Episodios
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Tim Davies is the Project Manager for Ark Energy’s proposed Han-Ho H2 Hub, a major renewable generation, green hydrogen, and ammonia project in North Queensland. With a strong background at Fortescue Future Industries and Origin Energy, Tim has extensive experience across the hydrogen, oil, gas, and energy value chain.
A distinguished engineer and project manager, he is known for his expertise in megaprojects and his broad commercial acumen. Tim is dedicated to advancing the renewable energy industry and bringing innovation to the energy sector.
Overview of Ark Energy and Korea Zinc
Tim discusses Ark Energy's mission to decarbonise Korea Zinc's operations. He explains, "Ark Energy was formed to decarbonise the group, leveraging investments in renewable projects like the MacIntyre Wind Farm and Sun Metals Solar Farm."
MacIntyre Wind Farm and Sun Metals Solar FarmDevelopment of renewable energy projects and their integration with zinc refinery operations. Tim highlights, "MacIntyre is a one-gigawatt wind farm, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, aimed at local energy use and decarbonisation."
Expansion and Acquisitions
Ark Energy's acquisition of Epuron expanded its renewable energy portfolio to seven gigawatts. Tim states, "With the acquisition of Epuron, we now have a significant pipeline of renewable energy developments along the East Coast of Queensland and New South Wales."
SunHQ Project
Current construction status and challenges faced, including the impact of COVID-19 on project timelines. Tim shares, "SunHQ will be the largest integrated refuelling station in Australia, powering hydrogen trucks with green hydrogen from our solar farm."Han-Ho Hydrogen Hub
Overview of the project and its current stage. Tim mentions, "We're targeting 1.8 million tonnes per annum of hydrogen production, backed by the development of our Collinsville Green Energy Hub."
Recent Budget Announcements
Analysis of the recent budget's impact on hydrogen projects in Australia. Tim observes, "The production tax incentive signals to our offshore investors that Australia is keen on green hydrogen and is putting money into closing the gap."Challenges in the Hydrogen Sector
Addressing skill shortages and resource management in Australia. Tim notes, "We need to be mindful of the pressure on local communities and labour markets as we ramp up hydrogen projects."Korean Contracts for Difference Scheme
Overview of the scheme and its impact on hydrogen projects. Tim explains, "The Korean government is prioritising green hydrogen, and with Australia's hydrogen production tax incentive, green hydrogen is looking favourable."Tim's Trip to China
Insights from visiting major manufacturers and advancements in electrolyser technology. Tim shares, "China's scale-up for manufacturing hydrogen technology is impressive, but there's still a challenge to meet Australian standards and timelines."Community Engagement and Social License
Importance of early engagement with local communities and addressing their concerns. Tim emphasises, "Social license isn't given; it's earned. We're working closely with communities to understand and mitigate impacts."Project Challenges and Strategies
Balancing engineering and commercial aspects to ensure sustainable development. Tim states, "The biggest challenge is aligning all the puzzle pieces, from engineering to commercial agreements, to make these projects viable."Future Vision for Ark Energy
Goals and expectations for the next decade. Tim envisions, "In ten years, we'd like to see Han-Ho operating, a green corridor between Korea and Australia established, and significant progress towards net zero."Final Thoughts and Call to Action
Tim encourages collaboration within the hydrogen industry. He concludes, "The more projects we get over the line, the quicker we can bring costs down and transition to green hydrogen. We're proponents, not competitors."
Follow ARK EnergyWebsite: arkenergy.com.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/72066237
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A hotbed of Clean Energy Technologies and Training – Stanwell FEITH Project
Peter Goggin is the Manager for Hydrogen Development at Stanwell Corporation and has over three decades of experience in the electricity industry. He has worked in various capacities in business development, commercialisation, and project delivery in Australia and the UK. Throughout his career, Peter has developed projects across a wide range of domains, including solar PV, energy efficiency, battery storage, wind power, wave power, bioenergy, and waste-to-energy technologies.1.15 - Intro to Stanwell
Stanwell is a Queensland Government-owned corporation. They have about 3. 2 gigawatts of coal-fired power generation and are moving towards the transformation of that generation base to a renewable energy future. Stanwell has about three gigawatts of renewable energy in its pipeline, either contracted or under development.
2.26 - Intro to Peter’s role
In his current role at Stanwell, Peter's primary objective is to establish a sustainable domestic business model in renewable hydrogen for Stanwell. His endeavours are centred around leveraging the potential and scale of the Central Queensland Hydrogen (CQH2) Project into the Queensland market.
3.20 - What does FEITH stand for and what is it?
Future Energy Innovation and Training Hub
● The FEITH will develop the new technologies and workforce skills required to achieve Stanwell’s strategic objectives and the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan (QEJP).● In its ultimate form, the FEITH is expected to feature: a hub to demonstrate to the community a range of hydrogen applications, their safety, and the benefits to local and regional areas.
● Medium-long duration battery storage, transmission and renewable energy integration technologies for the NEM, state-of-the-art workforce skills and technical training for trade, higher education and research, a world-class commercial-scale research and testing.
● It will feature a precinct for innovation and technology validation and a servicing and maintenance workshop.
● It will increase our understanding of new energy technologies and their application in building Stanwell’s renewable energy portfolio and driving the development of Queensland's hydrogen industry.
06.00 - What is an iron flow battery and what is the potential user case?
07.00 – Hysata’s electrolyser
A revolutionary 4-5MW hydrogen electrolyser will also be validated in a pilot project at FEITH. The super-efficient electrolyser is being developed by Australian startup Hysata.
10.15 - The scaling challenge in the industry
11.36 - How does FEITH support Stanwell and the local community?
13.40 - What stage are you at with the project
- Have commenced with the common infrastructure- Iron flow battery works will begin in the next few months
- Phased development
- We have received some funding from the QLD government from the QLD Renewable Energy Hydrogen Jobs Fund
- Hoping to be ready for the Hysata pilot unit within the next 12 months
16.20 - What are the criteria that organisations go through before Stanwell decides to partner with someone?Starts with us being aligned with the counter party with the objectives. On the technology side, it would be about the technology readiness level.
18.30 – Training at FEITH
- Future pathways training is being developed- A range of different skills that need to be developed (cross-skilling and upskilling)
- Using that modern virtual reality type technology to get training opened up more broadly to users of the facility
21.40 - What are the biggest challenges you are facing at the moment
- Scaling challenges- This is a brand new industry and there are a lot of new/novel things happening we need everyone’s support
22.53 - What does success look like?“Success for me with FEITH would look like a precinct that's supporting that aspiration with some infrastructure already deployed with a vibrant environment there to show our community just what we're doing to take advantage of this great decarbonisation challenge we have on our hands.”
24.15 - Are there any types of technology that you are excited by?
27.00 - Recommendations for Australia and Queensland moving forward to help support the industry
27.45 – Collaboration is key. And the organisations that are working with Stanwell on the CQH2 project
31.25 - Key learnings
Be patient, it’s a complex thing and requires the willingness to be resilient. It’s a customer-led approach.
https://www.stanwell.com/home-stanwell/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanwell-corporation-limited/
The Exploring Hydrogen podcast has recently been ranked as number 6 in the top Hydrogen podcasts worldwide. If you enjoyed the content, we invite you to like and subscribe, and help spread the word (https://podcasts.feedspot.com/hydrogen_energy_podcasts/?feedid=5399109)
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De-mystifying economic policy for Hydrogen – “The 5 Levers”, with GHD
Introduction to Ariel:
Ariel Elboim a Senior Advisor for GHD working in the future energy market. A consultant for 10 years, Ariel has worked on the decarbonisation of infrastructure, and renewable energy projects across various sectors, including energy, water and transport. For the past 5 years, his focus has been dedicated to accelerating the growth of the hydrogen industry in Australia. He plays an active role not only through his project work for both private and public clients but also through his engagement with industry, including his position as H2Q Hydrogen Queensland Policy Advocacy Taskforce Lead.
1.45 - About GHD & Ariel's work
GHD is a globally recognised organisation operating in the markets of engineering, architecture, digital, water, energy, environment, and transport. Above 11,000 employees across 5 continents and 120+ offices.
Over the last 4 years, Ariel has been working holistically to accelerate the growth of the hydrogen industry in Australia, and that's been looking at strategic, tactical, operational projects, and more recently, at policy and policy mechanisms and how they can be conducive to the growth of the industry in Australia.
3.00 - The work H2Q Hydrogen Queensland is doing to help translate what industry sentiment is and how that can help inform government policy. They have been doing a lot of engagement and report writing over the last year with a white paper that was released over Christmas.
