Hydrogen
Overview
Hydrogen is an increasingly important piece in the decarbonisation puzzle. Industrial players are seeking ways to take carbon emissions out of their hydrogen production processes, while green hydrogen producers see the gas as a viable outright alternative to hydrocarbons.
Future production routes range from methane reformation with carbon capture to pyrolysis, waste gasification and electrolysis, powered by renewable energy or fossil fuels. Combinations of processes and energy being used to produce hydrogen presents existing users of industrial heat and key chemicals a challenging landscape to navigate.
The Argus Hydrogen and Future Fuels service has been designed to provide industrial power, chemicals and energy users with crucial information to help them make well informed decisions. It covers the upstream for projects, midstream for transportation and storage, and downstream for ammonia and methanol. It also covers the latest technological developments and policy news on hydrogen from across the globe.
Latest hydrogen news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global hydrogen industry.
Minister eyes German energy transition 'reality check'
Minister eyes German energy transition 'reality check'
London, 9 May (Argus) — Germany's energy transition needs a "reality check", the country's new energy minister Katherina Reiche has said, stating that the government will prioritise security of power supply over climate protection. The government must strike the right balance between climate protection, security of supply and costs, Reiche said at the Ludwig Erhard Summit earlier today, arguing that the focus in recent years has been disproportionately on the former. The new government will put security of supply "first", while also focusing on keeping system costs — such as redispatch and grid expansion costs, which previous governments "underestimated" — as low as possible. The government is aiming to "quickly" hold tenders for the construction of "at least" 20GW of new gas-fired capacity, Reiche said, citing the recent blackout in the Iberian peninsula as evidence that Germany cannot become complacent over its power supply. While she acknowledged that the reasons for the blackout are not yet fully determined, she said that a lack of inertia in the power system is likely to have contributed to it, and that more flexible gas-fired plants "could have helped" Spain avoid the blackout. She called for Germany to agree "long-term delivery contracts" for natural gas, to ensure security of supply in the coming years. And Reiche emphasised the importance of "technology openness", particularly when it comes to Germany reaching its goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045. There may be new technologies that are yet to be invented or fully harnessed that could aid the country in fulfilling its goal, she noted. Hydrogen has the potential to play a role in a "mix" of other technologies in the energy transition, she said, but the expectations for it have become too high for a product that is "not even on the market". Reiche also called for more patience with regard to electrification in Germany, stating that "the transformation of an entire economy [to become climate friendly] in a linear, year-on-year path is not feasible". And the minister reiterated previous CDU/CSU-SPD coalition pledges to reduce the electricity tax and to introduce an industry power price. CDU party member Reiche became the new energy minister on Tuesday, when CDU leader Friedrich Merz was voted in as chancellor, replacing the SPD's Olaf Scholz. By John Horstmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
UK, Norway pursue further ‘green industry’ co-operation
UK, Norway pursue further ‘green industry’ co-operation
London, 7 May (Argus) — The UK and Norway have signed an early-stage agreement for a "green industrial partnership", planning to work together on low-emissions technology such as offshore wind, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen. The partnership will "strengthen energy security" and "support robust value chains for raw materials", the Norwegian government said. The collaboration also aims to "support the development of renewable energy sources, and further develop existing cooperation on the protection of subsea infrastructure in the North Sea", Norway's government added. Both Norwegian and UK representatives are in attendance at the Copenhagen climate ministerial this week — an event which often sets the direction for climate negotiations this year. The countries in December flagged their intent to partner on the energy transition, including developing an agreement on cross-border CO2 transport. Norway is a leader in Europe's developing CCS sector. The country's flagship Northern Lights CCS project is due to begin operating this summer. The project's partnership this week confirmed that all required permits are in place for the injection and storage of CO2. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Low-carbon H2 hits the skids with offtake lagging
Low-carbon H2 hits the skids with offtake lagging
Houston, 5 May (Argus) — Multiple North American proposals to make hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture have taken a pause as tariffs add to cost uncertainties and potential buyers balk at making long-term commitments at current prices. Dow has iced its Path2Zero ethylene plant in Alberta that is to use low-carbon hydrogen supplied by Linde. Air Products has delayed the start-up of a hydrogen and ammonia plant in Louisiana. And US nitrogen fertilizer producer LSB Industries said it is [pausing development] of an ammonia project on the Houston Ship Channel in Texas. Lower-carbon hydrogen produced from autothermal reforming with carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is still expected to lead the nascent sector's development, with renewable-powered production seen as too costly for general takeoff. Most large-scale low-carbon hydrogen projects in the US have focused on exports in the form of ammonia or methanol to Asia and Europe, where governments have promised more support to implement decarbonization mandates. Long-term offtake agreements have so far