Scunthorpe Steelworks
On my way back from Cleethorpes, I passed Scunthorpe Steelworks.
It did seem rather quiet, although I did pass a train-load of new rails on their way to somewhere.
The Future Of Steel-Making
Steel-Making is on its uppers in the UK and it has a bad carbon footprint.
However, various processes are in development that could make the industry fit for the Twenty-First Century.
HIsarna Steelmaking
In Whitehaven Deep Coal Mine Plan Moves Step Closer, I said this.
In Wikipedia, there is an entry for the HIsarna ironmaking process.
This process is being developed by the Ultra-Low Carbon Dioxide Steelmaking (ULCOS) consortium, which includes Tata Steel and the Rio Tinto Group. Reduction in carbon-dioxide produced by the process compared to traditional steel-making are claimed to be as high as fifty percent.
This figure does not include carbon-capture to reduce the carbon-dioxide still further.
However, looking at descriptions of the process, I feel that applying carbon-capture to the HIsarna steelmaking process might be a lot easier, than with traditional steelmaking.
As Scunthorpe is close to Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal, the captured carbon-dioxide could probably be stored in wells connected to the terminal.
Hydrogen Steelmaking
North-East Lincolnshire is becoming the new Aberdeen, but instead of being based solely on oil and gas, there is a large proportion of wind energy being reaped.
In the future, I believe that a lot of this wind energy will be turned into hydrogen gas both onshore and increasing off-shore scores of miles out in the North Sea. There is talk of upwards of 70 GW of wind turbines being installed and much of it will be turned into hydrogen in North-East Lincolnshire.
In Funding Award to Supply An 8MW Electrolyser, I wrote about hydrogen steelmaking and the HYBRIT process in particular.
Will some of this massive amount of hydrogen be piped to Scunthorpe to make steel?
Conclusion
The future of steelmaking in Scunthorpe, doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom.
Green Tugboats? ‘Revolutionary’ Hydrogen Ship Engine Unveiled In Belgium
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Business Green.
This is the first paragraph.
A “revolutionary” hybrid ship engine powered by green hydrogen and diesel has been unveiled today in Belgium, with developers claiming the innovation could cut CO2 emissions from ships, trains and electricity generators by up to 85 per cent.
The engine has been given the name BeHydro.
The first order has been received by the developers; ABC, for two 2MW dual fuel engines that will be installed on a hydrogen-powered tug for the Port of Antwerp.
Motors up to the size of 10 MW are under development.
This is the last sentence of the article.
In theory, any large diesel engine can be replaced by a BeHydro engine. The hydrogen future starts today.
It is a quote from the CEO of one of the companies involved.
Conclusion
This is a development to follow.
The BeHydro engine, with its dual-fuel approach, is claimed to cut carbon emissions by 85 %.
In the Wikipedia entry for ABC or Anglo Belgian Corporation, there is a section called Products. This is a paragraph.
The engines are found in use on large river barges such as those found on the Rhine, coastal freighters, fishing boats, ferries, tugboats (which typically use 2 engines), and other ships. Other applications include electricity generation, and pumping engines, engines for cranes, and locomotives (including the Belgian Railways Class 77 and Voith Maxima), as well as dual fuel (gas/oil) DZD engines.
I feel that that the BeHydro engine will keep the company busy.
Four Must-Read Articles From H2-View
I have just read these articles on H2-View.
- New partnership aims to convert Dash 8 airliner to hydrogen fuel
- 1,000 new hydrogen-powered buses planned for European roads
- Investing in hydrogen trains will put UK green recovery on the fast track
- Mercedes-Benz GenH2 Truck revealed
They are all worth a read.
The last one includes an informative video about German policy on hydrogen.
Green Hydrogen For Scotland
The title of this post, has been taken from this press release from ITM Power, which is entitled ‘Green Hydrogen For Scotland’ To Help Reach Net Zero Targets: First Project To Deliver A 10MW Electrolyser To Glasgow Facility.
This is the introductory paragraph.
A pioneering Strategic partnership has been established to create new green hydrogen production facilities with clusters of refuelling stations across Scotland, supporting the country’s efforts to achieve net zero by 2045. ‘Green Hydrogen for Scotland’ – a partnership of ScottishPower Renewables, BOC (a Linde company) and ITM Power – brings together industry-leading names in the renewables and clean fuel industries to offer an end-to-end market solution for reducing vehicle emissions through the provision of green hydrogen.
