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Brussels is overloading the industry with requirements for eco-hydrogen production. The economy warns of "a mass exodus". Is Europe missing its own targets for climate-friendly fuel gas?

The H2theFuture Coalition will execute projects across five interrelated workstreams, which are each individually funded by this grant:

H2Workforce – Industry training for displaced workers, rural citizens, and minorities, led by the Louisiana Community & Technical College System
H2Business Development –  Led by Baton Rouge Area Chamber, in partnership with One Acadiana, South Louisiana Economic Council, Southwest Louisiana Economic Alliance, and GNO, Inc., a strategy to attract new businesses and grow/retain regional businesses across the hydrogen value chain
H2Testbeds – University facilities and programming at Nicholls State University, Louisiana State University, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and University of New Orleans to enable translational research of low carbon hydrogen technologies
H2NeXus (New Energy Center of the United States) – A physical and programmatic hub for a range of clean energy programs and initiatives, located within The Beach at UNO, called “NEXUS”
H2Public Private Partnership – The first-ever U.S. hydrogen fueling barge, located at the Port of South Louisiana

In developing fuel cells, the BMW Group is focusing on an alternative emissions-free technology that will in future be implemented in the small-series BMW iX5 Hydrogen. Production of the hydrogen drive component has now begun.

The company expects to add 350 workers to staff the new assembly line and cleanroom in Anderson, South Carolina, Peter Tadros, Bosch’s North American head of powertrain solutions, tells Forbes. It will be Bosch’s first U.S. fuel cell production site when it’s up and running in 2026. Electric truckmaker Nikola, which Bosch has invested in, will be a key customer for the power devices but it will also sell them to other companies in North America, he said.

"If we try to move in this direction and only use battery electric vehicles, we will fail," Brouwer said. "The grid cannot charge every single transportation application. We must invest in both battery-electric vehicles and fuel-cell electric vehicles."

The professor added that if half of drivers in 2035 have hydrogen-electric vehicles, the power grid will not be as stressed. Those people can fill up their cars at hydrogen stations, which are much like gas stations, and will hopefully become more available throughout the state in the coming years.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced Maine and Rhode Island have signed on to a New York-led multi-state agreement, joining with Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey to develop a proposal to become one of at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs designated through the federal Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program included in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The coalition of six states and now more than 60 clean hydrogen ecosystem partners are laying the groundwork for a proposal for the United States Department of Energy funding opportunity anticipated to be announced in September or October with up to $8 billion in total funding available. Today's announcement advances each State's leadership in clean hydrogen infrastructure deployment and supports New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 85 percent by 2050.

While significant emphasis has been placed on electric vehicle battery technology and related charging infrastructure across the state, the California clean transportation future needs to include hydrogen fuel cell vehicle technology where it makes sense.

Several transit agencies across the state are already producing their own hydrogen fuel, and others are actively planning to significantly expand on this model. Mega-regional passenger rail systems, such as Valley Link, are preparing for this opportunity by securing 200 acres of environmentally approved parcels to build a green hydrogen facility to provide clean power to commercial trucks, transit buses and a 42-mile passenger rail system that will alleviate the congestion and poor air quality caused by the 100,000 commuters who traverse the Altamont Pass daily. As the state looks to invest new funding to support the development of hydrogen fuel production, it’s imperative that this investment support California’s clean transportation future through transit agency hydrogen producers. This model of sustainability and self-sufficiency is important, as it inherently connects the hydrogen fuel producer and user with the goal of reducing the cost of transit operations to the public and offsets state and federal subsidies.

The demonstration will test STARS' technology, which was developed at the Pacific Northwest National Lab. The technology uses a combustion free process, so that it produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions compared to a conventional steam methane reforming process. Since the compact system is based on low-cost 12x1-inch, 3D-printed reactor disks and heat exchangers, it can be easily installed at fueling stations to help meet the demand while advancing climate and clean air goals. After its installation, the first STARS system will produce up to 80 kilograms of clean hydrogen a day, that's enough to fuel three of SunLine's zero-emission buses per day.