lagged as regulatory uncertainty, cost concerns and now the added threat of US import tariffs muddle demand perspectives. "Demand has certainly ramped up slower than expected," said LSB chief executive Mark Behrman in an interview with Argus . "In the conversations that we've had with many offtakers in Asia and Europe, and even here domestically, there's been a lack of willingness to commit at the prices that we were able to talk about based on our capital costs," said Behrman, who also cited uncertainty around tariffs as a complicating factor. For long-term supply contracts, buyers were seeking prices below $600/metric tonne fob, said Behrman. LSB partnered with industrial gas firm Air Liquide, Japanese oil company Inpex and Vopak to build the 1.1mn t/yr ammonia facility in Texas. Air Liquide would supply the project with low-carbon hydrogen. The project's costs were largely calculated using 45Q tax credits that are awarded to companies using CCS to reduce emissions. But the release of 45V guidelines in January seemed to offer the possibility of accessing the more lucrative hydrogen production incentive because of a new section pertaining to cryogenic separation, a process that captures carbon dioxide from industrial gas streams, said LSB vice-president of clean energy, Jakob Krummenacher, while speaking at Argus' recent Green Ammonia North America conference in Houston. Cryogenic separation generates more steam than conventional solvent absorption and, if that steam is exported to another process, it may lower the carbon intensity of the resulting hydrogen to such an extent that the project could potentially qualify for 45V, Krummenacher said. As a result, many of the assumptions baked into the engineering studies related to the Houston ammonia venture have to go back to the drawing board. Air Liquide did not respond to requests for comment. If Air Liquide can avail itself of 45V, capital costs may decline and result in more competitive offers to the market. But Berhman cautioned against concluding the project will resume if it is found to qualify for 45V. "We still need a customer to move forward," Behrman said. Dow, which planned to build a hydrogen-fueled ethylene cracker at a petrochemical complex northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, paused its multibillion-dollar project citing uncertainty around US tariffs and the potential for retaliatory tariffs by US trading partners. Linde, which announced last year it would invest $2bn to build a low-carbon hydrogen facility to supply Dow's Path2Zero project, has not responded to questions about what Dow's pause means for its plans in Alberta. Linde has said it was working with Dow to them meet their goals while maintaining Linde's interest in the project. Air Products, meanwhile, further pushed back its $7bn Louisiana low-carbon hydrogen plant to late 2028 or early 2029 as it seeks to control costs by delegating CCS operations and ammonia production to partners. There have been some exceptions to the delays. Early last month, fertilizer producer CF Industries said it was moving ahead on a $4bn ammonia venture with Japan's Jera and investment firm Mitsui at its Blue Point complex in Louisiana. LSB similarly said it is forging ahead with plans to produce low-carbon ammonia at its existing plant in El Dorado, Arkansas, where it will decarbonize production by adding a CCS facility that will be operated by Lapis Carbon Solutions. "We're still big believers in global decarbonization," Behrman said. "I believe that new demand for power generation, power supply, and of course, the marine industry will evolve. I just think it's going to take longer than what everyone initially thought." By Jasmina Kelemen Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia's Labor win may aid low-carbon Fe, Al sectors
Australia's Labor win may aid low-carbon Fe, Al sectors
Sydney, 5 May (Argus) — The Australian Labor party's victory in the country's 3 May parliamentary election could support low-carbon iron and aluminium developers, providing policy clarity and public capital to the sectors. Labor's victory provides more certainty around Australia's A$14bn ($9.06bn) green hydrogen subsidy scheme, which will help steel producers transition towards hydrogen-powered steel furnaces. The opposition Coalition during the election pledged to scrap the programme, which will allow producers to claim A$2/t of green hydrogen produced from 2027. Australian steelmaker NeoSmelt and South Korean steelmaker Posco are developing electric iron smelters in Western Australia (WA) that produce hot-briquetted iron, which is used in the green steel process. Both projects will initially rely on natural gas but may transition to hydrogen-based processing as hydrogen production rises. Australia's hydrogen tax credits may prove crucial given ongoing hydrogen production challenges. South Australia's state government closed its Office of Hydrogen Power SA on 2 May, following a funding cut earlier this year. Labor can now also move forward with plans for A$2bn in low-emissions aluminium production credits, beginning in 2028-29. Smelters will be able to claim credits per tonne of low-carbon aluminium produced, based on their Scope 2 emission reductions. The party's proposal does not include any blanket credit for producers. Labor's aluminium production credits are aimed at supporting the Australian government's goal of doubling the country's share of renewable power from about 40pc to 82pc by 2030. Australian producers export about 1.5mn t/yr of aluminium, according to industry body Australian Aluminium Council, from four smelters located around the country. Green iron funding Labor's election win also secures its A$1bn lower-emission iron support pledge , first announced in late February. Half of the fund will go towards restarting and transitioning the 1.2mn t/yr Whyalla steelworks in South Australia into a green steel plant. The other half will support new and existing green iron and steel projects to overcome initial funding barriers. Labor has not allocated any funding through the programme yet. By Avinash Govind Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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