July 2021

Growing efforts to decarbonize through hydrogen

A market report recently published by news agency Bloomberg concludes we’re well on our way to a hydrogen revolution. I’d call it a megatrend. The report’s authors expect USD 2.5 trillion, that is, USD 2,500 billion, will pour into the hydrogen and fuel cell sector by 2050. The International Energy Agency agrees. Between 2018 and … more

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Ballard Power quietly sharpens its edge

Ballard [Nasdaq: BLDP] is quietly moving forward with forging new alliances around the world. Or, more specifically, the company is building prototypes that are sure to lead to joint ventures and partnerships to commercialize stacks and modules and components for parts suppliers. I previously covered Ballard’s business relationship with Mahle. Now, Ballard has teamed up … more

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Bloom Energy – 30 percent steady annual growth

Investment bank J. P. Morgan’s analyst meeting with KR Sridhar, Bloom Energy’s chief executive, on May 26 revealed bright prospects for the company. When one analyst asked by how much Bloom wants to grow in the near future – if it aims for a rate of 20 percent to 25 percent annually – Sridhar replied the … more

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Plug Power – cash infusion drives up price

A few months ago, Plug Power [Nasdaq: PLUG] was forced to revise several of its previously published financial statements. While the accounting errors were not severe enough to have a material impact on the statements, they resulted in a USD 62.9 million decrease in R&D costs in the years 2018 to 2020 and a corresponding … more

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Nikola Motors – competition is good for business

It seems like Nikola Motors [Nasdaq: NKLA] was able to stop the bleeding of the past few months. The stock is rising again. Up to 30 million shares are now traded each day, a comparatively high volume for the company. The new-found optimism among investors seems to stem from reports about Nikola’s recent progress in … more

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Weichai Power – intriguing prospects

Like all hydrogen and fuel cell stocks, Weichai Power’s has come under pressure since February. That doesn’t change the business’s bright prospects. Weichai [2338:HK] is turning a profit and is expanding its operations through joint ventures and strategic acquisitions. One example of this is Weichai’s recent purchase of a 45-percent ownership stake in Kion, the … more

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Tesla – profitable in what way?

Nowadays, Tesla [Nasdaq: TSLA] is largely making headlines not for of its financials but for the tweets of its charismatic chief executive, Elon Musk. His thoughts on cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and doge coin, which, depending on the time of day, he says are a really good or a really bad deal, can dominate whole … more

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Burckhardt Compression – peripheral technology

Burckhardt Compression, formerly a subsidiary of Swiss engineering group Sulzer, could become the next stock to pique the interest of investors. The world’s foremost manufacturer of piston compressors, Burckhardt [SIX: BCHN] is increasingly producing equipment that is later used in hydrogen production or transport, as in gas networks delivering hydrogen blends or in electrolyzers, providing … more

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Hydrogen in climate protection: Class instead of mass

SRU formulates recommendations to policy-makers – For hydrogen to contribute to climate protection, it should be produced in an environmentally friendly way and used sparingly. This is what the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU) recommends in a new statement. Accordingly, the market ramp-up should focus on green hydrogen from the outset and be subject … more

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Handelsblatt magazine’s Hydrogen Summit

Driven in part by the recent decarbonization aims of multiple countries and businesses around the world, there is now pressure on every stakeholder in the sector to establish a global hydrogen economy as fast as possible. That much was clear to those attending German Handelsblatt magazine’s online Hydrogen Summit on May 26 and 27. An … more

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Kasten joins DWV’s senior leadership

In April, gas and water industries association DVGW tapped Thorsten Kasten, 52, to co-lead hydrogen and fuel cell organization DWV. By unanimous vote, the DWV executive committee later confirmed the DVGW’s candidate as its new co-chair of the board. Kasten now serves alongside Werner Diwald, who has led the DWV since 2014. … more

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Number of HyStarter applications now at 65

HyStarter remains as popular as ever. Like the competition’s first round, the second attracted the interest of much more organizations than the German transportation ministry was able to fund. By May 14, the ministry’s NOW office had received 65 applications for funding local hydrogen economies as part of the HyLand program. Few of the organizations … more

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Hydrogen Republic Germany, Part III

This spring saw the start of the first Hydrogen Republic Germany idea competition, created and funded by the German education ministry. As part of the initiative, a total of EUR 56 million will go to 71 partner organizations involved in 16 basic research projects. Additionally, three industry-led hydrogen flagship ventures named H2Giga, H2Mare and TransHyDe … more

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Niederer succeeds Fürst

Hydrospider, a joint venture of H2 Energy, Alpiq and Linde/PanGas, has appointed Thomas Niederer, 56, to lead the company starting June 1. Hydrospider specializes in the production of clean hydrogen. Niederer previously worked for food retailers, logistics companies and transportation firms. He succeeds Thomas Fürst, who is turning his focus back to managing Alpiq Hydro … more

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A guide to hydrogen innovations

Where have we made considerable progress in developing hydrogen technology? In what market are there still hurdles to overcome? Where do we still need to remove roadblocks to innovation? Answering questions like these is the task of Hydrogen Compass, a two-year project launched by the German education and economy ministries and funded with EUR 4.2 … more

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