More info on Hydrogen

Hydrogen buses are more than just a vision for tomorrow; they are a tangible solution for today's public transport needs. As cities strive to reduce their carbon footprints and move away from diesel-dependent fleets, hydrogen buses are emerging as a game-changer. But what exactly makes these buses so special, and how are they set to revolutionise public transport?  

Understanding Hydrogen Buses

What Makes Hydrogen Buses Work?

Imagine a bus that emits nothing but water —sounds incredible, right? That’s the promise of hydrogen fuel cell buses. They use “green hydrogen” stored in tanks onboard, which is then combined with oxygen in a fuel cell to produce electricity. This electricity powers the bus’s electric motor, with the only byproducts being water and heat. It’s a clean, efficient, and sustainable way to power public transport.

How Do Hydrogen Fuel Cells Work?

The magic happens inside the fuel cell. Hydrogen enters the cell at the anode, where it is split into protons and electrons. The electrons travel through an external circuit, creating electricity, while the protons pass through a membrane to the cathode, where they combine with oxygen to form water. This process generates electricity without combustion, meaning no harmful emissions are produced.

Benefits of Hydrogen Buses

Environmental Impact

Hydrogen buses are a boon for the environment. Traditional diesel buses emit significant amounts of CO2 and other pollutants, contributing to air pollution and climate change. Hydrogen buses, on the other hand, use hydrogen, so they only emit water , making them a clean alternative. By replacing diesel buses with hydrogen-powered ones, cities can significantly reduce their carbon footprints and improve air quality.

Efficiency and Range

One of the standout benefits of hydrogen buses over electric ones is their range and refuelling time. While electric buses need lengthy recharging periods, hydrogen buses can be refuelled in a matter of minutes, similar to diesel buses. They also offer a longer range, making them ideal for routes that require long travel distances or for use in cities where recharging infrastructure is limited.

The Future of Hydrogen Buses in Public Transport

Technological Advancements

The future looks bright for hydrogen buses as technology continues to advance. Improvements in fuel cell efficiency and hydrogen storage are making these buses more competitive with traditional diesel and electric buses.

Conclusion

Hydrogen buses are steering public transport towards a greener future. Their environmental benefits, efficiency, and economic potential make them a vital component of sustainable urban mobility. As cities and countries continue to invest in hydrogen technology, the transition to cleaner, hydrogen-powered public transport becomes not just a possibility, but a reality!

Find out which hydrogen buses run on renewable hydrogen in the Lhyfe Heroes catalog: H₂ products (lhyfe-heroes.com)

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The TIRUERT, or “Taxe Incitative Relative à l'Utilisation d'Énergie Renouvelable dans les Transports” (Incentive tax on the use of renewable energy in transport) aims to promote the use of renewable energy in transport by enabling developers of electric vehicle charging stations and renewable hydrogen refuelling stations to issue renewable energy certificates. These certificates can then be sold to oil operators, enabling them to meet their renewable energy obligations and avoid paying additional tax.  

This is not a new mechanism, as it has existed for some twenty years (under the name TIRIB, then TGAP).  

The French Finance Act of 2022 made developers of electric vehicle charging stations and hydrogen mobility players eligible for the scheme.  

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Key mechanism of the TIRUERT  

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How does the TIRUERT work?  

Today, all fuel distributors in mainland France are subject to the TIRUERT. If they achieve a biofuel incorporation rate of 9.9% for petrol and 9.2% for diesel, then the incentive tax becomes zero.  

The legislation allows these distributors to purchase electricity or hydrogen certificates used in the transport sector. This economic alternative enables them to avoid paying the incentive tax. It can also replace the obligation to physically incorporate biofuels into fuels, depending on market conditions.  

Renewable energy certificates are issued by developers of charging stations or hydrogen refuelling stations open to the public, thus improving the economic competitiveness of their projects: they receive income from the sale of these certificates. This income is proportional to the electricity or hydrogen consumed at the charging points or hydrogen refuelling stations.  

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Eligibility and conditions  

• For a network of electric charging stations (IRVE) to be eligible for the TIRUERT scheme, it must meet several conditions:  
  

1. Regulatory compliance: The IRVE must comply with the general provisions on quality of service and interoperability, as well as the requirements for submitting data on the transport.data.gouv platform.  

2. Registration : Charge points must be registered on the Carbure platform managed by the Direction Générale de l'Energie et du Climat (DGEC).  

3. Audit and control: The administration may require an audit by a COFRAC-accredited body to verify the existence and compliance of chargepoints.  

