectives," he said. Belgium will likely confirm its plans publicly in a matter of months, and Hautekiet is hoping the government will hear the message from industry. There could even more divergence across the rest of the bloc. Industry participants said they have found it impossible to track every country. France has also proposed a version of the refinery route, but it differs from Germany in certain other areas of hydrogen policy, which has meant the other three have found it easier to present cohesive views as a trio. The issue of fragmentation may deepen in coming months as EU member states start to transpose into national law EU mandates relating to hydrogen in industry ahead of the May 2025 deadline. This will mean even more autonomy and room for divergence. By Aidan Lea Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Hong Kong unveils green maritime fuel action plan

18/11/24

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18/11/24

Hong Kong unveils green maritime fuel action plan

Shanghai, 18 November (Argus) — The Hong Kong special administrative region government unveiled a green maritime fuel action plan on 15 November, aimed at making the region a top-tier centre for green fuel bunkering and reducing carbon emissions from the port of Hong Kong. According to the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering, Hong Kong aims to curb carbon emissions in line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which targets 20% emissions reduction in international shipping by 2030 and a 70% reduction by 2040, compared with 2008 levels, before achieving net-zero emissions by or around 2050. The plan also targets to reduce carbon emissions from Hong Kong-registered ships by at least 11pc, compared with 2019 levels, and have 55pc of diesel-fuelled vessels in the government fleet switch to green maritime fuels by 2026. Hong Kong will target lower carbon emissions from the Kwai Tsing Container Terminals by 30pc, compared with 2021, and ensure that 7pc of its registered ships use green maritime fuels by 2030. Separately, the plan outlines that Hong Kong will have completed the development of the Code of Practice (CoP) on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and green methanol bunkering by 2025. The government will also invite industry expressions of interest by end-2025 for the conversion of a land parcel near the port in Tsing Yi South for green maritime fuel storage. Hong Kong is expected to achieve an annual sale of over 200,000t of green marine fuels by 2030, with over 60 LNG or green methanol bunkering services for ocean-going vessels a year, according to the plan. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Cop: Parties back battery storage, grids and H2 pledges

15/11/24

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15/11/24

Cop: Parties back battery storage, grids and H2 pledges

Baku, 15 November (Argus) — Parties including the US, the UK, Germany, Brazil, the UAE and Saudi Arabia on Friday endorsed pledges on energy storage and grids, and low-carbon hydrogen put forward earlier this year by the UN Cop 29 summit presidency. The pledges aim to increase battery storage capacity six-fold by 2030, from 2022 levels, and enhance energy grids, as well as unlock the potential for a global market for low-carbon hydrogen and its derivatives. It is unclear how many countries have endorsed the pledges so far. Some government representatives, international energy agencies and private sector firms showed their support today to the Cop pledge aiming to enhance grid capacity through a global deployment goal of adding or refurbishing 25mn km of grids by 2030. The commitment also recognises the need "to add or refurbish an additional 65mn km by 2040 to align with net-zero emissions by 2050". "Achieving the grid's target would require the build-up rate to increase by double," energy think-tank Ember said today, adding that the 1,500GW storage goal can be exceeded "significantly". The battery storage goal is in line with what the IEA said is needed to meet the goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, while maintaining energy security. The commitment was taken last year during Cop 28 in Dubai. The IEA expects that most projects will be located in China and developed economies. Delegates called for national targets for energy storage and power grids as well as for more energy connectivity and trade to be able to decarbonise countries faster and to support regional energy cooperation. "Cross-border energy in Asia Pacific remains mainly in bilateral contracts," said a representative from the region. Parties highlighted the urgency to accelerate energy investment, with the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) calling for a new finance goal for developing countries — currently under negotiations — that reflects the need of financing these nations need to accelerate their clean energy expansion. Clean energy investments in emerging and developing countries outside China have risen to $320bn in 2024, according to the IEA. But a representative from Egypt pointing out that over $1 trillion per year is needed for these countries' transition. Saudi Arabia supported both of the pledges, while reiterating that natural gas storage and carbon and capture storage was needed to be able to guarantee stable energy with less emissions. US energy secretary Jennifer Granholm said that the battery storage and grid pledges at the summit will set the tone at next week's G20 where she hopes countries set a similar target. By Jacqueline Echevarria Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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