4.15 -Summary of the 5 levers & examples around the world
Lever # 1 - Tax Regulation
What can the government do in terms of regulatory standards and requirements to influence proponent behaviour, and what kind of tax levers can they use to influence taxpayers' behaviour?
Regulatory standards and requirements that the government can implement to influence behaviour, or what kind of tax incentives or penalties can the government implement to also influence behaviour?
06.00 - Carbon prices around the world & the Safeguard Mechanism
08.20 - Lever #2 - Tax credits & subsidies
Tax credits and subsidies are an incentive-based policy instrument that provides market-compatible forms of direct government intervention.
09.00 - U. S. Inflation Reduction Act
This offers a tax credit of up to $3 per kilogram of hydrogen produced. That $3 per kilogram is based on the carbon intensity of the product.
10.06 - What can Australia do, even without having such ‘deep pockets’ as the US?
11.20 - Lever #3 - Market based schemes
Market-based schemes are interesting because they're an amalgamation of different mechanisms and they usually consist of a pull mechanism or a lever that tries to pull investment into the market, and a push mechanism, so it pushes proponents to do something.
12.30 - Lever # 4 - Contracts for Difference
This lever is getting a lot of attention across the world at the minute, especially in the hydrogen space. CFDs, Contracts for Differences, are financial contracts between a supplier and a purchaser of energy, provided a certain price. The Contract for Difference stipulates that the purchaser will pay the seller the difference between the market value at the time of contracting.
Essentially a market price is agreed upon, usually called the strike price, and this is based on several factors. It could be the level of CO2 emissions that are being abated. It could be the cost of the fossil fuel plus a green premium, whatever the market decides is a strike price, but everyone agrees that's the baseline.
14.45 - Review periods for Contracts for Difference
"Contracts for Difference usually last for about 10, 12, 15 years and by that point, the market will have readjusted to an equilibrium. And then you reassess it."
17.00 - "The biggest issue in the hydrogen space at the minute and the reason projects aren't getting past FID, or to FID, is because the premium on hydrogen just isn't suitable so you're not able to guarantee a revenue guarantee revenue stream and is probably the biggest killer to projects, from my understanding."
19.15 - Lever #5 - Financing Arrangements
Australia has been pursuing this lever for the last three or four years in terms of getting the hydrogen industry.
Essentially finance is provided as a means to mitigate the inherent risk in developing new projects, new industries, and creating new sectors.
21.20 - Backing of funding in Australia
“There's a difference between picking winners and making strategically good choices. The example is, that we're not going to see a major hydrogen passenger vehicle industry market in Australia anytime soon because the progress that EVs are making is just staggering.
However, if you look at large industries that are hard to abate, like I mentioned steel and iron and alumina, etc. they are clear good strategic options for hydrogen to be implemented."
23.30 - Disadvantages of using each of these mechanisms/examples of where they've not been rolled out successfully
● Carbon leakage
● Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism
25.30 - Will we get to the stage where Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions are going to be monitored for all countries and organisations?
"One of the actions of the National Hydrogen Strategy was to create a guarantee of origin scheme, which essentially was a certificate to say that the hydrogen that you've produced is, has this carbon intensity.
And that essentially is going to accompany every kilogram of hydrogen in the future that is produced in Australia. So that indicates that the carbon emissions will be monitored very closely."
26.15 - Recommendations for Queensland & Australia
"An export industry based on an already established export-import relationship is a way to go. Australia doesn't have that much to decarbonize in the grand global scheme.
One of the key things to look for would be economic prosperity, and that lies in the export opportunity."
31.45 - Are the policies Australia has in place at the moment sufficient?
"Australia has announced a total of about $35 billion total to support hydrogen. And if you compare that too globally, which is about 350 billion, I think it's less than 10 percent of Australia's investment globally. And that's what it comes down to at the end of the day, the money."
"Australia does have a bit of catching up to do and that's why we're at such a pivotal moment."
33.30 - Hydrogen Head Start Program
The Program is essentially a $2 billion government fund to underwrite project operational costs by providing a production credit for every kilogram of hydrogen produced.
The Energy and Jobs Plan: Only a small fraction of the energy job plan fund has been tapped into because for it to ...
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Guest bios:
Denis Thomas is Director of Business Development and Marketing for water electrolysis at Accelera by Cummins, which has acquired the activities of Hydrogenics in 2019.
Before joining the company in 2014, Mr. Thomas worked 8 years in the solar photovoltaic sector in Europe. Mr. Thomas holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and in Renewable Energy.
Michael Bartsch is the Regional Sales and Business Development manager for water electrolysis at Accelera by Cummins. Before joining the company in 2020, Mr Bartsch worked for 26 years in a mixture of Mining, Petroleum, Water Treatment and Geothermal sectors. Mr. Bartsch is an Industrial Chemist with formal qualifications in Science, Business Administration and Energy.
Cummins is more than 104 years old, specialising in engines and gensets with 70,000 people worldwide. Accelera is a brand within the company that hosts all the new technologies and has five main businesses and between 2000-3,000 employees
2.30 – The main technologies within Accelera
- Electrolysers
- Fuel cells
- Electrified components
- Power train systems
- Traction systems
4.00 – Explanation of the different types of electrolysers
- Alkaline
- PEM
- Solid oxide
- Anion Exchange Membrane06.30 - PEM - Proton Exchange Membrane.
08.15 - Solid oxide and Anion Exchange Membrane
09.15 - Concerns about the catalyst being used in PEM technology
10.44 - Sizes of electrolysers that Accelera Manufacture
The products are PEM technology. 30 bar pressure. HyLyzer 500, 1000 and 5000.
13.00 - Interesting and challenging projects across the globe:
The Quebec project is commercial, meaning running the electrolyser daily. The hydrogen is liquefied and then delivered by Air Liquide to industrial customers.
15.30 – Emergence of much larger projects across the globe
Customers are now leaning more toward double-digit and triple-digit production.
16.26 - Learnings through the project in Canada
19.17 - Australian market compared to the rest of the world
The speed to market in the other locations is by far faster at the moment. In Australia, there is a push for regional codes and standards adoption. When products have to be modified before they can be introduced so there's a lag factor there in terms of being able to deploy or modify existing designs for them to be accepted.
“We will initially be importing products mainly from Europe, but it'll get to a point where the project size here in Australia is big enough to justify local manufacturing.”
24.15 – Manufacturing of the Electrolysers
“We've been working a lot on designing new processes and we are implementing them in the different factories. We have started already in Belgium, which was an existing factory. We have built another in Spain that will start production in the first quarter of next year. We will be using this flow-based manufacturing. It is super interesting because it gives us a lot of flexibility.”25.00 – Current challenges
- The business case of producing hydrogen; in many cases, it is more expensive than the conventional way of producing hydrogen with natural gas.
- The size is increasing, and there is an increased link with renewable power which also brings challenges.
- Electrolyser technologies are new so companies need to get used to it
- Infrastructure challenges - hydrogen storage and pipelines
- Execution capability
Regulation and policy can be used to play an important role in giving a premium value to hydrogen in comparison to the incumbent technology…Where there is a lack of policy, there is a high uncertainty on those projects, meaning that it is difficult for us to anticipate and forecast the market.
33.13 - Which skillsets will be sought after in the coming years?
35.00 – Advancements in technology
- Keep monitoring the developments on the commercial market, from universities and institutions.
- Need to reduce the cost of technology and the cost of hydrogen (first step is standardisation).
“If you can design a stack that you don't need to replace, it is, I would say, a major advantage. And that's clearly what we are trying to do is to extend the lifetime of our cell stacks.”
38.19 - What can be achieved by Accelera in the next 5-10 years?
- We are targeting between 6 to 13 billion dollars in revenue by 2030
40.00 - Final thoughts/comments
“We are trying to leverage the synergies of the traditional businesses of Cummins with the new businesses of Accelera, allowing us to advantage of all the people and the infrastructure that we have in place in those 190 countries.”
- We need stable policies to allow us to make decisions
- Be patient as there will be a lot of challenges but it is super fascinating and motivating to work in this space
- The hydrogen sector is like building a plane as we are taking off
Links:
https://www.accelerazero.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/accelerazero/
linkedin.com/in/denis-thomas-cummins
linkedin.com/in/michael-bartsch-48612117
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Subtitle: The future of air travel – reach the other side of the world, sustainably, within 4 hours
Destinus is an organisation focusing on creating hypersonic air travel, which is five times the speed of sound, not just supersonic. That is travelling across the world sustainably in as little as four to five hours. They are a young startup company founded only two years ago. Destinus is already working in four countries in Europe; Switzerland, Spain, France and Germany.
