The e-Journal on Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
The second half of the year is said to right the wrongs of the first, when fuel cell stocks did not have a chance to shine in the spotlight. Recent oil price hikes, typically a surefire recipe for larger investments in renewable energy, have had no discernable impact either. The interest shown by institutional investors in Tesla is much higher than that in the companies described below, most likely because their market caps are nowhere near USD 50 billion.
Even Ballard’s chief executive, Randall MacEwen, has been heard using the word “megatrend” to describe the future of the fuel cell market. The industry is benefitting from the technological readiness of multiple fuel cell products and bringing them to market will only be a matter of time. The driver of growth at Ballard is a broad portfolio of prototypes and partnerships.
FuelCell Energy (Nasdaq: FCEL) disclosed in June that South Korean Posco Energy would end its agreement with the company to provide certain market access rights in Asia. By contrast, other Korean suppliers have begun to invest in fuel cells on a large scale. Posco’s decision could have been made for strategic reasons, maybe to limit its product range. The fuel cell division seems to be the logical choice
From USD 6 to USD 12 and right back where it all started, you might say. Low revenues in quarters one and two prompted the price to dwindle. But Hydrogenics continues to offer a great outlook given all the bookings made throughout the year. Likewise, it is working on a variety of projects, particularly in China. Recently, it started up one of the world’s biggest power-to-gas systems in Ontario, Canada.
There came the bombshell: On Aug. 7, Tesla chief Elon Musk tweeted he was considering taking the company off the stock market, a process known as delisting. And he put a price on it – USD 420 per share, which would mean a market value of more than USD 80 billion, including debt. He said funding had been secured. Had it really been? It was said that the suggestion to privatize came from Saudi Arabia
As a media partner of the emove360° Europe, the trade magazine HZwei once again offers free trade visitor tickets this year. All readers of the magazine for hydrogen, fuel cells and electromobility as well as subscribers of the newsletter can register in advance with a special code in order to receive free access to the exhibition grounds. The emove360° Europe will take place from 16 to 18 October 2018 in Munich.
Enthusiasm was on display at the International Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Conference and Exhibition, which was held July 26 through 28 in Beijing. It showed the incredible speed at which China as well as Japan have grown in importance in the global hydrogen and fuel cell market. The People’s Republic knows how to benefit from the potential offered by both technologies.
Compared to other countries in Europe, France has launched a sizeable number of projects on hydrogen and fuel cells. Reportedly, the latest plan of the government is to move far beyond current figures: In early June, former environment minister Nicolas Hulot, a member of EELV, France’s Green Party, said that France would provide EUR 100 million to support the technologies over the coming years. He also presented a road map in the hopes that hydrogen can be integrated
Here’s an intriguing idea: Don’t burn off most waste gases produced by steelmaking but turn them into basic chemicals and capture the carbon dioxide they contain instead of discharging it into the air. It is an idea with only one caveat, in that it will most likely take another 15 years before industrial-scale systems are available. Still, thyssenkrupp has taken the first step by starting its Carbon2Chem® project in Duisburg in mid-September.
Eco-gas such as hydrogen or methane produced from renewable electricity is widely regarded as central to effective climate change policy. But if the latest predictions are any indication, Germany will need to import most of it. This doesn’t bode well for a shift in attitude, as much of the natural gas consumed in the country is shipped in from abroad as well. It is doubtful that continuing the practice with eco-friendlier imports