AZOR ENERGY offers support at every stage of the project, from registration on the Carbure platform to the sale of certificates to oil operators.  

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• For a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure network to be eligible for the TIRUERT scheme, it must also meet a number of conditions:  

1. Regulatory compliance: Hydrogen refuelling stations must comply with current safety and quality standards. Hydrogen must be produced by electrolysis and used in mobility.  

2. Registration: Stations must be registered with the Direction Générale de l'Énergie et du Climat (DGEC) in the Carbure platform.  

3. Certification of consumption: Hydrogen consumption must be certified by approved meters and read regularly.  

AZOR ENERGY offers support at every stage of the project.  

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Impact and benefits  

The TIRUERT system is an incentive system that provides additional income to support the deployment of public electric charging and hydrogen distribution networks in France. By facilitating a win-win scenario between fuel distributors and recharging infrastructure operators, it encourages investment in renewable energy projects and supports the national decarbonisation strategy.  

Certification and reporting  

IRVE operators must declare the amount of renewable electricity consumed each quarter per charge point. The amount of energy supplied is based on certified meter readings, and the renewable share of electricity used is calculated on the average of the French energy mix over the last two years. In 2023, this rate was 26.02%, and it is not yet known for 2024.  

For hydrogen filling station operators, the implementing decrees are in the process of being published.  

Future prospects  

TIRUERT's market potential is significant, with an estimated 80 to 120 GWh of renewable electricity expected to be marketed in 2024 (representing volumes from 2022 to 2024). This market is helping local authorities and investors to reduce their selling prices in a context of rising energy costs, thus contributing to the wider adoption of renewable energy solutions in the transport sector.  

For hydrogen, although the volumes involved are not yet known, the Tiruert principle is expected by station operators already committed to renewable hydrogen, to accelerate the adoption of this new fuel by rewarding the customer in the pump price.  

Conclusion  

The TIRUERT scheme is an essential tool in France's renewable energy strategy, promoting the growth of a greener transport sector. As the market evolves, the role of the TIRUERT tends to expand, supporting the wider adoption of renewable electricity and renewable hydrogen in transport.  

(For more detailed information and assistance on how to participate in the TIRUERT mechanism, you can contact AZOR ENERGY).  

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The drive for sustainable energy solutions has brought forward innovative ideas to combat climate change. One standout is Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBO). But what exactly is RFNBO, and why is it so significant?

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Understanding RFNBO

RFNBO refers to fuels produced using renewable electricity rather than biomass, such as creating green hydrogen through water electrolysis. This sets RFNBO apart from traditional biofuels, which rely on biological materials. By leveraging renewable sources like wind, solar, and hydro, RFNBO significantly reduces the carbon footprint of energy production.

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Why is RFNBO important for energy transition?

RFNBO offers two major benefits:

· Integrating renewable energy: It helps incorporate renewable energy into sectors traditionally dominated by fossil fuels.

· Decarbonising challenging industries: It aids in reducing emissions in heavy industries and sectors like aviation and maritime transport, which are tough to transition to green alternatives.

By using renewable electricity for fuel production, RFNBO can drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions across various industries.

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Expanding the role of RFNBO

1. Driving Economic Growth

As countries invest in renewable energy infrastructure and RFNBO production facilities, there will be a surge in job creation, from R&D to manufacturing and operations.

2. Fostering technological innovation

The push for RFNBO is driving innovations in renewable energy production and storage, making processes like electrolysis more efficient and cost-effective.

3. The environmental and social impact

RFNBO improves air quality and public health. Additionally, the shift to a green energy economy provides opportunities for social inclusion and economic development.

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What role do regulations play in RFNBO's success?

Supportive policies, such as carbon pricing and renewable energy targets, are crucial for accelerating RFNBO adoption. The regulatory landscape will significantly impact the success of RFNBO. For more insights on RFNBO's role in Europe's decarbonization strategy, check out our interview with Alice Ruczinski, European Funding Manager for Lhyfe.

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Hydrogen stations are popping up everywhere in Europe (see our map) and will continue to achieve the goal of having one every 150km. But how does a hydrogen station work exactly? Today, I have a discussion with Simon Keusching, global Key Account Manager for Dover Fueling Solutions® (DFS), focusing on hydrogen solutions. DFS has experience of more than 130 years in the fuel and convenience retail industry and officially launched the DFS Hydrogen dispenser in 2022.

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Claire: What is the specificity of constructing a hydrogen station?

