Essay by Eric Worrall
h/t rhs; I used to be so improper – if each enterprise will get a authorities grant, then everybody can benefit from subsidised inexperienced hydrogen /sarc.
Australia Goes All-in on Inexperienced Hydrogen > Juggernaut or boondoggle—it’s too quickly to inform
Juggernaut or boondoggle—it’s too quickly to inform
PETER FAIRLEY
25 DEC 2022…
At the moment, 28 heavy-duty diesel-powered vehicles function on the Townsville refinery. When ships arrive at port with zinc focus, or tie as much as tackle zinc ingots, the rigs haul triple-trailers and loop the 30 km from port to plant and again nonstop for as many as eight days. Time is cash, says Kim, as a result of occupying a berth in port can price a whopping AUS $22,000 (US $13,800) a day. Even when a battery-powered truck might deal with the refinery’s 140,000-tonne hundreds, Kim says his firm couldn’t afford to attend for batteries to recharge.
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In 2021, Ark Power took a stake in Hyzon Motors, one of many few companies engaged on ultraheavy vehicles powered by gasoline cells. Hyzon, based mostly in Rochester, N.Y., agreed to equip a few of its first extra-beefy fuel-cell rigs with the right-hand drive and wider carriage required in Australia—one thing different builders couldn’t provide till 2025 or 2026. “We’re bringing ahead the transition of Australia’s ultraheavy transport sector by a number of years,” says Kim.
To gasoline the vehicles, Ark Power ordered a 1-MW electrolyzer from Plug Energy, based mostly in Latham, N.Y. Kim anticipated that development of the electrolyzer facility would begin across the finish of 2022, and vowed that 5 fuel-cell vehicles could be looping to port and again on hydrogen fuel within the third quarter of 2023 or sooner.
Kim says these autos will price “somewhat over thrice” that of an equal diesel-fueled hauler, up entrance, however the general undertaking ought to break even and even lower your expenses over the vehicles’ projected 10-year working life. Authorities grants and loans and excessive diesel costs assist make hydrogen aggressive. The vehicles’ unchanging route was additionally a plus: The comparatively flat loop enabled use of a smaller, cheaper, gasoline cell. “It is a devoted truck for a devoted objective,” Kim notes.
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Learn extra: https://spectrum.ieee.org/amp/green-hydrogen-2658958087
I’m going with boondoggle on this ridiculous train.
If inexperienced hydrogen might stand by itself, with out authorities grants and loans, it’d make financial sense. However as long as corporations which benefit from inexperienced hydrogen have their losses lined by taxes on everybody elses revenue, the inexperienced hydrogen push might be a web drag on the Australian economic system.