Bios:
Bart Van Hove is the Head of Advanced Studies at Destinus. He studied mechanical and aerospace engineering. He became interested in hypersonics and fluid dynamics at the von Karman Institute, where he worked on hypersonic aerodynamic wind tunnels. He did his PhD on Mars atmospheric entry capsules and has been fascinated by astronomy and science from an early age. Destinus is as close to space as you can reasonably fly on Earth, in the stratosphere at Mach 5. While that’s slow for a planetary lander, it’s insanely fast for a passenger aircraft. Bart likes to work on difficult problems with interesting people.
Philip Silva is a Mechanical Design Engineer for Destinus. He has worked on cutting-edge technologies at the CERN particle physics experiments, the ITER fusion reaction, and has been involved in numerous hydrogen technology projects involving cryogenics and fuel cells. He is responsible for hydrogen business development at Destinus, including mobility and energy generation.
3.00 - Key learnings from the test flights:
The test flights now are subsonic so the aircraft are relatively basic, but they have some special features you don't see in any other plane. There are many things we want to learn about, and one of them is the shape of the aircraft. They are very aggressively shaped to be hypersonic, even though today they fly subsonic.
4.30 - Subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic:
Subsonic is under the speed of sound, supersonic is at the rate of sound, and hypersonic is classified as five times the speed of sound.
5.20 - Overview of Destinus’s Goals
We want to make commercial hypersonic flight real. We want to go a lot faster than Concorde. And we want to make the world like a smaller place where we can go anywhere in less than 2-3 hours.
6.00 – Is Destinus focussed on specific uses vs revolutionising air transport as a whole
If you look at hydrogen in aviation today, it is usually focused on fuel cells, which is good for short, maybe medium-range travel. We’re working on combustion, and a lot faster. What we are working on is flying to the other side of the world and coming back on the same day. So that means no jet lag and a completely different way in which people will travel.
7 - Amount of fuel to have to keep on board
We're talking about several tons of fuel, which is not crazy in itself, but the volume of hydrogen is very large because the density is low. You have to store this hydrogen in a liquid form, which means it has to be cryogenic, very cold. That's one of the main challenges with these aircraft.
8 - The challenges, when you fly hypersonic compared to supersonic & refuelling
We are very heavily involved in the refuelling and the ground infrastructure. We have recently created a consortium to create infrastructure in an airport in France.
9.30 - Changes required when this comes to fruition
The aircraft are designed to operate at airports and they have to operate in airspace together with classical planes. That reality means we need to be compatible with the airports and beyond the fuel infrastructure and use the runways that exist.
10.30 - Safety aspects of having these aircraft
For the aircraft, we're going to be storing hydrogen in liquid form, so the pressure is very low. It's just much safer so if there's anything that happens the hydrogen will expand, but it will not explode, it will not create a shockwave, for example.
13.00 - Navigating through the legislation:
Hydrogen is slowly making its way into many industries. The operations and handling of hydrogen have been solved in specialized industries and will slowly make their way into the general society.
As for aviation certification and aircraft safety, the basic rules will not change. We have to think about how new technologies can satisfy those rules, but the rules themselves don't have to change.
15.10 - The progression of prototypes and where the design is aiming for in the future
The prototype aircraft is a progression of increasing complexity. We have been flying subsonic aircraft with hypersonic shapes, but subsonic engines, these are jet fuel. And incrementally, progressively, we are introducing hydrogen, going supersonic, later hypersonic.
16.30 - When is Destinus aiming for the first commercial flight and where is that likely to be?
The development of these aircraft will take at least 10 years. We cannot predict that commercial exploitation depends on a number of things like which customers are ready to buy are the regulations and the certifications complete.
17.00 - What other sort of challenges are you facing:
There is no shortage of people that want to work on this amazing project. On the other hand, there is some healthy scepticism. We believe we can do it, but we have to show ourselves and we have to show the world – so there is that promise to fulfil.
There's also the transition to hydrogen in aviation. In general, there is a big discussion about whether to pursue hydrogen exclusively or whether to rely on sustainable fuels, which may be oils, but zero carbon, this is something long-term that requires a strategic vision.
19.00 - Additional information:
We publish a lot of information on LinkedIn, a lot of videos, and a lot of images. We're trying to keep the public informed. We're not trying to keep any secrets. So join us. Even join us professionally.
Destinus are trying to align our technological roadmap with as many spin-offs to really create what we call the hydrogen valley. From green hydrogen production to combustion, to energy conversion and energy storage.
20.00 – When is the next test flight?
The next test flight is planned for the spring of next year. That will be the 3rd prototype which will ultimately go supersonic with a liquid hydrogen afterburner.
This will be the first time in history as well that somebody flies a liquid hydrogen afterburner on an aircraft. It is also a hybrid aircraft with a combination of jet fuel and hydrogen.
21.20 - Cost of tickets:
The cost can be reduced to become close to an expensive ticket today if hydrogen takes off and scales up large enough in the future.
22.00 - Realistically, what can be achieved by Destinus in the next 10 years?
Fully hydrogen-powered aircraft that fly Mach 5 should be totally possible in that timeframe.
One way to put it is, in the next 10 y...
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Exploring Hydrogen ep 15 - Shownotes
Intro:
In this episode we’re geeking out about Hydrogen trains with Troy Shorley, Technical Director and Daniel Koning, Principal Consultant and Subject Matter Expert from Deutsche Bahn.
Deutsche Bahn currently has the largest fleet of hydrogen trains in the world, so in this episode, we enjoyed welcoming two of their experts on low and zero-emission technologies to take a deeper dive. DB Engineering and Consulting is working in 84 nations worldwide, providing railway engineering, and railway consulting operations services.
Deutsche Bahn Engineering and Consulting is part of the Deutsche Bahn Group in Germany, the owner and operator of the Rail Network in Germany. Deutsche Bahn Group employs 320,000 people worldwide and DB Engineering & Consulting employs over 5,000 people.
Bios:
Troy is an Electrical Engineer with over 20 years of experience in electricity, transmission rail and engineering consultancy.
He has extensive experience in rail traction systems, low and zero-emission technologies, and examining the different technologies and their interdependence within rail traction systems. He is an expert in system design, earthing, and bonding system integration, as well as construction and commissioning supervision.
Daniel is a subject matter expert for railway systems and low and zero-emission technologies. He has 21 years of experience in the railway sector and over 10 years focused on innovative railway technologies and digitization. He has worked on major Australian and international projects across Europe, the USA, and Latin America as the Lead Subject Matter Expert, at Zero Emission Technologies.
03.10 - What is the opportunity/use-case for Hydrogen Trains?
Introducing hydrogen technology to trains would significantly contribute to decarbonising the transport sector. Hydrogen can bridge non-electrified gaps in our network where battery systems will be insufficient and where overhead continuing electrification can't be justified because the line frequency is not high enough.
05.00 – What percentage of the railway network in Germany is electric? And the decarbonisation opportunity for high-speed trains displacing short-haul flights
Currently, 65% of the network is electric and achieving 100% is not viable due to some of the lines being rural and certain areas that are not populated so the cost of electrification is too high.
Another opportunity is the decarbonisation of Australia, and one of the strategies Germany uses to reduce the overall decarbonization of transport is to replace short-haul flights with high-speed rail intercity express services.
7:00- Other options available (eg Battery /Biofuels/synfuels etc) to decarbonise the sector
The best option for highly frequented railway corridors is full electrification since the overall system efficiency is roughly 85 to 90% and you can't beat that.
When you can't justify full electrification for shorter routes currently up to a hundred kilometres that are non-electrified, then battery electric traction is a good alternative. You can recover braking energy and also have a higher system efficiency when the stretches are getting a little bit longer. Battery technology currently can't cope with that and also when the power demand is a little bit bigger, especially for freight transport. Hydrogen is a very interesting alternative, the fuel system can provide the range and combined with a battery system it can cope with a high power demand. And as an intermediate solution, we can look at renewable carbon-based fuels. They're also a way to quickly decarbonize railway traffic, and they are potentially a drop-in solution for existing diesel fleets.
9:10 - FFI is looking at ammonia for their train line supporting one of their mines in WA.
Hydrogen is interesting, but the range you can achieve is limited due to the volumetric energy, density, and ammonia is a very interesting hydrogen carrier. So by using ammonia, you can store more hydrogen than in the compressed form. FFI and Deutsche Bahn are currently testing a retrofitted diesel engine on a test lap in Germany. We mix hydrogen and ammonia to a combustive gas, inject it into the engine and try to optimize the combustion process.
10:35 - Some of the differences in how Hydrogen Trains are operated and maintained
The hydrogen fuel cell trains effectively have an electric drive system, so they're very similar to the existing electric locomotives so they're very low maintenance schedule and cost for the electric drive system. The difference comes in with the energy system. The need for battery replacements and hydrogen fuel that are replacements.