Other details include.
- The green hydrogen production facility located on the outskirts of Glasgow will be operated by BOC.
- ITM Power will deliver a 10 MW electrolyser.
- Electricity will come from , wind and solar produced by ScottishPower Renewables.
- The project aims to supply hydrogen to the commercial market within the next two years.
This ITM Power infographic outlines Green Hydrogen for Scotland.
Surely it should be called tartan hydrogen. Does anybody know a tartan containing the blue of Scotland, the white of Yorkshire and the black, red and gold of Germany?
Transition Your Ships To Zero-Emissions With Ballard’s New FCwave
The title of this post, is the same as that of this post on the Ballard blog.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Today, the maritime sector accounts for approximately 2.5% of global carbon emissions, equivalent to 940 megatonnes each year . But the industry is now moving into a new era of mobility, where sustainability and climate change issues are top of mind.
And this paragraph introduces Ballard’s solution.
At Ballard, we’re here to support ship operators and marine propulsion integrators in this transition. Today, we’ll introduce you to our new FCwave™ fuel cell module—the world’s first commercial fuel cell solution for marine vessels.
There is a link to a brochure.
The blog also has two videos and a picture of a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, which is labelled Ballard Fuel Cell Powered HySeas Consortium Ferry, so is a hydrogen-powered ferry coming to an island near you or where you like to go?
This article on the Liverpool Echo is entitled Plans For A New Ferry To Cross The Mersey.
As the current two ferries, were in service when I was a student at Liverpool University in the 1960s, replacement of one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic ferries in the world with hydrogen power would be a smart move, by both Liverpool and Ballard.
Especially, as the Liverpool area is not short of hydrogen.
Hydrogen Train “Coradia iLint”
The title of this post, is the same as that on this page of the Austrian Railways web site.
One of the sections is entitled Tried And Tested On Geographically Demanding Routes, where this is said.
Up to now, hydrogen trains have mainly been used on flat routes in Northern Germany and the Netherlands. By testing on geographically demanding, alpine routes in the southern parts of Lower Austria, the hydrogen train is now being put through its paces for the first time.
They also give a link to a route timetable.
Scotland’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train Showcased At COP26 Summit
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in the Scotsman.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The zero emission train project will demonstrate how the country’s railways could be decarbonised by phasing out diesel within 15 years.
The train will be based on a withdrawn Class 314 train.
These trains entered service in 1979 and are certainly not the worst of that generation of British Rail electric trains.
It will be a tight timetable to get the train ready for the COP26 summit, which is scheduled for November 1-12 in 2021.
World’s First Hydrogen-Powered Passenger Train Hits The Rails In Austria
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on Silicon Republic.
This is the first paragraph.
This week in future tech, an Alstom hydrogen-powered train will start taking passengers in Austria for the first time.
But for the covids, I’d be on my way tomorrow to do a bit of advanced-level trainspotting.
WyRefueler—The Mobile Hydrogen Filling Station
The title of this post, is the same as that of the product page on the Wystrach web site.
This is the introductory paragraph.
It’s transportable, energy-efficient, and user-friendly: the WyRefueler is here! The mobile hydrogen refueling station is suitable for wide range of refueling applications. Besides filling trucks, buses, and trains with hydrogen, it can be used for vehicles on construction sites, in ports, or at airports. The WyRefueler enables emission-free logistics and intralogistics—and there’s no limit to where it can be deployed!
It looks a sensible concept, but it is only a tank system, without an electrolyser.
It would surely be ideal for a company to trial a few hydrogen vehicles, before deciding on a permanent installation.
France Devotes €30 Billion To Energy Transition
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on PV Magazine.
This is the introductory paragraphs.
The French government has launched a new Covid-19 recovery plan that includes €30 billion to invest in the energy transition.
The top priority is the creation of a hydrogen economy, with €2 billion to be invested by the end of 2022 and €7.2 billion up to 2030. The money will be used for R&D activities and industrial electrolysis development projects.
The full plan for hydrogen will be published on September the 8th.
Other plans include.
- €7 billion for building renovations.
- €11 billion for the transport section.
- 100,000 terminals for electric vehicles by 2021.
I feel, that they will need to do more to decarbonise the transport sector.
The Anonymous Widower 