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FIGURE 3. The hydrogen industry is characterized both by
challenges and opportunities
number of these manufacturers
have a lengthy history of being able
to produce a trustworthy final product.
This can restrict
alternatives,
given that selecting a company that
has been tried and tested reduces
investing risks. When it comes to
its heavy-duty transportation fleet,
truck manufacturer Kenworth Trucks
Co. made the decision to implement
Toyota's fuel cell technology as part
of their debut. Cummins Inc. (Columbus,
Ind.; www.cummins.com),
a well-known name in the diesel
market, recently acquired Hydrogenics,
a developer and manufacturer of
fuel cell components and hydrogen
production equipment. The acquisition
has enabled Cummins to have
access to both fuel cells and electrolyzers.
This alternative method of
derisking heavy-duty transportation
is a result of Cummins' strategic acquisition
of Hydrogenics.
Additionally, as a result of the developments
in this area, a knock-on
effect is occurring, in which the demand
for fuel cells for heavy-duty
transportation is driving the need
for carbon-fiber storage containers.
Critically, these vessels are essential
for reducing the weight of a
vehicle, as well as the amount of
hydrogen it
carries. Nikola Corp.,
maker of fuel-cell commercial vehicles,
has a heavy-duty fleet that
represents an example of the ongoing
trend toward higher pressure
requirements. The fundamental goal
of high-pressure hydrogen storage
is to give a vehicle a greater range
before it is necessary to refill it with
hydrogen. Because of this, there is
an increased strain placed on the
supply of high-pressure equipment.
Several new suppliers are increasing
their efforts to manufacture carbon
fiber vessels in a more expeditious
manner to meet the
high-pressure requirement
being witnessed.
Hydrogen compressionfocused
businesses are
likewise making attempts to
fulfill this requirement.
Furthermore, the aviation
industry, which also falls
under the mobility sector, is
displaying an increased requirement
for SAF, an essential
element of the aviation
industry's attempts to minimize its
carbon footprint. The manufacture of
SAF is dependent on green hydrogen
when using the PTL pathway (there
are various means of creating SAF
apart from this pathway, however,
PTL requires pure hydrogen). Synthesis
gas (syngas) can be produced
by converting incoming streams of
hydrogen and carbon dioxide into
syngas, typically in a ratio of 2:1 H2
to CO.
It is essential to detail that the process
of manufacturing SAF through
the PTL route can be accomplished
by the reverse water-gas-shift
method, which is a new technological
advancement being developed
by key industry players, such
as Technip Energies. Following this,
additional steps, such as FischerTropsch
(F-T) synthesis and hydrocracking,
are carried out to generate
SAF. Currently, SAF accounts for
only 3% of the total fuel used in aviation
[6]. The aviation sector is under
increased pressure to reduce its carbon
emissions and make the transition
to less carbon-intensive fuels,
so demand for SAF among aircraft
builders and airlines is increasing.
A recurrent pattern emerges: as
the use of SAF becomes more widespread,
the demand for the environmentally
friendly hydrogen required
to manufacture it also rises. However,
SAF is just one example of what can
be created by the PTL route when
utilizing the F-T process, as other
derivatives can equally be generated,
such as naphtha (which serves many
industries), and sustainable diesel for
vessels and vehicles.
SAF has proven that it can be utilized
as a drop-in replacement fuel, as
shown in a recent SAF-powered flight
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