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The European Hydrogen Market Benefits from Economic Recovery and Rising Demand for Alternative Fuels

green hydrogen

The European Hydrogen Market Benefits from Economic Recovery and Rising Demand for Alternative Fuels

Increasingly stringent environmental legislation and the emergence of new gigawatt-scale electrolyzers indicate that hydrogen fuel boasts the future potential to develop as a strong competitor to traditional energy resources.

Key Trends and Insights

EU hydrogen production declined sharply in April 2020 by -15% against March figures, due to lockdown and stagnation in the chemical industry. Production only recovered in Q4 and continues to increase as of the beginning of 2021.

189 countries are now committed to reducing greenhouse emissions under the terms of the Paris Agreement, indicating that the demand for sustainable fuels will increase. The hydrogen market demonstrates tangible prospects: hydrogen, irrespective of its current high production costs, constitutes an excellent sustainable fuel due to the fact that when being combusted, it transforms to just water, without any harmful exhaust gases or carbon.

In July 2020, the European Union adopted the EU Hydrogen Strategy, to promote the widespread use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel, and conducted research into hydrogen production in Europe to determine investment opportunities from 2020 to 2050. The European Clean Hydrogen Alliance was established at the same time to connect industry, government authorities and the public. A dedicated regulatory and legal framework, specifically the Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) and The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) initiatives should further promote the use of hydrogen from the perspective of alternative energy.

In addition to the European Union, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, amongst others, have already adopted their own hydrogen strategies. The UK carbon-free energy plan also envisages an increased role for hydrogen fuel, while in the U.S., a targeted program has yet to be developed.

Encouraged by the latest technological developments, commercial interest in hydrogen fuel increased over the past year. 96% of global hydrogen output is still generated from natural gas; this process emits considerable volumes of greenhouse gases. The production of ‘green’ hydrogen through water electrolysis represents a sustainable alternative to this synthesis method. The emergence of gigawatt-capacity electrolysis facilities will reduce production costs and make hydrogen more accessible.

The Netherlands Features the Largest Volumes of Consumption and Exports

Hydrogen consumption rose to 8.1B cubic meters in 2019, picking up by 3.8% on the previous year’s figure. The total consumption volume increased at an average annual rate of +1.9% from 2007 to 2019. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2008 with an increase of 26% against the previous year (IndexBox estimates).

The size of the hydrogen market in the European Union declined to $1.4B in 2019, approximately equating the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers’ margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). In 2020, the value of the European hydrogen market was estimated at approx. the same figure (IndexBox estimates). .

The countries with the highest volumes of hydrogen consumption in 2019 were the Netherlands (2.6B cubic meters), Germany (2B cubic meters) and Spain (1.1B cubic meters), with a combined 70% share of total consumption. France, Finland, Italy and Hungary lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 24%.

From 2007 to 2019, the most notable rate of growth in terms of hydrogen consumption, amongst the key consuming countries, was attained by Finland, while consumption for the other leaders experienced more modest paces of growth.

The Netherlands represented the key exporter of hydrogen in the European Union, with the volume of exports reaching 301M cubic meters, which was near 73% (IndexBox estimates) of total exports in 2019. It was distantly followed by Belgium (78M cubic meters), mixing up a 19% share of total exports. Germany (14M cubic meters) held a little share of total exports.

The Netherlands was also the fastest-growing in terms of hydrogen exports, with a CAGR of +9.9% from 2007 to 2019. At the same time, Belgium (+1.4%) displayed positive paces of growth. Germany experienced a relatively flat trend pattern.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform

bulk

Infographic: Logistics of Bulk Chemical Transportation

The infographic below displays information about transporting chemicals in bulk, beginning with the supplier and then transferring the chemicals into tanks before delivering them to the buyer.

Various types of tank trailers may be used, including those made of different materials and capacities for transporting the chemicals in bulk. Due to the dangers involved during transport, drivers and support staff must follow multiple HAZMAT and DOT requirements to ensure safety throughout the process.

