Hidroelectrica eyes hydrogen project with Verbund

: Electricity, Hydrogen
21/03/04

Romanian state-owned hydropower generator Hidroelectrica will seek approval from shareholders this month to sign an initial agreement with Austrian utility Verbund for the development of the Green Hydrogen and Blue Danube project.

The project hopes to produce 80,000 t/yr of green hydrogen from renewable generation sources and transport the hydrogen to offtakers in central and western Europe.

Hidroelectrica and Verbund, along with a consortium of partners from Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, will install 2GW of renewable generation capacity in Romania and corresponding electrolyser capacity to produce hydrogen. The project will make use of off-grid wind and on-grid hydropower generation.

The firms also plan to deploy a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC), which is a diesel-like liquid that can "chemically store" and release hydrogen, according to Hidroelectrica. The benefit of using LOHC is that it can be handled in ambient conditions, enabling it to be transported on existing infrastructure that is used for fossil fuels, primarily ships and barges. Offtakers in central and western Europe will then reconvert the LOHC to hydrogen.

The project also aims to make use of hydrogen propulsion technology for vessels that will be transporting the liquids, to further minimise its CO2 footprint. A total of 40 hydrogen-fuelled barges could accompany the project, Verbund said in 2019.

The companies will seek funding from the EU as part of the Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) framework. The development of large-scale hydrogen production capacity will help in the substitution of fossil fuels and contribute to the European and national climate objectives and the European Green Deal as green hydrogen can be used as a substitute feedstock for steel and chemical production and refining among others, Hidroelectrica said.

After completing feasibility studies, Hidroelectrica and its partners plan to send the final notification of the project to the European Commission by the third quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2022 and begin implementation from the third quarter of next year until 2030.

Verbund was involved in the development of the hydrogen-operated railway in the Zillertal valley and part of a consortium that developed an electrolysis system at a steel production site in Linz.

Essen-based utility Steag last month joined forces with German steel firm Thyssenkrupp to build and operate an electrolysis plant with a capacity of 500MW. The firms will also seek funding within the IPCEI framework.

Hidroelectrica shareholders will vote on signing the Green Hydrogen and Blue Danube project initial agreement on 29 March.

By Nicolas Kyriakoglou

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25/04/25

Canada H2 sees opening as political chaos engulfs US

Houston, 25 April (Argus) — Canada's hydrogen sector sees an opportunity to attract global customers as the US' bellicose stance toward its northern neighbor unites Canadians behind strengthening its energy capacity and as US political turmoil sends countries looking for other trading partners. "The mayhem south of the border has created a real national interest in exports," Trigon Pacific Terminals chief executive Robert Booker said this week at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention in Edmonton, Alberta. Trigon is building a berth at the port in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, to handle low-carbon hydrogen converted to ammonia. "The choice, quite frankly, is become the 51st state or export," Booker said. "We should export, and there's broad understanding that that's good for Canada." Canadian energy exports from Alberta have largely gone south to the US. Ambitions to tap global markets have been stymied in years past by community and federal opposition to building rail and pipeline infrastructure that would connect the landlocked province to the Pacific coast. Multiple large-scale hydrogen proposals in western Canada were quietly shelved in the past year because of a lack of infrastructure, among other challenges, and Canadian companies were shut out of recent Asian auctions to buy hydrogen because of similar restraints. But Trump's return to the White House has changed Canadians' views on export infrastructure. Both candidates in the upcoming 28 April general election, including Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney who served as UN Special Envoy for Climate Action, have vowed to build out pipelines , rail corridors and other infrastructure — including electricity grids — to diversify energy exports away from the US. "We've never been this united in the country," said Julie Lemieux, chief executive officer of Triple Point Resources, which is developing a salt dome in Newfoundland for hydrogen storage. "That's the positive of the chaos. We've been notoriously slow to approve these projects and invest in infrastructure. Whoever wins next week, they've all committed to investing in infrastructure." Panelists speaking in Edmonton expressed relief that Canada didn't follow the US example of putting tariffs on China, whose technology and components will be instrumental to containing costs while building Canadian infrastructure. "For better or worse, whatever your opinion, the build out of new infrastructure today is really dependent on China, especially when it comes to green infrastructure, where there's already an embedded green premium," said Matthew Borys, vice president of corporate development at EverWind Fuels. "Keeping the cost down is super important to getting these things built out." The Trump administration's preference for fossil fuel extraction over clean energy and its expansionist designs on the Panama Canal are also seen as opportunities for Canadian developers to attract Asian customers who could avoid the canal by exporting from British Columbia terminals, said James Vultaggio, vice president of Atco EnPower. "The administration to the south is focused more on fossil fuel production and reducing environmental regulations," Vultaggio said. "If they want to cede their seat as a clean energy leader, then Canada has an opportunity to fill that seat, and we should take it." Trump has been outspoken in his preference for fossil fuel extraction and has paused all federal clean energy disbursements related to the Inflation Reduction Act, which has raised doubts about whether US hydrogen hubs can survive as they were initially conceived during the administration of former president Joe Biden. Clean energy incentives such as the 45V hydrogen production tax credit have also come under scrutiny as the Trump administration seeks to shrink government spending. The uncertainty around clean energy incentives in the US may well send American investment north, said Denis Caron, chief executive of the Belledune Port Authority in eastern Canada's New Brunswick province, which is positioning itself as a green energy hub targeting European markets. Caron said an American company working with the port of Belledune remains bullish on its prospects there and could serve as a model to attract even more American investment if the US continues to claw back support for clean energy. "We see an opportunity to attract American investment to Canada and make those types of investments," Caron said. "Canada has a golden opportunity to fulfill the requirement of supplying clean and green energy products globally." By Jasmina Kelemen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Danish H2 sector criticises country's mandate draft

