JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Higher fossil fuel prices are pushing governments to revisit hydrogen as an energy security tool, Haley Zaremba has reported on oilprice.com, pointing out that hydrogen investment in China and Europe is accelerating.

China's fifteenth five-year plan is showing hydrogen to be a “now” industry, with the South China Morning Post reporting a shift towards rapid practical development.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has highlighted hydrogen progress as “real”, an observation applauded by the global Hydrogen Council, on which Sasol CEO Simon Baloyi and Valterra Platinum CEO Craig Miller serve. Sasol has been producing grey hydrogen in South Africa since 1950.

Emerging from IEA discussions is that hydrogen is following a trajectory similar to early solar PV deployment, which spread fast throughout the world once China cut its cost.

Exemplifying the extent to which hydrogen enables long-term energy storage is a 200 MW hydrogen plant with larger storage capacity than all the batteries currently linked to the electricity grid in the US, including the batteries from Tesla, Nel ASA president and CEO Håkon Volldal has pointed out. The creation of a large-scale storage facility is already under way in China. 

Gaining attention on the equipment front is the new Bosch proton exchange membrane (PEM) Hybrion electrolysis stack that is signalling hydrogen’s move from niche to scale. PEM makes use of platinum group metals (PGMs), which are hosted overwhelmingly by South Africa, and World Platinum Investment Council Asia Pacific regional head Weibin Deng has stated on LinkedIn that PGMs have entered into a supercycle, with a contributing factor being growing new energy demand.

Meanwhile, capturing broad-based peripheral attention is the swing to hydrogen by TV show provider Netflix amid the Apex motion picture featuring South African actress Charlize Theron being hydrogen powered.

In Germany, liquid organic hydrogen carrier company Hydrogenious has hailed new hydrogen clarity that brings long-term planning certainty. “We welcome this step and remain committed to supporting Europe’s hydrogen ramp‑up with technology that makes large‑scale hydrogen logistics practical and future‑proof,” was the comment from Hydrogenious, which is part funded by South Africa’s PGM mining companies.

Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and Thuringia stand to benefit from the planned Hybor hydrogen pipeline for which scoping studies have begun.

Also in Germany, BMW is adopting a new hydrogen tank technology for its iX5 hydrogen car to provide 750 km range and Bremen and Bremerhaven are home to Germany's first hydrogen valley.

In Spain, €12.75-million has been extended for a project that involves the deployment of 30 hydrogen refuelling stations. Last year, Spain’s entire national grid went 100% renewable energy for a full weekday, led by wind power, which accounted for nearly 46% of the output, followed by solar and hydroelectric sources.

In France, Uber is teaming up with French hydrogen company HysetCo to provide hydrogen fuel cell electric taxis across Paris and its suburbs.

In Japan, the Tokyo metropolitan government has completed a hydrogen fuel cell vessel port operations and river construction supervision. Japan continues to promote a hydrogen, with ambitious import targets and ongoing infrastructure build-up, and Toyota is to begin mass production of 5 MW PEM electrolysers in its 2029 fiscal year.

In South Korea, cumulative domestic sales of 3 062 hydrogen fuel cell buses. Has been confirmed by Hyundai, which itself operates 74 hydrogen commuter fuel cell electric vehicle buses across its own facilities and is adding 55 more this year.

In the US, hydrogen solutions provider Plug Power has been selected to supply 275 MW PEM electrolyser system for the Courant project’s large proposed decarbonised ammonium nitrate facility in Canada.

In Holland, the Port of Rotterdam reported that the liquid hydrogen facility that Air products is building in the port area is expected to be operational in 2027.

In Africa, Egypt has joined a growing list of nations formalising national hydrogen frameworks under the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation’s multi-country global clean hydrogen programme . . . and the list of hydrogen projects could go on and on.