The Hydrogen Stream: US researchers link H2 impact to production

US researchers say hydrogen’s climate impact depends primarily on production methods and feedstock emissions, while Nikola Corp. has recalled 95 hydrogen-powered trucks and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

University of Texas researchers said the production method and feedstock emissions primarily determine hydrogen’s life cycle climate impact, while hydrogen leakage and indirect warming contribute less than 15%. The carbon intensity of the electricity source and the carbon intensity of the production process have a much greater bearing on the overall warming potential of hydrogen production,” the researchers said in Communications Earth & Environment. They assumed a 2% hydrogen leakage and compared fossil fuel-based and hydrogen-based steel production and heavy-duty transport, finding emissions reductions of 800 to more than 1,400 kg CO₂ equivalent per tonne of steel and 0.1 to 0.17 kg CO₂ equivalent per tonne-km of cargo. Hydrogen reduced steel emissions in all cases but was not universally effective in heavy-duty transport.

Nikola Corp. has recalled 95 FCEV hydrogen-powered trucks due to a defect in hydrogen tank mounting block bolts that may cause damage, Truck Info reported. Earlier this month, it said that it and some of its subsidiaries had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Everfuel has delivered its first hydrogen to the Crossbridge Energy refinery. “It has been a long and complex journey, but now we are in a position to steadily ramp-up production,” said Jacob Krogsgaard, founder and CEO of the Danish hydrogen producer.

H2MOF said hydrogen transportation remains costly and inefficient, yet crucial for the hydrogen economy. “Existing technologies for hydrogen transportation include pipelines, tube trailers, cryogenic tankers, and carrier materials such as ammonia. Despite some incremental improvements over the past decades, these technologies fall short of meeting cost targets and display some important limitations that may hinder their adoption on a larger scale: material compatibility, safety challenges, high investment costs, energy-intensive,,” the company stated in its latest white paper. It noted that the world produced and consumed 97 million tons of hydrogen in 2023.

Ikigai Capital’s co-founder and COO, Helena Anderson, said at a recent event in Milan that Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy are currently the most attractive hydrogen markets. “Hydrogen has a specific role in certain applications, especially in hard-to-abate industries. It is not for every context,” she said, noting that the United Kingdom and Italy are advancing hydrogen investments due to revenue-support schemes.