25/04/25

Danish H2 sector criticises country's mandate draft

London, 25 April (Argus) — Industry group Hydrogen Denmark and some of its member companies have criticised the country's draft to transpose EU hydrogen transport targets into Danish law, and have urged Copenhagen to adjust the rules before they are finalised in May. Companies with hydrogen projects, including Everfuel, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and European Energy, signed an open letter calling for changes, as did fuel producer Crossbridge Energy, which runs the 67,000 b/d Fredericia oil refinery and has an offtake deal for hydrogen from Everfuel. The group said Denmark's targets are unambitious and too low to spur significant demand and help the country realise its goal to export 'green' energy. The draft rules would effectively mean Danish fuel companies supply 1pc renewable hydrogen and derivatives to the transport sector by 2030, which was the minimum goal set by Brussels. The group urged Denmark to aim above the EU target, following member states like Finland that has set a 4pc target . The group also wants Denmark to phase in the quota with incremental increases each year until 2030 starting as early as 2026, to aid first-mover projects and generate experience that ensures Denmark can successfully meet the binding EU target that starts in 2030. The group also warned Denmark must not exclude use of subsidised hydrogen from counting towards transport targets. This would ruin the business case for many hydrogen production projects and could steer Danish producers towards exports and mean Denmark effectively subsidises neighbours like Germany to meet its own mandates, it said. The group's concerns stem from language around 'supported' projects in the draft text, which it understands to refer to state aid. If left unchanged, the rule would affect projects that Denmark has subsidised through its power-to-X tender and Danish projects that may hope to benefit from EU-level funds like the European Hydrogen Bank or the Innovation Fund. The industry group praised Copenhagen's plan to allow renewable hydrogen switching in refineries to count towards the targets. This mechanism, known as the refinery route in some European countries, has been called "elegant" by market participants because it should raise demand for hydrogen in the near term and is a logistically simpler way to cut CO2 than converting refuelling stations and vehicle fleets to use hydrogen. Denmark appears to have allowed the rule without limiting the value of credits, unlike the Netherlands where a 'multiplier' rankled industry participants . Allowing the refinery route will probably please Everfuel and Crossbridge Energy, as the latter had complained Denmark was not supporting its refinery 20MW fuel switching project unlike EU peers. Copenhagen had planned to set the draft mandates into law by 21 May — the deadline set under the EU's revised renewable energy directive (REDIII) — but it remains to be seen if it will press ahead with this timeline given industry has demanded changes. By Aidan Lea Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Kurdish gas plans may boost Iraqi oil exports

