Contact

Certifiably Complicated

By

February 11, 2019

Image titel:

Sources:

Certifiably Complicated

Product approval will only be worth it if fuel cell cars are produced in greater numbers.

One thing that became apparent at the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 was that the issue of hydrogen tank approval had yet to be resolved. Though it had already been said years ago that tanks “must only get approved,” the process is taking much longer than expected. At present, there are few 700-bar type IV units for sale in Germany.

The key reason for the lack of products seems to be that European automakers have not made a firm commitment to purchase tanks in large quantities for their vehicles. So far, OEMs have been ordering only few units for testing or integration into prototypes. At the same time, they have been demanding a lot from the manufacturers of those tanks, for example, by restricting the space in which units could be installed.

Advertisements

Tank manufacturers in Europe are deeply frustrated about the entire situation. Circumstances will not permit them to ramp up production capacity and make their business economically viable, so they are waiting to get products approved until companies start asking for more.

The outlook is a bit of a different for those manufacturing tanks for a pressure of 350 bars or 500 bars. Type IV units in that pressure range are available for sale. The needed tank volume is a bit higher than that for 700-bar ones, as the lower pressure level reduces energy density. However, 350-bar tanks, for example, are mainly used in commercial and railroad vehicles, which offer more space to install a unit. And 500-bar tanks are typically found in stationary systems, which is why they are produced in higher numbers, so that unit prices have fallen as well. Sometimes, more than a hundred of them make up a single system, which is sold as a containerized solution. For instance, in Meckenheim, Cologne’s mass transit company is planning to install a fueling station that includes a stationary container housing 162 individual 500-bar pressure cylinders with a total weight of 1 metric ton.

Advertisements

In Asia, the above-mentioned issues have already been dealt with. Toyota has built tank factories and uses 700-bar units in its Sora buses. Hyundai has partnered with a manufacturer that can rely on Nexo car sales to drive demand. By contrast, reports say Daimler will need barely more than 1,000 units for the time being and after a few fuel cell vehicles leave the factory, production will again be put on hold.

As for the tank manufacturers, they said that those many delays in bringing fuel cell cars to market in Germany had nothing to do with their products. The bottleneck was not the tank: Approval could be obtained in around 12 months.

Duisburg’s ZBT research institute, however, has determined that there is still some more work to do when it comes to hydrogen tank regulations. In partnership with the National Organization Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology, or NOW for short, and Germany’s Materials Research and Testing Institute, BAM, it will hold a workshop in Berlin for tank manufacturers from all corners of the country to figure out whether there really is a need for all those efforts to remove a pressure vessel from a system and test it for leaks by filling the tank with water.

Not without reason did the German transportation ministry launch a project called Delfin right before year’s end. Its aim is to develop a pressure vessel at a reduced cost and weight. The ministry said that it would provide around EUR 7.5 million to “clear away one of the main barriers to market growth.” It is worth noting that the list of project partners includes not only automaker BMW, Daimler subsidiary NuCellSys and supplier Nproxx but also Ford. It has been a long time since the corporation announced anything fuel cell-related.

It seems there are still some points to clear up.

Kategorien: Germany
:Schlagworte

Here are interesting and current articles on the topic of hydrogen – stocks and the stock market!

Economic prospects for companies in the hydrogen sector | Future, stocks & hydrogen companies on the stock exchange and more…

Which hydrogen companies will prevail in the competitive market in the long term? Get tips and cartwheels and learn more about risks or opportunities. Our stock market specialist and expert author Sven Jösting reports critically, independently and competently.

Mar 18 2024

Search for the ideal hydrogen storage

Interview with Thomas Korn, CEO of water stuff & sun Startup company water stuff & sun has...
Mar 15 2024

Is exponential growth slowing down?

Fuel Cell Industry Review 2022 Year 2022 saw fuel cell shipments creep up over 2021 numbers,...
Mar 11 2024

On the way to becoming a green hydrogen partner

Oman aims to score points with H2 infrastructure Wind, sun and loads of expertise – these...
Mar 07 2024

We can master a scale-up for green hydrogen

Interview with Dr. Kai Fischer, Director at RWTH Aachen The efficient scaling of green hydrogen...
Mar 07 2024

Frustration over continuing uncertainties

Interview with Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe There is a lot that needs sorting out...
Mar 05 2024

“If ever there was momentum for hydrogen, it is now”

Interview with Dr. Jochen Köckler, chairman of Deutsche Messe “We’re bringing people together.”...
Feb 28 2024

H2Direkt: Blueprint for heating with pure H2

The energy providers Thüga und Energie Südbayern (ESB) as well as Energienetze Bayern have...
Feb 26 2024

Just switch over?

Hydrogen in the existing natural gas network Whether hydrogen contributes to the clean heating...
Feb 26 2024

Pilot plant for coating bipolar plates

At Fraunhofer FEP (Fraunhofer-Institut für Organische Elektronik, Elektronenstrahl- und...
Feb 20 2024

55 MW electrolyzer to decarbonize Saarland

Hydrogen Regions series: HydroHub Fenne living lab The power plant site in Fenne, Völklingen, a...
Feb 20 2024

Chicken feathers as FC membrane material

Feathers from chickens or other poultry could in the future help make fuel cells more effective...
Feb 15 2024

SMEs demand more security

Guest article by André Steinau, CEO of GP Joule Hydrogen After all, the Ampel Coalition leading...
Feb 15 2024

Accelerated expansion of renewable energies

RED III is here – Elsewhere, the wait continues Progress is being made at EU level – albeit...
Feb 12 2024

Picea 2 relies on lithium instead of lead

HPS presents new product generation The company HPS Home Power Solutions has unveiled a new...
Feb 12 2024

H2 production by photocatalysis

The direct generation of hydrogen from sunlight has long been considered the most elegant solution...
Feb 05 2024

Regional instead of international

Hy-Fcell has it difficult asserting itself The aspiration of Landesmesse Stuttgart with Hy-Fcell...
Feb 01 2024

Hydrogeit Verlag turns 20 years old

Hydrogeit Verlag is proudly celebrating its 20th anniversary as a renowned specialist publisher in...
Jan 26 2024

Stracke other H2Now managing director

BMV Energy GmbH is entering the market as another player in hydrogen refueling stations. The...
Jan 26 2024

Starting points for a comprehensive hydrogen ramp-up

Industry congress GAT 2023 in Cologne To establish a functioning hydrogen economy, the entire...
Jan 26 2024

The industry highpoint in autumn

Hydrogen Technology Expo total success In autumn 2023 as well, the Hydrogen Technology Expo was...

0 Comments

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Hydrogen to Create Buzz at Hannover Messe › H2-international - […] Additionally, in mid-February, Nproxx announced that its 500-bar type IV hydrogen tank had been approved for use. The company’s…

Leave a Reply