3 minute read
Environmentalist
CHARLES HAINE
UK ports are embracing the party the UK Government has thrown with its Hydrogen Strategy. The goal is to create a world leading hydrogen economy, unlocking £4bn by 2030 through 5GW capacity of production and the promise of jobs galore.
The new sector will be key, initially, for energy-intensive industries such as chemicals and refineries but heavy transport (shipping, HGVs and trains) are already vying for podium placing.
The studies are coming thick and fast. The most meaningful ones include stakeholder engagement. Early discussions between the owners of energy assets and infrastructure, ports, logistics players and financiers are essential to discuss restrictions, and opportunities to find alignment and common ground. A lower carbon future will rely on an efficient supply chain to produce, transport and export the fuel of the future.
The Port of London is leading a consortium of tech research companies, academics – and usefully SMEs – in a £3.4m effort (with match-funding from MarRI-UK) to establish a national hydrogen highway network, integrating the modes of sea, port and land. They will look at backhauling hydrogen into central London, trial power generation for vessels at Denton Wharf and rightfully consider the health & safety connotations.
Saying all that, they’re already using hydrogen in small ferries in Belgium (between Kruibeke and Antwerp). Japan’s Yanmar Power Technology has conducted the world’s first 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen refuelling of a ship in a demonstrator project. Electrolyser operator INEOS wants to invest €2bn to make zero carbon green hydrogen across Europe but is first focussing on Norway where there’s a plentiful supply of green electricity.
With UK politicians and key figures pinning their hopes on the lightest element in the Periodic Table, and the push on lowercarbon everything from COP in November, we’ll need to ditch bunker fuel for green hydrogen (from renewable energy – by far the cleaner solution) rather than blue (via gas with carbon capture). With the decent USPs of a 31,000km coastline and waters fit for offshore wind, the UK has the platform to progress this. The backing is there; in October, at the UK’s Global Investment Summit (where Boris Johnson was teasing hundreds of millions out of Bill Gates on stage), investors pledged £10bn for a package of 18 deals to support the hydrogen sector alongside wind, CCUS and sustainable homes.
What an opportunity there is for those involved in technology. Marine Power Systems has joined forces with Marine2o to develop integrated solutions to support the production of green hydrogen from offshore floating wind and wave energy sources, then using marine vessels to transport it. The Scottish-led HYSEAS III Project aims to build Europe’s first sea-going ferry fuelled by hydrogen fuel cells. The vessel would store energy made from renewable sources and have the capacity for 120 passengers and 16 vehicles.
It’s hard to keep up with hydrogen news. Daimler Truck AG and BP are supporting the decarbonisation of UK freight transport. More than this, it’s happening on a global scale.
Hydrogen has gathered incredible momentum in North America where the market is gearing up for 3.4 million jobs and revenue of $750bn a year by 2050.
The European Commission has placed hydrogen at the forefront of Europe’s green recovery with targets of 6GW of green hydrogen by 2024 and 40GW by 2030.
Across the media, hydrogen looks like it will be the energy of carrier shipping by 2050. Sceptics say without the refuelling infrastructure and the market dominance of bulk and oil carriers, and container ships (85% of emissions), nothing can power as efficiently as marine fuels. However, factor in the likely penalties, future carbon taxes and levies and the sheer reputational damage that will ensue from the 2030s for using fossil fuels and change will be inevitable. Global consumer goods companies and retailers that drive trade have also spoken up. The likes of Amazon, Unilever and IKEA have stated an aim to use only zero-carbon ocean shipping by 2040.
Rather than getting sidetracked by the companies leading the rhetorical beauty parade to be net-zero (before competitors’ net-zero target), it really is worth investigating the project activities offering up new opportunities to get involved in the market. The maritime sector, and ports have always adjusted with the times.
The energy revolution is underway. There’s space for innovation, new engineering techniques, and joined-up thinking bringing efficiencies across multiple sectors to the benefit of all.
What a time to be in science, technology and engineering!
What a time to be involved in ports, energy and the maritime sector!
THE HYDROGEN BUBBLE IS BULGING
The energy revolution is underway. Hydrogen is core to this... ‘‘
8 The Port of London is leading a