To explain how innovative it is, I like to compare it with diesel stations. There are some safety rules associated with both, obviously, but the process is pretty simple.

For hydrogen it is highly different because there is a full hydrogen process plant within the station, aggregating a lot of engineering components.

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C: Could you detail that hydrogen process happening within the station?

There are five main components aggregated:

· The offloading panel: it takes hydrogen from the tube trailer to the compressor

· The compressor: when you start to onload, at the beginning, you have a lot pressure in the tube trailer (350bar). But as the tube trailer is emptying, the pressure decreases also. The compressor works then to put more pressure on the hydrogen. The compressor also raises the pressure up to 450 bar so that more hydrogen can be stored on the station and the filling can be done quicker. For Heavy Duty Truck, the tank needs to be filled with 350 bar and 700 bar for passenger cars.

· The buffer: we need to store some hydrogen at high pressure in the station to make sure it is available any time at the right pressure and to store more hydrogen

· The cooling system: when we load a vehicle with hydrogen, and the charging is fast, it is heating a lot and could be dangerous: so we need to cool the hydrogen before. It could be done without cooling, but it would be longer.

· The dispenser and the nozzle: this part is responsible to regulate the pressure, the temperature, the flow and the quantity “delivered” into the car.

It looks complex inside but for a user the experience is very similar: very fast!

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C: We see a lot of new energy solutions for vehicles, and it is sometime confusing to know which one to choose. What is your opinion on that?

Indeed, there are a lot of alternative fuels, at the moment. For example:

· Gas, CNG, LPG, LNG. These are still fossil fuels that burn in the engine. They reduce emissions by around 30%.

· Bio-gas. This is also a solution that we can liquify and use in the same infrastructure as LNG. Transforming waste into gas is also an interesting solution but it still emits CO2 when the vehicle runs.

For me, the main solutions for the future are:

· Green hydrogen: for heavy duty trucks, vehicles running a lot, etc.

· Decarbonized electricity: for light cars.

· E-fuels produced with green hydrogen for even more powerful solutions.

Hydrogen is still at the beginning, what are the next hurdles to come across?

The goal is to standardize the equipment and the mass production of every component. Almost every player of the hydrogen value chain has to scale up in the upcoming years. The demand is here but we need to have the right people, the right components and we need them quickly.

The positive points are that there is a lot of private and public investments done, AND now, it looks like everyone starts to align on a big ambition for hydrogen.

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You want to learn more about hydrogen at Dover Fueling solutions? Discover their podcast episodes:

• Hurrah for Hydrogen
• Discussing Decarbonization: Part 1
• Discussing Decarbonization: Part 2

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Today, I had an interesting discussion with Nick Swift, Founder of Hydrogen Afloat, a 2-year-old company that is offering hydrogen power solutions for boats.

Lhyfe Heroes: How did you have this idea of using hydrogen for boats?

I’ve been living on a boat for more than 15 years. When you live on a boat all year long, you need to generate electricity to live by, electricity to power the lights, the fridge, the TV and radio. I tried to imagine an ecofriendly solution to replace running my diesel engine when stationary, which is both noisy and polluting. Whilst looking for alternatives, I came across small hydrogen fuel cells and developed a system to integrate such a fuel cell onto the roof of my boat. I had to make sure that it was safe and well-integrated into the design of my boat.

It worked so well that I thought other people should benefit from the technology and the idea. That’s when I decided to set up Hydrogen Afloat.  

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L.H.: So, what is the product of Hydrogen Afloat?

We make a product called “HyArk”.  It is a hydrogen fuel cell solution to generate domestic power on boats. We do domestic power now because we can do this NOW, using portable hydrogen cylinders.  There is no hydrogen infrastructure on the canals and rivers, no filling stations, so we must use portable cylinders.  By creating demand, the infrastructure will be developed, then we’ll be able to use filling stations.

There are lots of people talking about hydrogen (many conferences, events, papers, …) but when you look for people doing things, there are not so many. That is what Hydrogen afloat is all about: we have a product that is available now and that people can use in their daily lives.  

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L.H.: How do you see this initiative growing?

In time, we will get to the point where there will be a network for supplying people with hydrogen, then we will look at hydrogen for propulsion, instead of using diesel to drive the boat along. We need to start with the small things! Of course, we need large-scale industrial hydrogen projects, but I think the small scale is also important: we cannot go from “zero to hero” overnight.  We are getting hydrogen out into the community. Lots of people see the equipment on the boat on the Kennet and Avon canal, between London and Bristol. For many people, this is the first time they have seen a hydrogen fuel cell. We have many questions asked, so we get the chance to explain what it is and why we use it.  We are raising the general awareness about hydrogen and net zero solutions.  

