Japan firms test Al, alloys to generate hydrogen in EVs

Spanish Market: Hydrogen, Metals, Oil products
11/12/20

A Japanese energy and resource recycling firm is collaborating with carmaker Toyota to test the use of aluminium and alloys recovered in car manufacturing as a source of hydrogen generation for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Toyama-based Alhytec has commissioned a pilot hydrogen generation plant in Toyama prefecture's Takaoka to use aluminium alloy chips collected from Toyota's engine and fuel cell tank manufacturing plants in Aichi prefecture. The company aims to commercially develop a hydrogen generation unit using aluminium and alloys for marketing to industrial plants.

Hydrogen can be produced from the reaction of aluminium and water. Aluminium hydroxide generated as a by-product from the process can also be utilised in production of various chemical and industrial materials. Such a recycling process, if materialised locally, does not require any hydrogen storage and transport infrastructure.

A group of local Japanese firms in 2015 launched a roundtable discussion to study the potential of hydrogen energy businesses by treatment of aluminium and alloys. The participants included Alhytec and aluminium construction materials maker Sankyo Tateyama, both based in Toyama. Toyama was also home to energy-intensive aluminium smelters, who utilised the advantage of low-cost hydroelectricity generated in nearby mountain areas, before they closed down. Toyama continues to house various aluminium-consumer industries.

Japan no longer produces aluminium ingots locally after the country's last aluminium smelter, Nippon Light Metal's Kanbara smelter, closed in 2014. The country's aluminium imports dropped by 8pc on the year to 1.4mn t during the April 2019-March 2020 fiscal year.

Toyota has worked with Alhytec in technology development for hydrogen generation, to identify more efficient use of aluminium chips generated daily in its manufacturing process. The company has also been participating in initiatives to build a hydrogen supply chain and promote hydrogen businesses as part of efforts towards a decarbonised society.

Toyota on 9 December launched the Mirai FCEV, designed to have a 850km cruising range without needing to refuel, around a 30pc improvement in cruising range over the first-generation Mirai launched in 2014 as the world's first mass-produced FCEV.

By Rieko Suda

Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

03/04/25

Funding cuts could delay US river lock renovations

Houston, 3 April (Argus) — The US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) will have to choose between various lock reconstruction and waterway projects for its annual construction plan after its funding was cut earlier this year. Last year Congress allowed the Corps to use $800mn from unspent infrastructure funds for other waterways projects. But when Congress passed a continuing resolutions for this year's budget they effectively removed that $800mn from what was a $2.6bn annual budget for lock reconstruction and waterways projects. This means a construction plan that must be sent to Congress by 14 May can only include $1.8bn in spending. No specific projects were allocated funding by Congress, allowing the Corps the final say on what projects it pursues under the new budget. River industry trade group Waterways Council said its top priority is for the Corps to provide a combined $205mn for work at the Montgomery lock in Pennsylvania on the Ohio River and Chickamauga lock in Tennesee on the Tennessee River since they are the nearest to completion and could become more expensive if further delayed. There are seven active navigation construction projects expected to take precedent, including the following: the Chickamauga and Kentucky Locks on the Tennessee River; Locks 2-4 on the Monongahela River; the Three Rivers project on the Arkansas River; the LaGrange Lock and Lock 25 on the Illinois River; and the Montgomery Lock on the Ohio River. There are three other locks in Texas, Pennsylvania and Illinois that are in the active design phase (see map) . By Meghan Yoyotte Corps active construction projects 2025 Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Mexico, Canada sidestep latest Trump tariffs: Update

