The US government is providing $62 million in funding for 20 projects across 15 states to accelerate research and development, as well as demonstration and deployment, of next-generation clean hydrogen technologies.
The projects funded cover five areas which include: critical elements of hydrogen fueling infrastructure; development and demonstration of hydrogen powered container-handling equipment for use at ports; and efforts to ensure that all US citizens experience the benefits of clean energy.
This latest development forms part of the US National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap: the investment is also part of the US Department of Energy’s Hydrogen Programme which includes a broad portfolio of research and development, and demonstration activities.
Four projects will develop advanced components to enable gaseous and liquid hydrogen fueling for medium- and heavy-duty hydrogen-powered vehicles, while four other projects - accounting for $40 million in funding - will look to develop hydrogen fueling station to meet the needs of commercial-scale truck fueling.
Clean hydrogen can be produced in a number of different ways and there are hopes that widespread adoption can reduce harmful emissions from some of the hardest-to-decarbonise sectors of the US economy, such as chemical and industrial processes and heavy-duty transportation.
US Secretary of State for Energy Jennifer Granholm said the projects build on the historic clean hydrogen investments, while also reinforcing America’s "global leadership" in clean energy technologies. said .
Meanwhile, experts convened by the UK’s Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering have proposed that the UK government should commit to its own comprehensive roadmap for the hydrogen industry.
Sharing their conclusions in a report: Towards a green hydrogen roadmap for the UK, scientists, engineers and policymakers, have set out the enablers, barriers, dependencies and opportunities for growing the nascent UK hydrogen sector. The report also highlights critical factors that need to be addressed to enable the hydrogen economy to reach its full potential.
“In partnership with low-carbon electricity, low-carbon hydrogen is a vital decarbonisation option for key sectors of the economy in the push to achieve a net-zero energy system,” said Nigel Brandon chair of the steering group for the report. “There have been many first-mover opportunities for countries leading the development of hydrogen technologies and standards. The UK must now create a vision for where it sees itself in the global hydrogen economy and develop the policy environment needed for UK industry and innovation to flourish.”
The report calls for the UK government to develop a clear and detailed roadmap setting out an overarching vision of where the UK wants to position itself in the global hydrogen movement. It also calls for support for commercialisation and scale-up, including the creation of hydrogen investment zones to enable the conversion of industry to hydrogen as well as the development of local, regional and national infrastructure.
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