This infographic originally appeared here. Republished with permission.

wires

How to Make Quality and Environmentally-Friendly Electric Cables & Wires

Sustainability: The Need of the Hour

It is no secret that the world is facing an environmental threat. Various industries are trying to control the carbon emission generated by them. The electronic sector also rose to the cause. Particularly the wire and cable industry is taking numerous initiatives. They are trying to use biocomposite plastic. They also increased the focus on the recycling of non-renewable resources. But, there are merits and demerits attached to every effort towards sustainability. Let’s look at the initiatives taken by the industry and the challenges they are facing.

Green Cables

Modern manufacturing techniques enabled the production of “Green Cables” and wires. So how can we transform regular electric cables into green cables? There are two ways to do it. One is to focus on its material, and the other one is its manufacturing process. The demand for green manufacturing materials is increased due to the increase in the number of green buildings. Thus, the green cable is the rising trend in the electronic manufacturing industry.

Eco-friendly Material

The materials which are used for manufacturing are usually climate-friendly materials. They are biodegradable and modern materials such as halogen-free jacketing. They are not made up of the ingredients labeled as hazardous towards the authorities’ environment. The European Commission for the Environment and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is generally referred to as identifying its sustainability.

Are they helpful?

These materials also help in getting the U.S. listing of LHSF. As they create minimum smoke being halogen-free. However, it affects the life span and quality of the cables. This ultimately increases the need for more replacement and reinstallation in comparison to the traditional PVC cable. So is ita completely sustainable option? Well, not really!

Manufacturing Process

Another way in which you can identify a green cable is through its manufacturing process. It is energy efficient and environmental friendly. Such manufacturing prioritizes the least carbon emission, maximum recycling, and harmless disposal of waste materials.

Is it Green?

Although the process seems sustainable, it doesn’t have much control over the materials being used. Secondly, the manufacturing process cannot control carbon emission completely. It requires a lot of planning, proper implementation, and investments. If anything amongst these factors is misplaced, the process automatically becomes less effective.

Something Is Better Than Nothing

The above information states that we cannot call a cable completely environment friendly. Yet, it makes a lot of difference. These efforts make a cable more or less sustainable or green, as we may call them.

Another Key to Be Environment Friendly: Insulation Material

The insulation material is one more factor that helps in producing more sustainable electric wires. Insulation materials separate the electrical conductors from the conductive materials. It is vital to protect the sparks and short circuits. The most common type of insulation is PVC. It is low cost and durable. But it presents a lot of environmental and health hazards because it emits toxic gas and acid in large quantities.

Many companies are now involved in producing eco-friendly insulation and jacketing material. Some of them are entirely recyclable. Phthalate-free plasticizers and bio-based plasticizers are known to omit 40% less greenhouse gas.

Every Act Counts!

The electronic industry can altogether avoid environmental hazards. Therefore, it must be appreciated that they are at least trying to contribute to sustainability. Every little effort matters! Every alteration that can do some damage control is precious. It’s high time for all the industrial sectors to work towards climate change seriously.

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Jeson Pitt works with the marketing department of D&F Liquidators and regularly writes to share his knowledge while enlightening people about electrical products and solving their electrical dilemmas. He’s got the industry insights that you can count on along with years of experience in the field. 

tt club

TT CLUB SUPPORTS CONTAINER LINE MOVES TO PUNISH “MIS-DECLARERS”

The international transport and logistics industry’s leading provider of insurance and related risk management services is applauding a number of container lines for recently announcing measures to discourage shippers from mis-declaring hazardous cargoes, which is a practice strongly suspected as being either the cause of, or at least contributory to, a spate of recent container ship fires.

