Basic Motors has dropped hints about its curiosity in gasoline cell electrical autos over time, however apparently that’s simply the tip of a a lot greater iceberg. The corporate has made some attention-grabbing strikes in current months which recommend a extra holistic strategy to the inexperienced hydrogen financial system of the longer term, no matter what the skeptics could say.
GM Fishes For Gas Cell Electrical Automobiles…
GM’s curiosity in hydrogen caught the CleanTechnica eye again in 2013, after the corporate launched an indication fleet of 16 gasoline cell electrical autos for the US Military in Hawaii. The Military demonstration was constructed on GM’s Challenge Driveway fleet of 119 autos, which launched in 2007 and racked up nearly 3 million miles of driving in six years.
What caught our eye was a brand new hookup between GM and Honda. Honda was additionally hammering away on the problem of introducing gasoline cell autos to the US market. The collaboration launched in July of 2013, offering for the 2 firms to share the mixed complete of 1,200 gasoline cell patents they compiled within the years main as much as 2012.
GM launched its “SURUS” gasoline cell electrical automobile platform in 2017, nevertheless it nonetheless didn’t have a gasoline cell EV in business manufacturing by 2020, although a preliminary settlement with Nikola Motor involving the Badger gasoline cell electrical pickup truck urged that exercise was about to select up. Sadly for FCEV followers, Nikola fell on its face following a scandal involving former CEO Trevor Milton. Nikola has since recovered itself, however the relationship with GM foundered.
And Retains Fishing…
GM has not been idling round since then. As a part of its collaboration with Honda, GM set its sights on growing gasoline cells for heavy responsibility use, leading to its Hydrotec suite of gasoline cell programs.
In 2021 GM launched a hydrogen-powered flight collaboration with Hydrotec and the aerospace firm Liebnerr. GM can also be collaborating with Navistar on gasoline cells for vehicles, and with Wabtec on gasoline cells for locomotives. GM has additionally been deploying Hydrotec modules as transportable charging stations for battery-electric autos.
The sticky wicket, after all, is the continued reliance on pure fuel and different fossil sources to provide the hydrogen wanted to run gasoline cells. GM has a plan for that, too. Final November, GM enlisted Nel USA, a unit of Norway’s Nel ASA, to assist push down the price of electrolyzer programs and pump up the inexperienced hydrogen provide chain. Electrolysis is used to “break up” hydrogen fuel from water, as a extra sustainable different to the traditional steam reformation system used to provide hydrogen from pure fuel.
…And Catches A $400 Million Electrolyzer Manufacturing unit
Within the newest growth within the inexperienced hydrogen area, final week Nel introduced that may construct a $400 million electrolyzer manufacturing unit in GM’s dwelling state of Michigan. In a press launch, Nel made it clear that quite a lot of different US states had been contending for the brand new manufacturing unit, however proximity to GM was among the many sights that drew it to Michigan.
“…the quick distance to Basic Motors, headquartered in Detroit, has performed a decisive position within the alternative of state,” Nel states. “The 2 firms collaborate to develop additional and enhance Nel’s PEM electrolyser know-how.”
Nel additionally cited Charlie Freese, govt director of Hydrotec, who mentioned: “Having Nel’s new facility near our dwelling base of HYDROTEC growth, in southeastern Michigan, will assist us extra rapidly speed up our electrolyzer collaboration.”
Extra Inexperienced Hydrogen For Michigan
Nel famous that different vital components had been at work, too. “The selection of Michigan relies on an general evaluation of what the state can provide by way of monetary incentives, entry to a extremely expert workforce, and cooperation with universities, analysis establishments, and strategic companions,” mentioned CEO Håkon Volldal.
“I will even spotlight the private engagement from Governor Whitmer and her competent and service-minded workforce,” Volldal added.
The press launch didn’t go into a lot element, however the college and analysis angle most likely consists of the “MI Hydrogen” initiative launched by the College of Michigan, which mixes sources from the college’s Workplace of the Vice President for Analysis, Michigan Engineering and the College for Surroundings and Sustainability.
