alternative fuel

By Howard Mead, Vice-President and General Manager, Luxfer Gas Cylinders CompositeWhether by land, air, or sea, there is no doubt that alternative fuels have an important role to play in transforming and decarbonising the transportation sector. In fact, if urgent measures aren’t taken to move away from fossil fuels, CO2 from the shipping sector, which currently accounts for 3% global greenhouse gas emissions, could increase to 50% by 2050. Considering this, the need for reliable and renewable clean energy has never been greater. Hydrogen is a key contender in driving transformation. And, unsurprisingly, there have been increasing enquiries in recent years from marine industry stakeholders keen to explore the fuel’s potential applications.In pursuit of net zeroFor the maritime sector to reach net zero by 2050, global collaboration and cooperation is required. To this end, commercial operators around the globe are aiming to use zero-emissions vessels as early as 2030.It truly is a case of ‘all hands on deck’. All stakeholders, from ship operators to hydrogen fuel infrastructure developers and fuel cell system integrators, which include hydrogen storage cylinders, working together in pursuit of this goal.In fact, several hydrogen hubs are being established at major ports around the globe. Striving to be climate neutral by 2050, and with the goal of becoming Europe’s leading import hub for green hydrogen, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges is investing heavily in infrastructure, such as onshore hydrogen storage bunkers.Similar efforts are taking place at other ports around the globe. In North America, the Texan Port of Corpus Christi is considering a new pipeline and a green fuels hub as part of its green hydrogen production development plans. Meanwhile, Japan’s Port of Kobe features the country’s first hydrogen import terminal with plans to further develop its hydrogen storage, import and supply infrastructure.Of course, the benefits of hydrogen fuel aren’t limited to use on vessels; powering other port activities, such as removing cargo, with hydrogen has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Drayage truck applications utilising fuel cells have already been introduced at the Port of Los Angeles and a hydrogen fuel cell-powered reach stacker is being tested at MSC Terminal Valencia.At Luxfer Gas Cylinders we support transport operators who want to harness alternative fuel as part of their sustainability strategies. Considering not only the innovative projects being developed, but those already implemented, the 2050 goal certainly seems achievable.The clean fuel challengeAlthough hydrogen is just one of several solutions to consider on the road to net zero, it has a crucial contribution to make to the shipping industry. Leading the charge in unlocking hydrogen’s potential across the maritime sector, among others, is the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) Hydrogen Shot. It is an initiative with a clear goal – to bring down the cost of clean hydrogen by 80%, to $1 per 1kg in one decade (“1 1 1”).Additionally, in its National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, the DoE has set ambitious production targets. It is hoping to produce 10 million tonnes of clean hydrogen per year by 2030, 20 million tonnes per year by 2040, and 50 million tonnes per year by 2050.However, given that more than 95% of the 10 million tonnes currently produced by the US annually is grey, the move towards producing clean fuel is not without its challenges.To boost the production of clean hydrogen and stimulate new markets, several initiatives have been launched and policies and investments announced as part of both the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.In addition to the introduction of tax credits intended to lower the cost of clean hydrogen production by paying producers depending on the levels of emissions and staff wages, a $9.5bn investment in clean hydrogen development has been announced. This will enable the creation of regional clean hydrogen hubs and the advancement of the Hydrogen Electrolysis Program.However, despite these efforts to overcome some of the financial barriers to clean hydrogen take-up, a lack of infrastructure remains. For example, the US has just 1,600 miles of hydrogen pipeline compared to around three million miles of CNG pipeline. This makes it challenging to transport green hydrogen, at scale, from where it is produced to where it is needed.Innovative hydrogen storage solutionsInfrastructure is not the only obstacle to the roll-out of hydrogen fuel solutions across the global shipping sector; storage also poses a significant challenge. Both the amount of hydrogen needed by seafaring vessels and a fuel system big enough to power such ships, take up valuable space.Luxfer continues to lead the way with solutions to support the transition to clean fuel. Having supplied alternative fuel cylinders worldwide since 2007, we have established a reputation for innovation and expertise in this market. In fact, our cylinders have helped several customers bring prototypes and early proof of concept hydrogen systems that can power a range of both marine and on-road vehicles, to life.One example is Energy Observer, a floating laboratory launched in 2017. It is the world’s first vessel to both generate and be powered by hydrogen. Using a system supplied by Luxfer, the vessel creates hydrogen fuel by sucking up sea water and removing the salt and minerals before passing it through an electrolyser, which breaks it down into hydrogen and oxygen. Oxygen is released and hydrogen is compressed and kept in two storage facilities. It can store 62kg of hydrogen, the equivalent of two megawatts of energy and the annual consumption of an average household – on either side of the ship. Energy Observer is currently in the seventh year of its zero emissions journey around the world to explore practical solutions and develop new technologies to accelerate the energy transition.G-Stor H2 hydrogen cylindersOf particular importance to the shipping sector are Luxfer’s complete ‘plug and play’ systems featuring our G-Stor™ H2 hydrogen cylinders. The newest addition to the range is the G-Stor™ Go H2 hydrogen cylinder with Type 4 technology. Its key features include:- Maximisation of gas capacity, from 14.5 to 19.1kg- Lightweight carbon composite for improved fuel economy- Varying dimensions to suit a range of applications- Polymer lining to ensure gas-tight storage- Ability to withstand storage pressures up 350 bar (5,000 PSI)- Minimal permeation due to proven boss-to-liner interfaceThe G-Stor™ Go H2 is a certified, cost-effective hydrogen storage solution ideal for fuel cell transit boats and small marine vessels, as well as other vehicles such as trucks, vans and trains.There is no doubt that alternative fuels have a significant role to play in transforming and decarbonising the transportation sector on land, air, and sea. Zero emissions won’t happen overnight, but with innovative solutions supporting the sector in reducing emissions and adopting alternative fuels, it’s not hard to see how greener marine solutions are on the horizon.