TT Club says it welcomes such initiatives by liner operators as the international transport insurer has growing concerns about the lax cargo packing practices and erroneous, sometimes fraudulent, declaration of cargoes. Under the banners “Cargo Integrity” and #Fit4Freight, TT Club has been collaborating with stakeholders through the freight supply chain to highlight ongoing risks, including severe ship fires, arising from poorly packed and declared cargo.

“Clearly, the shipper has primary responsibility to declare fully and honestly so that carriers are able to take appropriate actions to achieve safe transport,” explains Peregrine Storrs-Fox, TT Club’s Risk Management director. “Since this is not always the case, carriers have to put in place increasingly sophisticated and costly control mechanisms to ‘know their customers,’ screen booking information and physically inspect shipments. Equally, carriers have the opportunity to review any barriers to accurate shipment declaration, including minimizing any unnecessary restrictions and surcharges.”

Penalizing shippers where deficiencies are found should be applauded, contends Storrs-Fox, who adds that “government enforcement agencies are encouraged to take appropriate action under national or international regulations to deter poor practices further.”

 TT Club’s Cargo Integrity campaign seeks not only to promote awareness of good practice but also to reveal the plethora of influences from both direct and indirect stakeholders within the supply chain that result in behaviors leading to dangerous incidents on land or at sea.

 “A key element of the campaign is to identify levers–both sticks and carrots–that are available to improve a safety culture in container transport,” Storrs-Fox says, “including considering unintended consequences inherent in trading arrangements or fiscal/security interventions and the possibilities presented by technological innovation.”

Shipment Identification Simplified with Amber Road’s Cargo Screening Solution

Global logistics providers seeking a unique solution to overcome challenges related to trade regulations – such as Know Your Customer, and trying to avoid fines and penalties should look no further than Amber Road’s recently launched Carrier Cargo Screening Solution.

The new cargo screening solution – which is equipped with advanced computational linguistics algorithms and translated technical phraseology, was built to assist carriers in quickly navigating through high-volume, multiple provider shipment challenges and accurately identify prohibited, hazardous, or dual-use goods.

“Global trade requires that companies keep up with ever-changing regulations and standards of reasonable care to maintain their trade privileges,” Nathan Pieri, Chief Product Officer at Amber Road said. “However, the market has been devoid of tools to meet these more stringent examinations. With our new Carrier Cargo Screening Solution, we have developed new content libraries and advanced algorithms to offer a robust supply chain risk platform ideally suited for global logistics providers.”

Amber Road’s Carrier Cargo Screening Solution offers advanced risk scoring capabilities that provide carriers alerts to potential issues within shipments. The solution’s unique use of technology further simplifies processes when problems arise, as it is equipped to resolve issues within the platform.

“We are very excited about the impact our new solution will have in the carrier industry,” said Jim Preuninger, CEO, Amber Road.  “We have solved a critical problem by combining our advanced technologies with our vast experience in linking software with content.  We expect our new offering to generate significant interest and meaningful new subscriptions starting this year.” 

Industrial Pack 2019

Calling all industrial, transit and protective packaging  professionals for North America’s only trade event solely dedicated to networking and showcasing packaging solutions: Industrial Pack 2019.

This year’s two-day event will kick-off at 10 a.m. March 27 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. The best part? The event is free!

This year’s speaker lineup consists of the industry’s top leaders such as Kyle Stavig, Janice Loppe, Chris Lind, Paul Griffin, and Aaron Montgomery – to name a few. The extensive speaker lineup will leave spectators and participants with more knowledge on topics such as compliance,  new customer acquisitions, hazardous material handling, industry trends, and more.

Participants from last year’s event boast an experience unlike a traditional trade show:

“Best new packaging show in the South! Nothing but growth to come… thank you Easyfairs for an awesome job!” -Shannon Chaney with Schaefar Systems

“Considering this was a launch event, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of quality leads we received, and we are already looking forward to exhibiting at the 2019 show!” -Jim Baibak with Sumter Packaging

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to network with some of the industry’s leading professionals.

To register your spot, click here.

Source: Easyfairs