12.- Safety and Standards around the maintenance of hydrogen vehicles
There is work to be done with aligning the standards to achieve the safety required so there's no detriment to the current railway systems. It is the same transition as centuries ago coming from coal as the main source of a rail vehicle then transiting to diesel. Everything thought diesel, this combustible liquid, is very dangerous and new procedures had to be developed. So now it's transiting from diesel that people are very unfamiliar with.
14.48 - Where Germany is up to and what's the plan from here
A few smaller fleets have been tested in commercial operation. The first commercial operation with a larger fleet just started in December. The trains are operated by DB and there are another few public tender processes in place currently to procure additional fleets for different rural networks.
The main reason for that is that the German government is really pushing hard for the decarbonization of the transport sector so there's a net zero target of 2040 for DB. 27 units currently being put into commercial operation near Frankfurt.
17.45 - Other projects DB are working on around the world
Australia - DB is providing an introductory level of support by providing up-to-date information to organizations looking to implement the technologies so we can either guide or validate some of the strategy technology decisions that they are considering. The follow-on steps for that is also, to understand the Australian standards and how they view the introduction of hydrogen technologies into the rail environment.Brazil - Another solution done from Australia has been a feasibility study for Vale in Brazil. So looking at their Iron Ore operations are the route of 900 kilometres. Initially, they were looking for an electrification solution, so DB put together a combined battery and overhead electrification solution. They are now looking at Hydrogen options such as ammonia.United States - Support the team here from Australia to look at options for the Californian network to deploy hydrogen trains for their passenger services.Germany - A project Ecosystem that is currently ongoing, is a collaboration together with Siemens Group to develop a hydrogen ecosystem consisting of a novel... -
Introduction to the guest,
Russell James has over 19 years of experience in energy and is experienced in the delivery of small to large-scale energy and utility infrastructure projects. He has extensive knowledge of gas and energy markets, pricing, and regulations. Over the last four years, he has led or played a key role in all ATCO's hydrogen-related activities, including the development of the Clean Energy Innovation Hub, conceptualising and sourcing funding from the WA Government Renewable Hydrogen Fund for the Hydrogen Vehicle Refuelling station, and securing $28.7m from ARENA to develop the Clean Energy Innovation Park - a commercial scale renewable hydrogen production project.
1.30 - Background of ATCO
ATCO stands for Alberta Trailer Company and began with modular trailers, which grew into acquiring Canadian utilities in the 1980s, including electricity generation, gas processing, storage, and transmission. They have just celebrated their 75th year in operation.
ATCO has diverse business operations, including modular structures, power stations, and a gas distribution network - in Australia, the network has 800,000 connection points and a focus on renewables and hydrogen/future fuels.
4 - Humble beginnings
ATCO now has over 6,200 employees and over $22 billion worth of assets. It has been operational in about a hundred countries and has 75,000 kilometres of electrical power lines and 65,000 kilometres of natural gas pipelines. However, despite the growth, it’s a very family-orientated business.
“We do what we say we're going to do, and that includes supporting those communities where we operate, and also supporting our employees in what they're doing.”
4.45 - Clean Energy Innovation Hub
The project is an opportunity to showcase applications for the technology and the use of hydrogen gas in commercial, industrial and residential settings.“Energy security as you can imagine is extremely important particularly with our control room operation at the site, we can't afford to have outages because we're responding to those 800,000 customers, 24 7, 365 days a year”
6.45 -● Training facility at the innovation hub, which is a registered training organisation where they train all operatives to construct, operate and maintain the network.
● Hydrogen courses at the facility
● Have around 100 kilowatts of electrical demand at any point in time, 300 kilowatts of solar onto the rooftop.
● Store excess renewables.
● 200-kilowatt electrolyzer to convert water and split that through a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, into hydrogen gas and oxygen.
9.35 - Key learnings- Supply Chain challenges: “procuring an electrolyzer was different at that point in time when we were buying a 200-kilowatt electrolyzer. You couldn't go down to Bunnings and buy one off the shelf!!!.”
- Different procurement practices.
- Learning also included the integration of the regulations and standards and bringing the technical regulator along the journey as well.
The next Stage in the project was gas blending:
“The next step in the project and one we can talk about a little bit further is a blending project, which takes it out from behind the meter. We're actually blending out into around 2,700 homes and businesses around the Jandakot area.
11.30 - What percentage was it blended into the network and what percentage do you think you can get to?
13.19 - Collaboration in California with Southern California (SoCal) Gas
“...the approach that we like to take at ATCO is a ‘crawl, walk, run’. We'd rather learn on these smaller jobs and start to build to scale. And that's what we're doing, we're still focused on the large-scale export projects, but also let's build at manageable and build skill and capability.
With that project we're able to assist SoCal Gas to replicate what we've got through the hub and the hybrid home, which is another part of our site at Jandakot.”
15 - Clean Energy Innovation Park“These days we've got people knocking on the door wanting to procure hydrogen and use it to really get the industry going. We’ve utilised the skills and expertise that we've built on the hub to now get to a 10-megawatt scale. And the facility that we've designed, we now can replicate.
17 - Cost of Hydrogen“The main factors that we see with the cost per kilo; there are some capital elements to it, but the main driver is energy input. It's, it's a very high percentage - somewhere in the region of 60-70%+ of the makeup in the cost of hydrogen. And particularly in Australia at this point in time with some of the energy volatility, which creates a challenge for hydrogen production. We need to see those costs continue to come down”
18.45 - The collaboration with FFI on the refuelling stations.
700Bar refueler, co-located at Jandakot Clean Energy Innovation Hub.
Electric vehicles definitely have a place as do fuel-cell electric vehicles – Hydrogen cars are also electric cars which people sometimes forget. The difference is how the power is getting delivered into that electric motor.”
23.40 - Range anxiety and refuelling stations
I think it is quite important that we take a jurisdictional approach and, a geographical approach to where these are located.
“On the East coast of Australia it's been really good to see the States combining and look at things like the hydrogen highway between, New South Wales and Victoria and Queensland and how that can integrate. That's a really important part of the nation coming together.”
25.45 - Where does Australia sit in comparison?
Australia has to move on quite quickly, and a coordinated national framework would be beneficial. This will allow people that are looking to invest in hydrogen to move forward. The challenge is who pays for it - and that's always the question.
27.30 - What are the biggest challenges within your team at the moment?“We're a small team, but we're very agile and, and nimble and we've got some really strong skills and capability within the team. However we need to focus on projects that are going to start to move the dial and get to commerciality.”
This is an industry where collaboration is key. Each party has a role to play. There's enough to go around for everybody in order to achieve the goals of export into 2030, 2040 and beyond. So in this early stage, it is working together with like-minded companies and users. And that's not only domestically, but also internationally to start these projects moving - and recognize where we all can work together for the greater good.
It is an important step to build skill, capability, expertise, and knowledge here in Australia. And also, to increase the size of projects to get to export. We need to show that Australia has a real opportunity for hydrogen.”
34.30 - Collaboration with Suncor Energy in Canada
34 - Low Hanging-Fruit - including Gas distribution networks and the transportation sector.35 <...
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Right time, the right technology, the right scale
This episode uncovers Frontier Energy's flagship project from advancements to challenges, offtake, community engagement and more. Tune in to find out for yourself how hydrogen can contribute to the decarbonisation of Australia and the world.
0.30 - Intro to Guest: Sam Lee Mohan, MD & CEO of Frontier Energy
Sam has 20 years of experience in the energy and utilities industry, including design, construction, strategic asset management, regulation, policy, commercial and innovation. Previous appointments included Global Head of Hydrogen for Xodus Group and Senior Manager for Innovation at ATCO.
1.30 - Intro to Frontier Energy
Frontier Energy is an ASX-listed, renewable energy company, based in WA. Its flagship project is developing a 114MW solar farm, tied to a 36MW (electrolyser) hydrogen production plant at Bristol Springs. Stage one will produce 4.4Mkg of hydrogen p.a., growing to 73Mkg p.a. It will also roll out a re-fuelling station in “the Perth CBD.” Construction begins at the end of this year.
2.48 - Update on the stage of the project
The project is currently at an advanced stage. The location is one of the fundamental aspects as it is located 120 km south of Perth. It is connected to water and power infrastructure. 5km from major transport routes. The main focus at present is securing offtake. Commissioning is projected for the first half of 2025 and hydrogen production in the latter part of 2025.
4.05 - Deeper dive into the project:
Daytime power comes from the solar plant. Off-peak power from the grid, so utilisation is around 75% to achieve the best price/supply combination. The challenge is to develop the right production at the right scale at the right time. In time the 114MW could be scaled up to just over 1GW.