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L.H.:For now, who are you targeting with this offer?

In the UK, there are 7.500 km of canals and rivers and around 35,000 individuals living on  boats. These people are already using propane gas on their boats for cooking and heating and many are genuinely concerned by the environmental and air quality. They want to adopt new technology to find suitable solutions to respond this concern.  

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L.H.: What is the concrete impact of one fuel cell on one boat?

The hydrogen we are using is grey hydrogen, made from fossil fuel.  This is the only hydrogen that is available in the UK at the moment.  The benefits are therefore around local air quality and the fact the equipment works automatically, turning on when the batteries on the boat need charging. The carbon benefits arrive when we move to locally produced green hydrogen, hydrogen made from renewable resources.  Then we get to a true zero-carbon power solution.  We estimate we save around 20 litres of diesel per year, which is around 50kg of C02, plus the wear and tear on the engine and the noise it creates.  Our fuel cell system is nearly silent when working.

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L.H.: What type of challenges have you met?

The price of the molecule is still high, compared to the alternatives, but I’m confident cheaper hydrogen will come soon.  

Regarding the installation, integrating the HyArk fuel cell unit into the boat, while respecting its design was difficult: we wanted to keep the traditional style of a British narrow boat, but also show this is an innovative new technology. Finding the space on the boat is also a challenge. In the UK, some canal bridges are very low, so our solution had to be removable and light weight in case you need to go under such a bridge.

And finally, there are no regulations in place for this “domestic application” on a “transport system” so we had to develop the safety arrangements from first principles and we tend not to be eligible for any grants.

But every challenge is an opportunity, isn’t it?  

L.H.: In conclusion, what’s your vision for hydrogen in the UK market?

I think we have lost some of the lead that the UK used to have in the energy transition. However, we still have a lot of innovative technologies developed in the UK.  A recent announcement of over £200 million to launch a fleet of zero emission heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) will accelerate plans to decarbonise road freight. That will help the hydrogen market grow in the UK, which should help us with hydrogen supply.  

Hopefully, in some small part, we at Hydrogen Afloat will be doing our bit to help the energy transition, addressing some of the challenges of climate change.  

Maritime transport is a growing source of CO2 emissions over the past 30 years, causing significant concern. This growth is mainly due to a record increase in traffic (number of passengers and freight volume) and the use of older, increasingly large ships.

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Powered by heavy fuel oil, one of the world's dirtiest fuels, merchant ships are also blamed for their role in marine pollution caused by plastic and hydrocarbon discharge.

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Figures we'd like to see change

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• Shipping accounts for about 3% of global CO2 emissions, or between 600 and 1,100 million tons per year over the past decade, according to the latest IPCC report(1).
• Annual CO2 emissions from international maritime transport have doubled since 1990(2).

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What measures are being taken at European and global levels?

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Significant advances were voted on by European MPs at the end of 2022:

• The obligation for large shipowners (> 5,000 gross tons) to use a percentage of green hydrogen-derived fuels by 2030.
• The inclusion of maritime transport in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which will, for the first time, require ship operators to pay for their carbon emissions.

It should also be noted that, since January 1, 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has implemented a mandatory annual international data collection system for CO2 emissions for all ships.

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Green solutions in maritime transport!

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Solutions to minimize CO2 emissions exist:

• Electric barges: The first prototype of a 100% electric container ship from Dutch company Port-Liner was introduced in 2018. Currently limited by a low battery range (maximum 35 hours) and storage capacity, this container ship, nicknamed the "Tesla" boat, is hailed as a revolution for maritime freight.
• Hybrid cargo ships: French company Zephyr & Borée designs commercial ships that combine sails and engines. Their latest example, the Canopée, recently completed its first transatlantic crossing with parts of the Ariane 6 launcher onboard. This 121-meter hybrid ship could reduce the CO2 emissions of a conventional container ship by 35%.
• "Zero-emission" hydrogen-powered boats: The Hylias project, coordinated by Europe Technologies CIAM and Morbihan Énergies, plans to launch a 24-meter electro-hydrogen propulsion vessel to transport 150-200 passengers in the Gulf of Morbihan by 2024.

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(1) https://report.ipcc.ch/ar6/wg3/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_Full_Report.pdf

(2) Global international shipping CO₂ emissions 1970-2021 – Statista – February 2023

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