References1) https://climatechampions.unfccc.int/green-hydrogen-and-green-shipping/

Luxfer Gas Cylinders collaborate with Ricardo on zero-emissions double decker, trialled in Brighton following Teesside tests An ambition to deploy 150 zero-emissions hydrogen powered buses on UK routes by 2024 could be a step closer, thanks to a partnership between Luxfer Gas Cylinders and global engineering consultants Ricardo.Joining forces for the first time, world-leading gas cylinder manufacturer Luxfer supplied its alternative fuel expertise to Ricardo, supplying a fit-for-purpose hydrogen storage solution for a Stagecoach North East prototype double decker bus.The hydrogen powered bus, which was converted from a diesel engine to run on fuel cell technology, underwent trials in Teesside for six weeks, before being put through its paces on hilly routes around Brighton and Hove.The project, part funded by the Department for Transport, through its Hydrogen Transport Hub Demonstration competition, aims to demonstrate the benefits of hydrogen as a sustainable passenger transport option by extending the life of existing diesel buses.Nick Herbert, Sales and Marketing Director at Luxfer Gas Cylinders, explains: “Supporting the UK transport sector’s shift from diesel and petrol to more sustainable fuels means we need to offer options that are not only clean and green, but commercially viable too. Many operators who have invested in diesel vehicles are now left with stock that has a much shortened lifespan. Retrofitting buses to run on hydrogen makes sense, and at Luxfer we have the capability to work with partners to bring bespoke projects to fruition.“Companies, like Ricardo, are making strides in adopting hydrogen technology, and we’re proud of our role in providing the right environment for others to do the same.”Ricardo is showcasing the hydrogen fuel cell re-powered vehicle to operators, seeking to offer it at around half the price of a new bus. The aim is to secure 50% match funding investment plus customer commitment for an initial production of 150 buses that could enter service from late 2024.Andrew Ennever, Head of Electrification, at Ricardo, said: “This project has real potential to support bus operators in their environmental strategies. With an excellent track record in the sector, we chose to partner with Luxfer because their hydrogen cylinders best aligned with the design we had in mind, and the team had experience of supplying this product to other bus manufacturers for conversion projects.“Timescales were also important. We needed a tight turnaround and Luxfer were able to get what we needed quickly, providing support to design and manufacture the cylinder frames for a complete H2 delivery system.”The vehicle features Luxfer’s proprietary G-Stor™ H2 cylinders, as part of a five-cylinder system within a bespoke modular frame, holding 24.5kg of hydrogen.The prototype has a fuel consumption of 17km/kg (5.88kg/100km) of hydrogen and produces zero emissions when using green hydrogen. This consumption is comparable with current production FC buses, with further improvements possible in the production phase. Ricardo estimates 45,000kg of carbon dioxide emissions can be avoided by extending the life of existing buses rather than building from new.Nick concluded: “This is an exciting project and we hope it is successful in convincing operators of the value in conversions, because retrofitting fleets will support the hydrogen infrastructure to scale up incrementally, which is critical.“While the hydrogen economy is now gathering pace, this is not a new area for Luxfer – we’ve been pioneering gas storage solutions for 80 years and we can bring this legacy to bear on hydrogen systems for a whole range of applications.”Luxfer’s alternative fuel expertise has been commissioned for a raft of world-first hydrogen transport projects. These include the UK’s first retro-fitted hydrogen trains, HydroFLEX 1&2, the world’s first commercial hydrogen truck fleet with Hyundai, the world’s first hydrogen tractor, 70 hydrogen double-decker buses operating across the UK, including Aberdeen and London, and Energy Observer – the world’s first self-powered sailing boat.