Challenge is deploying the right technology, at the right time, at the right scale.
6.19 - Having access to world-class infrastructure is fundamental to kick-starting this industry and having foundation projects the industry can anchor on.
6.45 - Resources:
Solar is the cheapest form of energy production at present. Excess Photovoltaic electricity can be sold into the grid, and then drawn back during off-peak periods. LGC (large generation certificates) credits gained from green energy production are retired against the purchase of electricity from the grid, of unknown (green/brown) origin and this creates a net zero footprint. The end result is that low-cost electricity is supplied to the WA grid. We are using the grid as a virtual battery.
9.34 - Access to clean water:
The plant is located within a kilometre of the Stirling Trunk Main pipeline, this is one of the most strategic assets across Western Australia. The water is sourced from the Southern Seawater desalination plant and the Southern dam, ensuring a reliable, low-cost supply; this allows a huge saving in desalination and bore (drilling) costs. Future supply has also been secured for the stage one requirements, 750k/l per day actually being four times the need, to 1,250k/l per day for stage 2. So projected growth is catered for and the demands from yet unknown tertiary growth are also covered.
11.30 - Gas:
The Dampier - Bunbury pipeline currently transfers offshore natural gas in North Western WA down to the demand areas of Perth & surrounds. It also supplies the huge power needs (with resultant emissions) of the Alcoa smelting plant, downstream from Bristol Springs. The pipeline already has the technical capacity to take in hydrogen from the Frontier Energy plant, without any disruption to its own supply or customers. Statutory changes that will legalise the process are already in advanced stages.
"The political environment is set in order to enable Hydrogen to be projected into the pipeline both from a legal perspective as well a technical perspective."
13.25 - Workforce:
The town of Collie (population 8k) is 57 kilometres from the plant. The power station is due to close there and Frontier Energy will be able to offer workers construction jobs (initially) and ongoing jobs at its plant. Other towns are similar distances away and Perth is only a 70-minute drive.
Manufacturing hydrogen commercially is difficult because one has to match supply and demand throughout. It’s essential to assist and work with early adopters and the government to ensure that the recipients are not penalised for making staged switches to Hydrogen consumption.
17.10 - Costs:
Other green hydrogen producers are quoting potential production costs of over $6 per kilo of hydrogen, compared to Frontier’s of around $2.80 per kg. Income from the exported (to the grid) electricity is used to offset some of the operating costs through the reserved capacity markets. Low-cost electricity supplies the hydrogen plant. This allows a daytime energy input cost that is actually negative. (-$15 a MWh). Night-time electricity drawdowns cost around $50 - $60 per MWh. The net cost of power for the electrolyser is around $35 per MWh. The solar plant cost $166m and the hydrogen plant $72m. After the CAPEX is paid off, the hydrogen production cost falls to $1.50 per kilo, a rate that is similar to the natural gas equivalent.
With scaling up to 1GW, the operating costs fall further to around $1.30/.20 per kilo. This is fundamental as reduced costs for early users will accelerate uptake and broaden the demand base.
27.02 - Community engagement:
Positive feedback as they see possibilities for high-paid, skilled jobs in the community, encouraging retention of youth etc. The project has “State Significant” status with the WA government, with fortnightly meetings. 300 jobs at the construction stage, and 50 in operations. Construction is likely to be ongoing with Stage 2, etc. for the next 5 - 10 years. The hydrogen side is likely to require workers transitioning from electrical etc to the less familiar, new technology, with regulatory, compliance approvals, and engineering challenges. The hydrogen economy is a race, and we are competing with incentivised and supported industries in countries, such as the US and UK. We are well supported by our governments, but project-by-project assistance will be required, or our most skilled people may be tempted abroad.
25.50 - Other learnings to date:
Investors are interested, but they need to understand the appropriate risks and incentives. A conducive political environment, and favourable emissions targets from the government making access easily available to new gas and electricity infrastructure, at the time of construction, will make it easier and cheaper for other potential hydrogen producers and this is to be encouraged. A proposed government incentive is being progressed that will require 80% of its 2050 emissions targets to be achieved by 2030. This will incentivise early-stage hydrogen developments.
29.40 - Challenges:
"How advanced are you in the maturity of the hydrogen industry?"
Hydrogen suppliers need to marry up their supply with nasce...
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by Endua’s CEO, Paul Sernia. Andy and Paul talk about Endua pioneering new hydrogen generation and storage technologies that can deliver affordable and reliable renewable energy. Paul explains the parallels between Endua and his previous experience as co-founder and Product Manager of Tritium (who manufacturer fast charging units for electric vehicles), helping take them from start up into being a global player, culminating on listing on the NASDAQ for USD1.3Bn in May 2022.
Paul’s Highlights:
1:10 – About Endua
1:37 – Paul’s background
3:15 – The Hydrogen sector and how Endua is solving the energy storage problem.
5:30 – About Endua’s power bank
7:57 – Endua is building a fully self-contained system that has the ability to expand its’ capacity economically
9:35 – Funding for start-ups in Australia and Endua’s partners.
11:35 – Focussing on customer’s first is always vital for start-ups
13:30 – Advantage of being based in Queensland
15:15 – How do we build local hydrogen supply chains
16:35 – Parallel journey with Tritium
18:20 – Community and eco-system is key to building a local industry
18:54 – Government support for the industry
19:55 – Importance of a social licence and engagement
23:35 – Speed to market and commercialisation point
25:50 – Endua’s targeted customers
26:59 – Microsoft using hydrogen back-up systems
28:55 – The importance of getting involved in the sector
Links
Endua’s website: https://www.endua.com/
Paul’s Bio: https://www.endua.com/team
Paul Sernia’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-sernia-212aaa/
Tritium’s website: https://tritiumcharging.com/
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by MAN Energy Solutions’ Head of Power Sales Australia and Pacific, Timothy Meyers. Andy and Tim talk about MAN Energy Solutions’ energy transition as well as carbon intensity vs carbon colours and carbon’s value.
Tim’s Highlights:
1:25 – MAN Energy Solutions the company
1:58 – Marine sector emits 2-3% Global Emissions; MAN’s two stroke engine has a very large portion of this market and therefore has a very big role to play in decarbonisation
2:31 – Four major areas of green transitions: inputs, generation, transport and storage, as well as transitioning back into work
4:09 – How big is MAN Energy Solutions?
4:45 – Tim’s most passionate area – How do we reduce our carbon intensity?
5:41 – Carbon intensity vs carbon colours
7:50 – Opens the conversation of customers adding a value on carbon intensity in everyday products
9:58 – Alternative fuels – looking at the four major areas of green transitions
13:10 – There is not one solution to the carbon dilemma
14:28 – The grouped solutions will also need iterations of contracts and transactions
15:20 – Certifications
15:40 – Carbon accounting instead of green accounting
16:30 – Energy efficiencies
17:24 – Deliver energy in a more carbon effective way – needs to be cost effective
18:25 – Bill Gates’ book – How to avoid a climate change disaster
19:10 – We need to live in today; so that clear actions are taken and started
22:10 – Biggest challenge – At the moment there is no real value in reducing carbon intensity
23:50 – Power industry and industrial industry
24:00 – Power industry needs to ensure that they don’t have stranded assets
25:05 – Industrial industry needs to ensure that they have a viable business plan
26:40 – First mover disadvantage
27:25 – Cardon intensity needs to be part of the conversation
28:30 – There is a perception that hydrogen is going to be super cheap
29:00 – Cost of the projects and cost curves
32:00 – Carbon equalisation tax structure
32:20 – Value the carbon itself
33:30 – What is Tim excited about?
35:30 – Where does Tim see us in 10 years?
Links
MAN Energy Solutions’ website: https://www.man-es.com/
MAN Energy Solutions’ LinkedIn Company Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manenergysolutions/
Timothy Meyers’ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-meyers-4935a1145/
Sidenote: Timothy finished working for MAN in August 2022. For any future enquiries about MAN please contact Karl-Heinz Berdais [email protected]
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by Toll Global Express’s Director of ESG, Heather Bone. Together with Andy, they dive deep into the business’s diverse decarbonisation strategy and the variety of solutions including hydrogen play a part in this.
Heather’s Highlights:
1:25 – Toll Global Express business overview
3:02 – The energy transition of their fleet
4:31 – Various solutions for the supply chain
5:05 – Allegro and the board’s support paired with CEO Christine Holgate’s passion about decarbonisation
6:25 – When is the right time for decarbonisation with a high volume and low margin business?
7:55 – Are customers willing to pay a green premium?