03/04/25

Mexico, Canada sidestep latest Trump tariffs: Update

Adds Canada reaction Mexico City, 3 April (Argus) — US president Donald Trump's sweeping tariff measures largely spared Mexico and Canada from additional penalties, as the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement (USMCA) will continue to exempt most commerce, including Mexico's energy exports. According to Trump's tariff announcement on Wednesday , all foreign imports into the US will be subject to a minimum 10pc tax starting on 5 April, with levels as high as 34pc for China and 20pc for the EU. Mexico and Canada are the US' closest trading partners and have seen tariffs imposed and then postponed several times this year, but remained mostly exempt from Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs. Energy and "certain minerals that are not available in the US" imported from all other countries also will be exempt from the tariffs. Trump also did not reimpose punitive tariffs on energy and other imports from Canada and Mexico. All products covered by the USMCA, which include energy commodities, are exempt as well. Yet steel and aluminum, cars, trucks and auto parts from Mexico and Canada remain subject to separate tariffs. Steel and aluminum imports are subject to 25pc, in effect since 12 March. The 25pc tariff on all imported cars and trucks will go into effect on Thursday, whereas a 25pc tax on auto parts will go into effect on 3 May. Mexico's president Claudia Sheinbaum this morning emphasized the "good relationship" and "mutual respect" between Mexico and the US, which she said was key to Trump's decision to prioritize the USMCA over potential further tariffs on Mexican imports. "So far, we have managed to reach a relatively more privileged position when it comes to these tariffs," Sheinbaum said. "Many of our industries are now exempt from tariffs. We aim to reach a better position regarding steel, aluminum and auto parts exports, too." The Mexican peso strengthened by 1.5pc against the US dollar in the wake of the tariff announcement, to Ps19.96/$1 by late morning on Thursday from Ps20.25/$1 on Wednesday. Mexico has not placed any tariffs on imports from the US, which may have eliminated the need for the US to reciprocate with tariffs. "In contrast to what will apply to 185 global economies, Mexico remains exempt from reciprocal tariffs," Mexico's economy minister Marcelo Ebrard said. Mexico exported 500,000 b/d of crude to the US last year, making the US by far the most important export market for the nation's commodity. Mexico also imports the majority of its motor fuels and LPG from the US. If US won't lead, Canada will: Carney To the north, Canada's prime minister says the US' latest trade actions will "rupture" the global economy. "The global economy is fundamentally different today than it was yesterday," said prime minister Mark Carney on Thursday while announcing retaliatory tariffs on auto imports from the US. Canada is matching the US with 25pc tariffs on all vehicles imported from the US that are not compliant with the USMCA, referred to as CUSMA in Canada. But unlike the US tariffs, which took effect Thursday, Canada's will not include auto parts. Automaker Stellantis has informed Unifor Local 444 that it is shutting down the Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario for two weeks starting on 7 April, with the primary driver being Trump's tariffs. The closure will affect 3,600 workers. Trump on 2 April unveiled a chart of dozens of countries the US is targeting with new tariffs, but that lengthy list may also represent opportunity for Canada and Mexico, who have already been dealing with US trade action. "The world is waking up today to a reality that Canada has been living with for months," Canadian Chamber of Commerce president Candace Laing said, a reality which Carney views as an opportunity for his country. "Canada is ready to take a leadership role in building a coalition of like-minded countries who share our values," said Carney. "If the United States no longer wants to lead, Canada will." By Cas Biekmann and Brett Holmes Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

CMA CGM LNG bunker demand up 78pc in 2024

03/04/25

CMA CGM LNG bunker demand up 78pc in 2024

New York, 3 April (Argus) — France-based shipping company CMA CGM increased its consumption of LNG for bunkering by 78pc in 2024 compared with 2023 as part of its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The company consumed a total of 9.2mn tonnes (t) of marine fuel last year. LNG accounted for 10pc of total demand, or 962,200t of very low sulphur fuel oil equivalent (VLSFOe) up from 539,200t VLSFOe, or 7pc, in 2023. CMA CGM attributed the overall rise in marine fuel consumption to disruptions in the Red Sea, where geopolitical tensions forced its vessels to reroute around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope. The company has established LNG bunker supply partnerships with TotalEnergies and Shell, securing fuel at key ports including Singapore, Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Fos-sur-Mer in France, and Shanghai in China. CMA CGM has also invested in French firm Waga Energy, which produces biomethane from landfill gas. The company acknowledges methane slip — unburned methane emissions during combustion — is a key challenge with LNG. To mitigate this, CMA CGM has outfitted select vessels with systems that recirculate and combust leaked gas. It is also implementing high-pressure gas injection and is modifying engine intake valves to ensure more complete combustion. Looking ahead, CMA CGM plans to expand its dual-fuel fleet significantly by 2029. It will add 153 such vessels, including 129 that can run on LNG and 24 powered on methanol. In addition to LNG and methanol, CMA CGM is increasing its use of shore power. The number of its vessels equipped with shore-side electric power connections rose to 116 in 2024, representing 38pc of its owned fleet, up from 67 vessels (26pc) in 2023. CMA CGM also utilizes biofuels for bunkering, though demand declined to 50,900t in 2024, from 76,800t in 2023 and 99,800t in 2022, representing just 1pc of its total marine fuel use. In northwest Europe, LNG carried a $144/t premium over VLSFO, in March, with VLSFO averaging $485/t, according to Argus data. Bio-LNG and B30 biofuel there were priced at premiums of $396/t and $338/t, respectively. By Stefka Wechsler Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Stellantis idles plants, lays off 900 on US tariffs

