While the U.S. backtracks on green steel commitments, Chinese companies are starting to make iron with hydrogen. One just made its first export deal to…
The hydrogen economy is a natural conclusion of massive renewable deployments. Last year, China’s largest retail refueling station was offering $4.86/kg (35y). This year, there are 27.5y = $3.82/kg price in another station. In April, Green H2 production in China was announced at 125k mt. In a fuel cell vehicle, $3.82/kg is equivalent to $1.91/gallon diesel price in range. These are all market prices, with markup, though the stations may have been subsidized as in rest of world. (California’s scarcity capitalism model has $34/kg price)
Europe has Nel Hydrogen (Norway) which was a pioneer in electrolysis, and its equipment can, today, produce below $2/kg green H2 costs, if surplus electricity (from abundant renewables) costs 2c/kwh. The economics of renewables are dominated by financing costs, but less so for H2 electrolysis.
There should never have been any hope for US to contribute to climate sustainability. A Zionist first warmongering rulership needs oil to fight over, and to get middle east allies for Israel first US enforced Israel supremacist world order. Climate was only ever a slow transition that if slow, the US could play a role in domestic energy through a new emerging political oligarchy constituency. It is US policy/agenda to enslave its colonies to climate terrorism, no matter how little domestic climate terrorist energy they produce. There is no future for constructive US participation in climate sustainability. Even before Trump, the cheapest home solar options in US were 3x the cost of most expensive Australian market.
For Europe, to champion Nel as a H2 solution, it needs the cheapest abundant solar options (China), to have cheap H2. EU desperate sycophancy to CIA warmongering agenda makes their future uncertain.
Steel or logistics companies have better economics than retail marked up refueling stations. They can use their cost of production as their fuel or enrichment costs. They can have unlimited dedicated solar to either sell to grid, or procuce 2c/kwh input H2 = sub $2/kg H2 costs = $1/gallon diesel fuel. At $2/kg, a 400kw truck or 400mw fleet of 1000 trucks, can profit at 10c/kwh wholesale electricity rates during duck curve or overnight rates when truck driver is sleeping. The duck curve angle is there because that is also rush hour, and getting trucks off the road, a help for traffic. Batteries are better value most days, but the backstop of commercial vehicles being able to choose to park and rest, and make money some days is enough resilience for 100% renewable electricity civilization.
H2’s role in decarbonizing steel is a bit ahead of its time. It can decarbonize all heat. But price is what matters, and $2/kg costs is enough to justify for many applications including steel, but today, without infrastructure/price subsidies, that requires full permits for self solar + self H2 production.
The hydrogen economy is a natural conclusion of massive renewable deployments. Last year, China’s largest retail refueling station was offering $4.86/kg (35y). This year, there are 27.5y = $3.82/kg price in another station. In April, Green H2 production in China was announced at 125k mt. In a fuel cell vehicle, $3.82/kg is equivalent to $1.91/gallon diesel price in range. These are all market prices, with markup, though the stations may have been subsidized as in rest of world. (California’s scarcity capitalism model has $34/kg price)
Europe has Nel Hydrogen (Norway) which was a pioneer in electrolysis, and its equipment can, today, produce below $2/kg green H2 costs, if surplus electricity (from abundant renewables) costs 2c/kwh. The economics of renewables are dominated by financing costs, but less so for H2 electrolysis.
There should never have been any hope for US to contribute to climate sustainability. A Zionist first warmongering rulership needs oil to fight over, and to get middle east allies for Israel first US enforced Israel supremacist world order. Climate was only ever a slow transition that if slow, the US could play a role in domestic energy through a new emerging political oligarchy constituency. It is US policy/agenda to enslave its colonies to climate terrorism, no matter how little domestic climate terrorist energy they produce. There is no future for constructive US participation in climate sustainability. Even before Trump, the cheapest home solar options in US were 3x the cost of most expensive Australian market.
For Europe, to champion Nel as a H2 solution, it needs the cheapest abundant solar options (China), to have cheap H2. EU desperate sycophancy to CIA warmongering agenda makes their future uncertain.
Steel or logistics companies have better economics than retail marked up refueling stations. They can use their cost of production as their fuel or enrichment costs. They can have unlimited dedicated solar to either sell to grid, or procuce 2c/kwh input H2 = sub $2/kg H2 costs = $1/gallon diesel fuel. At $2/kg, a 400kw truck or 400mw fleet of 1000 trucks, can profit at 10c/kwh wholesale electricity rates during duck curve or overnight rates when truck driver is sleeping. The duck curve angle is there because that is also rush hour, and getting trucks off the road, a help for traffic. Batteries are better value most days, but the backstop of commercial vehicles being able to choose to park and rest, and make money some days is enough resilience for 100% renewable electricity civilization.
H2’s role in decarbonizing steel is a bit ahead of its time. It can decarbonize all heat. But price is what matters, and $2/kg costs is enough to justify for many applications including steel, but today, without infrastructure/price subsidies, that requires full permits for self solar + self H2 production.