9:20 – All bids and tenders have an ESG component including decarbonisation, minimisation of waste, diversity inclusion as well as a priority in local jobs
10:30 – The smallest fleet components first
11:40 – Clean energy regulator is working on a new carbon credit methodology
12:40 – EVs for trucks is very complicated – the weight, conditions, productivity, and driver behaviour
15:00 – How critical is refuelling time?
16:15 – What does the depot of the future look like?
18:15 – Unlikely to see large Hydrogen vehicles in this market until the end of this decade
19:20 – Jobs and skills are a big factor that needs to be considered
21:30 – Regulatory body decisions are still a big unknown for the sector
22:00 – Decarbonisation is a community effort – working with the entire supply chain
24:00 – Australia is unique with many learnings from other markets not directly translating
25:30 – Can’t afford for anyone to fail – creates a chain effect
27:20 – How is Coles, Woolworths, Ikea and Office Works partnering with Toll Global Express?
28:30 – Charging stations and hydrogen networks
32:20 – New age cowboys
33:00 – What can be achieved in the next 5 years?
34:30 – Vehicle manufacturers’ (OEM) distance to the Australia market
35:20 – What makes Heather, as Toll Global Express’s Director of ESG successful?
38:40 – Get in touch; this is a community effort
39:30 – Hydrogen Connect Summit 2022
About Heather
Heather Bone is Director ESG for Toll Global Express. She has more than 20 years experience in renewable energy, environment and sustainable development, strategic and business development, safety, marketing and communications in mines, energy, waste, transport, logistics and manufacturing in Australia and internationally.Links
Toll’s website https://www.tgexpress.com.au
Allegro Funds – https://www.allegrofunds.com.au/
Heather Bone’s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-bone-0ab192b/
Hydrogen Connect Summit 2022 - https://hydrogenconnect.com.au/
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by Ampol’s General Manager of Hydrogen, Patrick Luxton. Together with Andy, they will dive deep into the business’s decarbonisation strategy and what role hydrogen plays in this.
Patrick’s Highlights:
1:06 – Patrick’s career journey so far
2:48 – Ampol’s history
4:04 – Ampol’s decarbonisation strategy
5:10 – Business-to-business portion of Ampol – approx. 80,000 business customers
5:50 – Decarbonisation milestones and progression towards these
6:50 – Overview of Australia’s fuel economy including hydrogen and Ampol’s hydrogen’s positioning
9:45 – What is biofuel?
10:25 – Potential future market % of different fuels
11:15 – Application of hydrogen in the transport sector
13:30 – Refuelling infrastructure overview
15:10 – Refuelling infrastructure on the Australian East Coast
16:45 – Important lessons from the fuel supply chain
17:30 – Safety elements for hydrogen refuelling
18:20 – Supply chain development
20:00 – Challenges of moving towards the decarbonisation
22:10 – Acceptance and understanding of the role of hydrogen; highlighting social licence and engagement
25:40 – Certification scheme for the industry
26:40 – Accelerating the transition
28:15 – Workforce requirements to make the transition a reality
29:58 – Australia being a leader of fuel cell electric vehicles
30:56 – An enormous undertaking to get to net zero emissions for transportation
Patrick Luxton’s Bio
Patrick is General Manager of Hydrogen at Ampol Australia. The born and bred Kiwi is responsible for growing and transitioning the business’s Australian hydrogen operations. With over 16 + years’ in fuel and energy, Patrick is at the forefront of the business’s decarbonisation strategy and how it will become a reality.
Links
Ampol’s website https://www.ampol.com.au/
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/42373409/admin/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AmpolAustralia/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ampolaustralia/
Patrick’s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-luxton-a45b87221/
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by CSIRO’s Research Director for Energy Technologies Research Program, Daniel Roberts, to learn about the work CSIRO does in the renewable energy space and how they are driving the future for hydrogen advancements in the industry both within Australia and globally.
We dive deeper into the National Hydrogen Roadmap, what a potential hydrogen hub looks like and CSIRO’s research into hydrogen priorities, the opportunities that lie ahead and some exciting technological focuses for the organisation.
Daniel’s Highlights:
1:24 – Daniel’s career journey so far
4:05 – Who is CSIRO?
5:36 – What is CSIRO doing globally in the hydrogen space?
8:03 – The National Hydrogen Release Roadmap and how the nation is aligning over the last 4 years
11:16 – Suggestions for hydrogen supply and demand and bringing on end users quicker
13:29 – What does the potential hub look like?
15:45 – Hydrogen embrittlement and its impact on existing gas networks
17:18 – CSIRO’s research into hydrogen priorities and its opportunities
23:07 – Some of CSIRO’s projects and focuses
25:07 – Efficiency and technological improvements in the electrolyser space
28:22 – Gas network opportunities and advancements
29:35 – What does hydrogen-fuelled transportation look like?
36:29 – Energy systems and its long-term hydrogen storage
38:48 – Hydrogen industrial processes and its advancements, opportunities and potential challenges
43:36 – Waste to energy, gasification and the sector’s advancements/value-adds
48:36 – Where does Daniel see the renewable energy industry in 5 years?
50:17 – How you can follow CSIRO and their research work
Daniel Roberts Bio
Daniel is the Research Director for CSIRO’s Energy Technologies Research Program, where he manages CSIRO’s portfolio of collaborative, industry-focussed RD&D across a range of low-emissions energy technologies including hydrogen, solar, bioenergy, CO2 capture and use, energy storage, and alternative fuels. Most recently he led CSIRO’s Hydrogen Energy Systems Future Science Platform, a broad initiative supporting the long-term success of the emerging hydrogen industry.
Daniel has over 25 years research experience in gasification and its applications, having worked on research projects domestically and internationally, and remains a senior researcher in the area of emerging bioenergy pathways.
Links
CSIRO’s website https://www.csiro.au
HyResource – Hydrogen Project information HyResource (csiro.au)
Daniel’s LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/daniel-roberts-csiro
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by Synergen Met’s Chris Dunks, Managing Director and founder, and Vikram Anenden, General Manager of Hydrogen to dive deeper into Turquoise Hydrogen.
We learn about Synergen Met as a business and how their methane pyrolysis technology provides a pathway to decarbonisation. We also discuss how turquoise hydrogen technology can leverage existing infrastructure, comparisons between green hydrogen and turquoise, where the team see a high demand for jobs & skills within the hydrogen sector moving forward, the future of Hydrogen within Australia and what Synergen Met is hoping to achieve over the next 5 years.
Chris’ & Vikram’s highlights:
1:31 – An overview of Synergen Met
3:26 – What is turquoise hydrogen and are there any by-products?
6:28 – Synergen Met’s hydrogen technology processes and its advantages.
8:18 – What does a unit of hydrogen look like and how much is produced?
11:04 – Breaking down methane gas states
12:17 – Uses of carbon black
13:09 – Carbon revenue streams vs hydrogen revenue streams
14:08 – Comparison of technology between turquoise hydrogen and green hydrogen from solar/wind.
16:03 – Challenges within the Synergen Met business and how they are overcome
19:03 – The main demand for jobs and skills within the hydrogen sector
20:36 – Looking into the future of Hydrogen within Australia
24:03 – What is Synergen Met hoping to achieve over the next 5 years?
26:30 – PFAS - Other exciting uses of Synergen Met’s technology
29:40 – What does success look like for the hydrogen sector?
33:06 – A final word from Chris & Vikram
Christopher Dunks Bio:
BEng(Mech)Christopher is a founding shareholder of the Company.
Christopher has spent the past 26 years working on major minerals processing, refining, power, industrial technology and software development projects both in Australia and the USA. Christopher was a Founder and Executive Director of ASX-listed Elementos Ltd (ASX:ELT). Christopher’s experience is in mechanical design, construction management and supervision, project controls, project management, contract negotiation, business development and new technology commercialisation.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-dunks-b2679a8/
Vikram Anenden Bio:
Vikram brings 17 years of operational experience in commercial and technical roles with Tier 1 energy power operators and utilities. His professional interests span from asset management, corporate evaluation, commercial law, economic modelling to sustainable energy investments. As an engineer with economics and legal interest, he is committed to influencing policies and developing commercial strategies towards the decarbonisation of the intensive carbon emitting industry he belongs to.Synergen Met Website: https://www.synergenmet.com/
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This week's energising journey is led by two leaders within the renewable gas business at Jemena. Gabrielle Sycamore, General Manager Renewable Gas, is leading the implementation of the gas network’s long term decarbonisation strategy, and Alister Wardrope the Technical Lead for Renewable Gas, who has been working on the technical development of Australia’s first hydrogen and biomethane projects co-funded by ARENA.