25/04/25

Kurdish gas plans may boost Iraqi oil exports

Dubai, 25 April (Argus) — Plans for a significant increase in natural gas production in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region over the next 18 months could not only help address the country's chronic power shortages but also enable Baghdad to boost its oil exports. The Pearl Petroleum consortium — which comprises Abu Dhabi-listed Dana Gas, Sharjah-based Crescent Petroleum, Austria's OMV, Hungary's Mol, and Germany's RWE — aims to increase gas production capacity in Kurdistan to 825mn ft³/d by the end of next year, representing a more than 50pc increase from current output. The plan involves expanding the capacity of the region's sole gas-producing field, Khor Mor, to 750mn ft³/d by the first quarter of 2026, and adding up to 75mn ft³/d from the Chemchemal field by the end of 2026. According to a source at Pearl, the development of Chemchemal is a key priority for the companies, as it is believed to have reservoirs comparable to those of Khor Mor. Under a 2019 agreement, the additional gas from the expansion project will be sold to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) for a 20-year term, which should help eliminate the region's frequent power outages, particularly during peak summer months when demand for air conditioning is high. The Kurdistan region will also be well-positioned to supply any excess gas to the rest of Iraq. The federal government in Baghdad had previously approved a plan to import approximately 100mn ft³/d of gas from Khor Mor to power a 620MW plant in Kirkuk province, but no formal agreement has been signed to date. "The federal ministry of electricity and Crescent Petroleum have already met to finalise the agreement, which is ready for signature and awaiting implementation," the Pearl source said. "The infrastructure needed to support the sale of this quantity of gas is also in place." The plan has faced delays partly because of Iran's long-standing influence over Iraq and the potential impact such an agreement with the Kurdistan region could have on Baghdad's reliance on Iranian gas and power. However, the revival of US president Donald Trump's ‘maximum pressure' campaign against Tehran is forcing Baghdad to get serious about seeking alternative energy sources, with the Kurdistan region emerging as a viable option. Crude Export Boost Formalising the deal to import Kurdish gas would allow Baghdad to allocate more oil for export, as it would reduce the need to burn crude for power generation. Argus estimates that Iraq typically burns between 50,000 b/d and 100,000 b/d of crude in its power stations, depending on the season, and has recently increased imports of gasoil for power generation. By the time Iraqi Kurdistan has fully ramped up its additional gas capacity, Iraq's Opec+ crude output target will be 200,000 b/d higher than it is today, based on the group's latest production plans. By Bachar Halabi and Nader Itayim Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US generators weigh delaying coal plant retirements

25/04/23

US generators weigh delaying coal plant retirements

New York, 23 April (Argus) — US utilities are considering additional extensions to coal plant retirements in response to recent policy changes, even though the benefit for the coal industry may be short-lived. US utilities are still mostly reviewing US president Donald Trump's executive orders issued earlier this month plus other actions initiated by his administration. One of the more concrete recent actions were the two-year exemptions from complying with updated Mercury and Air Toxics Standards granted to dozens of power plants on 15 April. But even though utilities had applied for these exemptions, the majority of those that spoke to Argus indicated they are still evaluating their options. "Granting a two-year compliance extension at Labadie and Sioux will enable Ameren Missouri to further refine its compliance strategy and optimize planned monitoring mechanisms to ensure accuracy," said Ameren Missouri director of environmental services Craig Giesmann. 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The utility was granted exemptions for four coal plants with a combined 7,092MW of capacity. None of these units currently has concrete retirement dates scheduled. Companies need to take into account other factors before committing to extending a coal unit's life, including natural gas price expectations and whether government regulations will stay in place. In addition, the planning process for retiring and adding generating assets takes time. These factors also are being taken into account by utilities that do not have coal units on the list of mercury rule exemptions but could be affected by other efforts the Trump administration is making to try to preserve coal generation. "Whatever impacts may arise from policy changes this year will be assessed in a future [Integrated Resource Plan], with the best analysis of information available at that time," utility PacifiCorp said. The utility just filed its latest integrated resource plan with state regulators on 31 March and does not expect to file another one until early 2027. Another utility that did not have coal units on the list of mercury rule exemptions but would be affected by other regulatory actions said it is considering extending coal unit operations by a few years. A US coal producer reported receiving increased inquiries from utilities about the feasibility of continuing to get coal supply beyond power plant units' planned retirement dates. Both buyers and sellers that talked to Argus agree that contract flexibility is gaining importance. But "even if you roll back some regulations and push deadlines on various retirements and certain requirements out into the future, you still can not justify taking more coal unless it is going to be competitive" with natural gas, one market participant said. While profit margins for dispatching coal in US electric grids were above natural gas spark spreads for a number of days this past winter, that was an anomaly when compared with recent years. Coal may bridge generating gap But recent policy changes could help utilities use coal generation to bridge any gaps in generating capacity caused by delays in bringing other energy sources online. These include possible delays in adding solar generation following increased tariffs the Trump administration has imposed on imports from China as well as legislation moving through some state governing bodies aimed at inhibiting renewable projects. On 15 April, the Texas Senate passed a bill that would impose restrictions on solar and wind projects, including new permits, fees, regulatory requirements, and taxes. Separately, North Carolina legislators are reviewing a bill that proposes reducing solar tax breaks from 80pc to 40pc and limiting locations for utility-scale projects. Other states are moving forward with efforts to encourage less carbon-intensive generation. Colorado governor Jared Polis (D) on 31 March signed legislation classifying nuclear energy as a "clean" power source. Increased renewable energy generating capacity still is expected to be the "main contributor" to growth in US electricity generation, according to the US Energy Information Administration's (EIA) Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). But EIA's latest outlook did not take into account the coal-related executive orders Trump signed on 8 April. "We are currently evaluating these developments, and they will be reflected in the May STEO," EIA chief economist Jonathan Church said. Most market participants do not expect substantial long-term changes to come from recent coal-supporting efforts because of various other factors including the fundamental economics of coal-fired power plants. By Elena Vasilyeva Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Canada election’s CO2 pricing issue one to watch for H2