“A majority of hydrogen manufacturing in the USA and overseas is generated from steam methane reforming of pure fuel, which is problematic from a local weather change perspective,” MI Hydrogen notes, indicating that the initiative will give attention to extra sustainable options.
From Inexperienced Hydrogen To Inexperienced Ammonia
Nel’s relationship with Michigan additionally permits it to construct relationships with different states within the Midwest. Michigan is a member of the Midwestern Hydrogen Coalition R&D initiative spearheaded by the US Vitality Division’s Argonne Nationwide Laboratory and the College of Illinois.
The M-H2 Coalition was initially conceived because the 12-state Midwestern Hydrogen And Gas Cell Coalition again in 2019, with a give attention to renewable hydrogen. M-H2 formally launched in September of 2022 with a shorter identify and a extra compact roster of collaborating states. The checklist now consists of seven states that Nel might community with, by means of its relationship with Michigan: Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin in addition to Michigan.
The main target has widened to incorporate the potential for fossil-sourced hydrogen. That’s not such nice information for inexperienced hydrogen followers, nevertheless it might assist M-H2 compete for a slice of the $8 billion funding pie provided by the Vitality Division’s Regional Hydrogen Hub program. The hydrogen hub program is funded by means of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation of 2021, which stipulates that the general community of 8-10 hubs should embrace a point of fossil vitality enter.
M-H2 factors out that its member states can produce hydrogen from quite a lot of sources. That may presumably put fossil vitality in play together with biogas and water electrolysis, serving to the alliance contend in opposition to the inexperienced hydrogen powerhouses rising elsewhere within the US. Within the northeast, for instance, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island intend to faucet into their huge offshore wind sources to realize an edge within the hydrogen hub competitors.
In a Memorandum of Understanding final fall, MH-2 attracts consideration to infrastructure benefits within the Midwest area.
“The Midwest has the biggest hydrogen infrastructure community within the nation within the type of ammonia manufacturing, pipelines, and ‘nurse’ tanks, provided that ammonia is a perfect hydrogen provider,” MH-2 explains.
The area additionally encompasses an “established market and distribution/storage community for ammonia as an agricultural enter, one of many main present end-uses for hydrogen,” M-H2 provides. “The prevailing ammonia distribution community is arguably essentially the most intensive hydrogen distribution community within the nation.”
Though the MOU does embrace room for fossil-sourced hydrogen, it’s not clear what is going to occur when the mud settles. If M-H2 doesn’t make the winner’s circle for the Vitality Division’s hydrogen hub program, the fossil vitality stipulation could be moot, opening up extra space for main inexperienced hydrogen stakeholders like GM and Nel to make their case.
As well as, no matter what the Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation stipulates, there may not be a lot demand for fossil-sourced hydrogen within the glowing inexperienced financial system of the longer term.
Comply with me on Trainwreck Twitter @TinaMCasey.
No extra Trainwreck Twitter for me! Discover me on Spoutible: @TinaMCasey or LinkedIn @TinaMCasey or Mastodon @Casey or Submit: @tinamcasey
Picture: GM’s “SURUS” hydrogen gasoline cell automobile platform (courtesy of GM Hydrotec).
Join day by day information updates from CleanTechnica on e-mail. Or comply with us on Google Information!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, need to promote, or need to recommend a visitor for our CleanTech Discuss podcast? Contact us right here.
Photo voltaic PV & Farming — Traits In Agrivoltaics
I do not like paywalls. You do not like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Right here at CleanTechnica, we applied a restricted paywall for some time, nevertheless it at all times felt flawed — and it was at all times powerful to resolve what we must always put behind there. In idea, your most unique and greatest content material goes behind a paywall. However then fewer individuals learn it! We simply don’t love paywalls, and so we have determined to ditch ours.
Sadly, the media enterprise remains to be a troublesome, cut-throat enterprise with tiny margins. It is a endless Olympic problem to remain above water and even maybe — gasp — develop. So …
For those who like what we do and need to assist us, please chip in a bit month-to-month through PayPal or Patreon to assist our workforce do what we do!
Thanks!