Jemena owns and operates a diverse portfolio of energy assets across northern Australia and Australia's east coast. They operate more than $11 billion worth of major utility infrastructure and are backed by the resources of shareholders, State Grid Corporation of China and Singapore Power. Jemena accounts for a variety of assets, but ultimately provides central services supporting the uptake of renewable energy in city developments and contributing to Australia’s the long-term transitional future to renewables, including hydrogen and biomethane projects.
1:16 - Alistair and Gabby’s journey to Jemena and ancestry in the energy industry
3:20 - About Future Fuels Cooperative Research Centre
4:20 - Biomethane production process
4:35 - Overview of Jemena
6:54 - What’s the renewable gas team at Jemena working on?
7:57 - Rundown of the Western Sydney Green Gas Project
9:29 - 5-year test program
11:11 - What percentage of gas is blended at WSGP
12:00 - MOU with Hyundai and Core Gas and what the off take will be used for?
13:55 - The challenges overcome with the Western Sydney Green Gas Project
16:22 - Characteristics of Hydrogen and how is Jemena working to make commercial Hydrogen safe.
17:28 - Beyond 2030 - How do we get to pure hydrogen through the gas network?
20:15 - What broader changes would you like to see for the hydrogen industry?
23:50 - Hydrogen vs Electrification
25:10 - Production prices of hydrogen
26:30 - How much additional storage do you envisage for the future?
28:00 - Sewage to energy: Malabar Biomethane Project
29:40 - Certification, International Collaboration and ISO standards
30:05 - Jemena’s 5-year look-ahead
34:33 - Innovative developments – the imperative need to adapt and modify
39:10 - Formula One and net zero
Links:
Keep in the loop with Jemena’s innovations in renewable gas: Innovation - Jemena
Gabrielle Sycamore
Gabrielle is an experienced senior commercial manager specialising in leading teams, managing complex commercial projects and enhancing commercial outcomes. With 16 years’ experience in the energy sector, Gabrielle also has expertise in finance and business development.
Gabrielle Sycamore is General Manager – Renewable Gas at Jemena, where she is leading the implementation of the gas networks long term decarbonisation strategy. This includes collaborating with gas users, industry partners and governments to accelerate the integration of renewable gases into the gas network and enabling future network products and services. Gabrielle sits on the boards of Bioenergy Australia and the Future Fuels CRC and is a member of the Energy Networks Australia Gas Committee and Australian Hydrogen Centre. She has a Masters of Business Administration from Deakin University, a Bachelor of Commerce from Curtin University and is a Graduate member of the Australian Institute of Directors.
Alistair Wardrope:
Alistair is a Mechanical Engineer with 15 years professional experience working in the energy industry, starting his career with a well-known British electrolyser manufacturer in 2006, he has been involved in evolving renewable hydrogen technologies since. He has worked on major European power generation utility projects including nuclear, biomass, offshore wind and solar and more recently energy distribution with Jemena.
In his role as Technical Lead – Renewable Gases, Alistair has been actively involved in the technical development of Australia’s first hydrogen and biomethane projects co-funded by ARENA. He has been continually active on a range of industrial and academic platforms, ranging from introducing hydrogen and electric vehicles to the IMechE formula student in the UK establishing some of the earliest zero emission motorsport events. Alistair is also an industry lead contributing to the Future Fuels CRC and is actively engaged in developing Australian Standards
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are transported across the ditch to New Zealand to learn how Andrew Clennett Co-founder and CEO of Hiringa Energy is developing one of the world’s first nationwide green hydrogen refueling networks, and how this transferable model can transform Australia and Southeast Asia’s transition to hydrogen.
With Andrew’s 25 years of international experience in the energy sector, senior management roles and executive roles in multinational energy companies, Andrew provides valuable insights into Hiringa’s innovative developments and 5-year plan in the hydrogen refueling sector, and New Zealand and Australia’s hydrogen landscape.
Hiringa Energy is a clean hydrogen company focused on developing the hydrogen value chain to assist decarbonisation at scale, this is being pursued via the heavy transport area in Australia and New Zealand. The Hiringa team borrows heavily from energy, oil and gas backgrounds and clean tech skills and techno-economics in order to excel the uptake of hydrogen in refueling heavy vehicles. To demonstrate the efficiency of emissions reduction in the heavy transport sector - the volume of CO2 reduced by one hydrogen powered truck is equivalent to 150 cars’ emissions. Hiringa acknowledges the need for meaningful partnerships in the transition to new energy and developing investable propositions – the energy to change, together.
1:30 - About Hiringa - developing the hydrogen value chain and commercialising green energy
4:30 - Hiringa’s heat map and refueling stations roll out across New Zealand
6:30 - Efficient capital to emission reduction: high capacity refueling back-to-back – 100 heavy vehicles a day, 10-15min to refuel large vehicles
11:45 - Beyond heavy transportation sector, what other areas is Hiringa locking into? The benefits of variety of energy trading
16:21 - Unlocking the commercialisation of hydrogen and accelerating demand, up against the 150 years of economy of scale
24:10 - Potential for seasonal storage of hydrogen in New Zealand - virtual battery
26:36 - Potential for green ammonia powering sea vessels and assisting transport of hydrogen overseas
29:30 - Why is New Zealand’s green transport more advanced than Australia and many nations? First mover advantage, government policy and the ecosystem
33:30 - Nimble business environment in New Zealand – promotes elegant business strategy for hydrogen development
35:00 - What policy and business strategy changes would you like to see in Australia?
37:50 - The path to co-founding Hiringa... Silicon Valley style set up
44:45 - Five-year aspirations for Hiringa - strong refueling network growth in New Zealand, and across to Australia and beyond...
48:30 - How can Australia become a leader in hydrogen
50:10 - Together is the way towards decarbonisation
Andrew’ Bio:
Andrew is a co-founder and CEO of Hiringa Energy, a company actively developing green hydrogen infrastructure across New Zealand and Australia including one of the world’s first nation-wide green hydrogen refuelling networks.
He has over 25 years of international experience in the energy sector having held a number of senior management and executive roles in multinational energy companies.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Mechanical/Electrical Engineering and is a board member of the New Zealand Hydrogen Council.
As CEO of Hiringa Energy he has worked to bring the hydrogen opportunity to the forefront in the energy transition, bridging new energy models with the existing industries and building partnerships across sectors. His passion is to unlock commerciality and accelerate our transition to zero emission energy systems.
Andrew Clennett LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-clennett-81bbb4/
Hiringa LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hiringa-energy-ltd/
Hiringa Website: www.hiringa.co.nz
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by Chief Operating Officer at LAVO, Jacques Markgraaff to learn how LAVO is commercialising the storage of hydrogen and democratising and decentralising energy for local businesses and homes.
With Jacques’ 20 years experience in strategy, corporate development, business transformation his role at LAVO straddles the whole value chain: corporate development, investment, R&D; Jacques provides insight into LAVO’s hydrogen storage developments and outlook for the next 2 years, hydrogen industry updates, and the advantages of hydrogen in comparison to lithium batteries.
LAVO is a venture between Provenance Asset Group, an ESG dedicated firm, and UNSW’s hydrogen center, LAVO is the world’s first technology and lifestyle brand powered by green hydrogen. Named in honour of Antoine Lavoisier, the French chemist who identified Hydrogen and nicknamed the father of modern-day chemistry, LAVO’s aims to power the world with limitless energy.
1:00 - About LAVO – world’s first technology and lifestyle brand powered by green Hydrogen ‘powering the world with limitless energy’
4:15 - Appearance of LAVO. Metal hydride storage units and the home and business applications
9:14 - LAVO unit residential application
10:14 - LAVO’s strategic priorities across different markets of residential, telecommunication towers, commercial and off grid back up – 5 units across 5 states
13:45 - HEOS unit for solar and wind farms: 13 MWh system. 18T metal hydride. Generating green hydrogen
15:40 - HEOS - advantageous for the defense sector
17:05 - LAVO’s goals for the next 2 years – commercial focus
20:52 - Fuel cell project in Springfield manufacturing facility joint venture with Nedstack
23:00 - How can Australia drive advanced manufacturing and benefit from exporting renewable technologies?