03/04/25

Stellantis idles plants, lays off 900 on US tariffs

Sao Paulo, 3 April (Argus) — Stellantis is pausing production at two factories in Canada and Mexico and laying off 900 workers at US plants as the company evaluates the effect of US automotive import tariffs. Effective immediately, Stellantis will temporarily pause production at the Windsor Assembly Plant in Canada, resuming production in the week of 21 April, the company said Thursday. In Mexico, the Toluca Assembly Plant will halt production on 7 April through the end of the month. As a result, the company will temporarily lay off 900 workers at five US stamping, casting and transmission plants in Michigan and Indiana that supply assembly plants. The automaker attributed the decision to the "new automotive sector tariffs now going into effect". A 25pc tariff on all cars and trucks imported into the US took effect on Thursday and a 25pc tax on auto parts will go into effect on 3 May. Stellantis is monitoring the tariff situation to assess whether further action is required, North America chief operating officer Antonio Filosa said in an internal email shared with Argus . The moves affect production of Chrysler Pacifica minivans, Jeep's Compass and Wagoneer, and Dodge's new electric muscle car, the Charger Daytona. By Pedro Consoli Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Trump tariffs some steel inputs, spares others

03/04/25

Trump tariffs some steel inputs, spares others

Pittsburgh, 3 April (Argus) — US president Donald Trump imposed a sweeping tariff regime Wednesday that will raise the cost of raw materials for steelmakers that operate electric arc furnaces. Pig iron from Brazil, direct reduced iron from Trinidad, and ferrous scrap from the UK will face 10pc tariffs. Ferrous scrap imports from the EU will face a 20pc levy. The tariffs begin April 5 and will not include shipments already in transit before that date. Two notable exceptions from the announced tariffs are scrap from Mexico and Canada. Canadian and Mexican scrap In February and March, Trump placed 25pc taxes on all imports from Mexico and Canada, before rescinding the tariffs days later in both instances. Many Canadian dealers paused US-bound shipments because of the uncertainty. The shifting trade policy partially caused US ferrous scrap imports from Canada to fall to 188,000 metric tonnes (t) in February, the lowest volume since May 2020 during the height of the pandemic, US customs data shows. Scrap dealers in Canada have begun to breathe a sigh of relief. The paused Canadian scrap shipments to the US will likely restart in April because Trump excluded the country from the latest tranche of tariffs, a Canadian dealer told Argus . Separate 25pc tariffs on Canadian steel, aluminum and automobiles are still in effect, however. The steel tariffs could temper flat-rolled steel mills' appetite for scrap this month because they rely on the US market for steel sales, the dealer noted. Brazilian pig iron and Trinidadian direct reduced iron Some US steel mills pivoted to the pig iron market in February and March because of the tariff uncertainty around Canadian and Mexican scrap. The move contributed to soaring US imports of pig iron in March. The US imported an estimated 535,000t of pig iron from all countries last month, more than double the total from the previous March, according to US vessel manifest data and US customs data. Vessel manifest data shows that the total included about 380,000t of pig iron last month from Brazil, the largest supplier to the US market. That could be the highest volume of Brazilian pig iron imported since January 2024 if the official US customs data confirms the sum. Trump's 10pc tariffs on imports from Brazil, Ukraine and other pig iron producing countries could drive up costs for US steelmakers, especially those with electric arc furnaces (EAF). The 10pc levy will also apply to Nucor's direct reduced iron (DRI) plant in Trinidad. Nucor, the US' largest EAF steelmaker, imports about 125,000t of DRI each month from its Trinidad plant. Nucor did not respond to a request for comment on the Trinidad tariffs. The tariffs on iron metallics announced Wednesday could cause steelmakers to raise their steel selling prices even more. US hot-rolled coil prices have already risen by 22pc since Trump announced the 25pc steel tariffs on 10 February. European and UK scrap EAF steelmakers in the US often look to Europe for prime scrap when US prices surge. That occurred in the first quarter of this year, when average #1 busheling prices rose by 25pc to $470/gross ton (gt) during that time. The US imported about 163,000t of busheling and shredded scrap in bulk cargoes from Europe last month, according to vessel manifest data . Not since June 2022 had the US imported more bulk ferrous scrap from Europe, US customs data showed. The new tariffs on UK and EU-origin scrap could make locally sourced scrap more attractive to US steelmakers. By James Marshall Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more