25/04/23

Canada election’s CO2 pricing issue one to watch for H2

Canada's two main parties have clashed on the carbon pricing system ahead of the general election, but there is also common ground, writes Jasmina Kelemen Houston, 23 April (Argus) — Industrial carbon pricing has become one of the key issues in the run-up to Canada's forthcoming general election on 28 April, and the future course on this is expected to affect the country's nascent clean hydrogen sector. Prime minister Mark Carney's first major act after assuming office in early March was to scrap the consumer carbon tax . The tax had become the focus of popular anger against former prime minister Justin Trudeau after Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre blamed Liberal climate policies for rising household costs. But Carney, who served five years as the UN Special Envoy for Climate Action, left the federal carbon pricing system on industrial emissions intact and has vowed to keep it. In contrast, Poilievre has said he will eliminate it, arguing the system raises costs for consumers while merely shifting emissions abroad. Scrapping the federal carbon pricing system would not mean that emissions immediately become free of charge across Canada. The federal law serves as a "backstop" for provinces that do not have their own carbon pricing mechanisms in place, and sets minimum standards for others. Most provinces have their own systems in place for now, but they could alter or altogether eliminate these if the federal law on carbon pricing is removed. Climate activists say retaining the carbon pricing would be crucial for meaningful emissions cuts. "Without the signal industrial pricing systems send, other types of incentives... will not be enough to meaningfully drive down carbon pollution from big industry or deliver on Canada's climate goals," Canadian Climate Institute president Rick Smith said in March. Under the federal system, the minimum carbon tax is currently set at C$95/t ($68.60/t) of CO2 and is set to increase by C$15/t each year, plateauing at C$170/t in 2030. If such pricing is retained, it could help drive a shift towards cleaner hydrogen production , including from natural gas with carbon capture and storage (CCS), compared with existing production pathways with unabated emissions. For now, it seems likely that the federal carbon pricing system will survive the election. The Liberals were ahead in a rolling three-day Nanos poll released on 21 April, with 43.7pc favouring Carney compared with the Conservatives' 36.3pc. Corridor train Carney and Poilievre appear more aligned on other energy issues and policies that could have implications for the hydrogen sector. Both have embraced Canada's potential for fossil fuel output. Carney wants to turn the country into a "superpower in both clean and conventional energy", and has vowed to build out pipelines, trade corridors and other infrastructure — including electricity grids — to diversify energy exports away from the US. Some of this could support hydrogen ventures, such as in British Columbia where a slew of proposed renewable and CCS-based projects have failed to advance , partly because of high power prices and limited gas infrastructure. Despite the support for conventional energy, Carney and Poilievre have also stressed their commitment to retain investment tax credits for clean technologies and manufacturing. Renewable and CCS-based hydrogen projects can benefit from these , with tax credits depending on the carbon intensity of production. Both have vowed to streamline and accelerate permitting processes for large infrastructure projects, which could benefit hydrogen ventures if realised. Canada's clean hydrogen ambitions will also be dependent on the sector gaining traction elsewhere. Eastern Canada's goal to leverage its renewable resources and help meet what was expected to be burgeoning demand in Europe has stalled as the transatlantic market has failed to materialise as anticipated. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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