24:20 - Industry-wide policies that would assist the growth of the hydrogen sector
26:45 - State collaborations to avoid potential regulation issues
28:05 - Unit water usage – a little goes a long way
29:20 - Why would a consumer choose a LAVO’s unit over a battery? Energy security, safety, sustainability, lifespan, scalability, lifetime cost comparison
30:55 - Sustainability and efficiency comparison: LAVO unit vs lithium battery
39:10 - Most exciting advancements in the hydrogen sector
Jacques' Bio:
Jacques Markgraaff is an accomplished executive with over 20 years’ experience in strategy and corporate development and business transformation combined with breadth in commercial and sales management across multiple industries. Prior to joining LAVO as the Chief Operating Officer he was the Executive Advisor at Providence Asset Group the primary investor in the company. Jacques has worked internationally for some of the world’s leading management consulting, financial services and CPG companies with a successful track record of achieving a balance of breakthrough commercial, strategic and customer results. Jacques is a passionate campaigner for growing the top and bottom line through purpose driven innovation and sustainability centered design while transforming the customer experience using disruptive digital technologies. Jacques holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Law degree and an MBA from Imperial College London.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquesmarkgraaff/
Website: https://lavo.com.au/
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by Chris Dolman, Business Development Manager of Clean Hydrogen at BOC South Pacific. We learn about The Hydrogen Rainbow, different sectors for Hydrogen projects, BOC’s current (and previous) hydrogen activity/projects, see how space and infrastructure are changing the hydrogen game and dive into the 5-year outlook on the Hydrogen industry in Australia.
Chris’ highlights:
1:36 - The Hydrogen Rainbow
4:51 - Hydrogen Launching into the space sector
11:26 - What more could the Australian Government do to support a transition to Hydrogen?
14:15 - The 5-year outlook for Australia’s Hydrogen industry
18:02 – Hydrogen storage, projects and technology on a large scale
21:00 - Weird and wonderful Hydrogen approaches
21:51 – Current BOC Hydrogen activity
24:56 - Adapting skills from other sectors in recent projects during Covid-19
27:18 – Hydrogen technology in vehicles
30:16 - How can Australia (and its standards) assist the industry to grow?
15:38 – Exportation and infrastructure opportunities on an international level
39:21 – Aviation, shipping and Hydrogen
41:49 - Chris’ final message to listeners
Chris Dolman Bio:
Chris Dolman is Business Manager, Clean Energy for BOC South Pacific.
Chris holds degrees in Bachelor Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from Macquarie University and a Diploma in Marketing from Cambridge Marketing College.
Chris has worked for BOC since 2004 both in South Pacific and in the United Kingdom and has held a number of roles across product and marketing management, business development, acquisitions, sales and health & safety during this time. He has extensive experience in the applications of gas across key growth sectors including universities and research, agriculture and clean energy.
Chris has been led key Hydrogen Product Stewardship initiatives with Hydrogen deemed a Controlled Substance in Australian states as well as creating tools to allow hydrogen safety assessments and business case development. He has also been involved in new hydrogen applications from Mobility to Energy and customer specific applications.
Chris is an active member of the NERA hydrogen clusters as well as various state based Zero Emission working groups. This allows Chris to bring an extended network to any board positions including project developers and members of Standards Australia for Hydrogen and the Australian New Zealand Industrial Gas Association which has been working with hydrogen safely and effectively for decades.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-dolman-b2509710/?originalSubdomain=au
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In this episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by Phil Richardson, General Manager of New Energy Projects at Stanwell Corporation to discuss what it takes to build a Queensland renewable Hydrogen Powerhouse. We learn more about Stanwell Corporation’s Hydrogen sector and other renewable energy sources, current and upcoming projects, the renewable energy supply chain and some of their joint venture partnerships. Phil also sheds a light on which industries he sees future jobs coming from, collaborations and partnerships needed within the community, what needs to change to support Australia’s Hydrogen decarbonisation ambitions, current costings for green hydrogen vs long term targets and what success looks like in 5-years for himself and Stanwell Corporation.
Phil’s Highlights:
2:26 - Phil's contribution to the Queensland Government and the transition into the commercial renewable energy space with Stanwell Corporation
3:33 - Stanwell Corporation – a leading energy provider for Queensland
4:30 - The split between solar and wind projects at Stanwell Corporation
5:21 – How is Hydrogen fitting into the energy mix at Stanwell Corporation?
7:34 - Stanwell Corporation’s geographic focus and projects within
8:32 - Joint venture partners in Japan and Australia
10:10 - The renewable energy supply chain – advancements and challenges
12:23 - Opportunities for job seekers in the renewable energy sectors
13:53 - Stanwell Corporation’s phase 1 wind and solar project in Queensland
15:57 - Green vs Blue Hydrogen (and the rest of the Hydrogen Rainbow)
17:49 - What has not aligned with Stanwell Corporation’s risk profile and direction of business?
19:24 - Getting the wheels turning on the exciting renewable energy projects and what it takes to make them happen
21:23 – Lessons learnt from the recent LNG cycle and how Stanwell Corporation are navigating the social licence and the partnerships within the community moving forward
24:15 – Ammonia, compressed Hydrogen gas and liquified Hydrogen mechanism mediums for exportation purposes and their benefits vs challenges
26:36 - Australia’s Hydrogen decarbonisation ambitions – funding, policy changes and taxation changes
28:30 - Producing green hydrogen and its current costings vs long term targets
29:45 – Where Phil sees Hydrogen and decarbonisation in the future and hopes for Australia’s renewable energy sectors
31:43 - What does success look like for Phil (and Stanwell Corporation) in 5-years time?
33:26 - The unprecedented hype in the Hydrogen sector right now
35:08 – Aviation and battery electric vehicles vs fuel cell electric vehicles
36:23 - Phil’s final message to the audience
Phil Richardson Bio:
Phil has 15 years experience in developing strategy and executing commercial projects and economic policy reforms, with a focus on the energy sector.
As General Manager New Energy Projects at Stanwell, Phil’s role is to deliver a range of renewable energy, energy storage and hydrogen projects as part of Stanwell’s portfolio strategy.
Prior to joining Stanwell, Phil held roles in the Queensland Government, including General Manager renewable energy and energy pricing in the department of energy and Director Economic Policy in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. In 2008, Phil spent a year working in the Pacific Islands with the United Nations Development Programme.
Phil holds a Master of International Economics and Finance, Master of Governance and Public Policy and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-richardson-42525121/
Stanwell Corporation Website: www.stanwell.com
Stanwell Corporation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stanwell-corporation-limited/
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In the first episode of Exploring Hydrogen, we are joined by globally recognised Professor Peta Ashworth OAM, Director of the Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership, Chair in Sustainable Energy Futures at The University of Queensland (UQ), and Chair of the Queensland Hydrogen Taskforce. During this podcast we learn about all things Hydrogen as an introduction, Peta’s clean energy journey and her current roles, the Queensland Hydrogen Taskforce’s work, the importance of social licence and building trust within communities, Queensland’s competitive advantage and where Peta sees her success in the coming years.
Peta’s highlights:
2:00 - Peta’s current clean energy roles with the industries she works with
3:34 - More about the Queensland Hydrogen Taskforce
6:08 – Social identity in the renewable energy sectors
8:21 - Current public perceptions of Hydrogen and its safety
10:50 – So what is Hydrogen Energy, why now and net zero emissions by 2050
19:16 - The route straight to “green” – is it achievable?
23:13 - Exporting opportunities – molecules, skills & technologies
28:26 - Industries building trust within the community and the importance of collaboration
32:55 - What is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and its challenges / advancements?
38:41: Queensland’s competitive advantage in developing the Hydrogen industry
40:54 - Queensland’s Hydrogen and Decarbonisation sectors – new opportunities & changes
42:03 - What does success look like for Peta in 5 years?
43:16 - Jobs that are going to be highly sought after in the Hydrogen space
45:09 - How can we participate and contribute to the industry?
Peta Ashworth OAM Bio:
Professor Peta Ashworth OAM is the Director of the Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership, Chair in Sustainable Energy Futures at The University of Queensland (UQ), and Chair of the Queensland Hydrogen Taskforce. Professor Ashworth brings over thirty years’ experience working in a range of senior management, consulting and research roles. Prior to joining UQ in 2016, Peta worked as a consultant to industry, as Research Group Leader at CSIRO, and in senior executive roles for the Body Shop.
Professor Ashworth is a globally-recognised expert in the fields of energy, communication, stakeholder engagement, and technology assessment. For almost two decades, Peta has been researching public attitudes toward climate and energy technologies, including wind, carbon capture and storage (CCS), solar photovoltaic, storage and geothermal. An accomplished speaker and facilitator, Professor Ashworth is actively involved in building energy literacy more broadly both within Australian and globally, and regularly provides input to policy briefings, think tanks, as well as educational events for the benefit of the broader community.
Peta’s contributions to the field of sustainable energy include leading the social science research program of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, as well as working alongside Australia’s Chief Scientist in the development of Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peta-ashworth-oam-5502002/
Resources:
https://alumni.uq.edu.au/liveris-academy
https://energy.uq.edu.au/
https://www.epw.qld.gov.au/about/initiatives/hydrogen/taskforce
https://www.globalccsinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Global-CCS-Institute-Fact-Sheet_What-is-CCS.pdf
