Hydrogen
Overview
Hydrogen is an increasingly important piece in the decarbonisation puzzle. Industrial players are seeking ways to take carbon emissions out of their hydrogen production processes, while green hydrogen producers see the gas as a viable outright alternative to hydrocarbons.
Future production routes range from methane reformation with carbon capture to pyrolysis, waste gasification and electrolysis, powered by renewable energy or fossil fuels. Combinations of processes and energy being used to produce hydrogen presents existing users of industrial heat and key chemicals a challenging landscape to navigate.
The Argus Hydrogen and Future Fuels service has been designed to provide industrial power, chemicals and energy users with crucial information to help them make well informed decisions. It covers the upstream for projects, midstream for transportation and storage, and downstream for ammonia and methanol. It also covers the latest technological developments and policy news on hydrogen from across the globe.
Latest hydrogen news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global hydrogen industry.
New Zealand releases national fuel security plan
New Zealand releases national fuel security plan
Sydney, 15 July (Argus) — New Zealand's centre-right coalition government has released a draft plan to make its fuel supply chains resilient and invited feedback from the local stakeholders and industry on the proposals. New Zealand wants to guard against supply disruptions, improve domestic infrastructure, develop low-carbon fuel alternatives locally and transition to new energy technologies in the next decade. Public submissions on the plan open 15 July and run until 25 August. Special economic zones have been mooted to provide tailored regulatory areas for developers of biofuels and other alternatives such as hydrogen to ease investment hurdles. The draft comes after New Zealand pledged to increase legally required fuel reserves and mandate that more jet fuel is kept at Auckland airport — the nation's busiest. Earlier this year, a government study found that reopening the shuttered 135,000 b/d Marsden Point refinery to ensure fuel supply could cost the country billions of dollars and take years to complete. Instead, it was recommended that the government find alternative solutions to securing supply like increasing in-country reserves and developing biofuels. The Marsden Point refinery supplied about 70pc of New Zealand's fuel requirements before it was transformed into an oil products import terminal in 2022. As New Zealand's transport sector starts adopting electric vehicles, gasoline consumption will diminish. Diesel demand will taper off by 2035 while the jet fuel market is expected to grow for the foreseeable future due to a lack of alternatives currently, the draft said. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could eventually form part of New Zealand's energy mix. New Zealand's gasoline imports totalled 53,000 b/d in January-March , diesel imports were 71,000 b/d and jet fuel 33,000 b/d, according to the country's business, innovation and employment ministry. By Tom Major Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan’s Itochu to test NH3 bunkering in Singapore
Japan’s Itochu to test NH3 bunkering in Singapore
Tokyo, 15 July (Argus) — Japanese trading house Itochu plans to begin demonstrating ammonia bunkering in Singapore after October 2027, to enhance the competitiveness of Japan's shipbuilding industry and secure demand for ammonia as a marine fuel. Itochu signed agreements at the end of June with domestic shipbuilder Sasaki Shipbuilding to build a 5,000m³ ammonia bunkering ship and Japanese tank manufacturer Izumi Steel Works to build an ammonia tank for the vessel, the company said on 14 July. Itochu also signed a financing agreement at the end of June with domestic private bank Hiroshima Bank to partially finance the construction of the bunkering ship. But the trading house declined to disclose the funding amount. Itochu also received funding of up to ¥500mn ($3.4mn) from the Japanese trade and industry ministry Meti's scheme for promoting partnerships between Japanese companies and the global south. Itochu expects to receive the bunkering vessel by September 2027. Itochu's wholly owned subsidiary Clean Ammonia Bunkering Shipping will start trial bunkering at the port of Singapore, one of the largest demand centres for ship bunkering, after October 2027. The company expects to begin commercial ammonia bunkering in Singapore by 2028. Itochu aims to achieve safe ammonia bunkering operations through this demonstration and generate demand for ammonia as a marine fuel. Itochu will first commercialise ammonia bunkering in Singapore and then expand the business to Spain, the Suez Canal in Egypt and Japan. The trading house also aims to enhance the competitiveness of Japan's ammonia-bunkering shipbuilding and ammonia tank construction ahead of further demand growth for these technologies. Itochu initially aimed to begin trial ammonia bunkering in Singapore in 2026. But the company postponed its plan because it expects significant demand growth for ammonia as a marine fuel after 2028. Japan's marine industry has developed ammonia bunkering ships in line with the gradual development of ammonia-fuelled vessels. A domestic consortium received an approval in principle for its ammonia-fuelled ammonia bunkering ship from Japanese classification society Class NK in February. The industry is considering ammonia-fuelled ships to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, secure ammonia demand and help upstream projects attain offtake contracts. By Nanami Oki Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Japan’s Sumitomo to invest $10bn in UK clean energy
Japan’s Sumitomo to invest $10bn in UK clean energy
Tokyo, 10 July (Argus) — Japanese trading firm Sumitomo has agreed to invest a total of £7.5bn ($10.2bn) by 2035 in key clean energy projects in the UK. The agreement was made with the UK's Department for Business and Trade's Office for Investment on 9 July. The £7.5bn total includes investments Sumitomo made before this deal. The investments will be focused on key offshore wind and hydrogen projects. Sumitomo is also actively exploring the commercialisation of next-generation technologies such as fusion energy and energy management with storage solutions, the firm said. Sumitomo did not disclose more details on what projects it will invest in, when requested for comment. Sumitomo is currently involved in a low-carbon hydrogen production project at the Bacton gas terminal in north Norfolk, CO2 storage in the North Sea and the Peak Cluster CO2 shipping project. The trading house has also invested in offshore wind power businesses. Sumitomo chose to partner with the UK because of the government's support for clean energy businesses, said the firm, and it intends to enhance its collaboration with the UK to develop its clean energy portfolio. By Nanami Oki Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Germany revives law to accelerate H2 permitting
Germany revives law to accelerate H2 permitting
Hamburg, 9 July (Argus) — The German government has put forward a draft 'hydrogen acceleration law', with some changes from a version that its predecessor failed to pass before it collapsed late in 2024. The law is intended to accelerate development of a hydrogen economy by setting shorter deadlines for permitting procedures and requiring more extensive digitalisation of processes. The text designates electrolysis plants, storage sites, import facilities and associated cracking or dehydrogenation plans, pipelines and dedicated electricity transmission lines for hydrogen production as being of "overriding public interest". It adds to this list facilities for production of synthetic fuels that comply with the EU's definition of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO). Infrastructure considered as being of overriding public interest takes priority in case of conflicts with certain other rules, for instance those related to environmental disputes or building law. The special status will be in place for all infrastructure covered by the new hydrogen acceleration law until 2045. The previous government had foreseen the overriding public interest would be in place for electrolysis plants and storages until 2045, but limited to 2035 for other infrastructure . The new draft no longer includes provisions requiring electrolysis plants to demonstrate they are using renewable power until the end of 2029. The previous government's version would have required such facilities to be either directly connected to renewable assets until 2029 or, if connected to the power grid to commit to procuring at least 80pc of electricity through power purchase agreements for renewable power. The new government has added hydrogen and helium as 'free mineral resources' under the federal mining act. This should facilitate exploration activities for natural hydrogen, sometimes also referred to geological or sub-surface hydrogen, the government said. Industry participants can respond to the draft until 28 July. Initial reactions were positive. Getting the draft ready before the summer break shows the government recognises the relevance of spurring on the hydrogen sector, energy and water association BDEW said. The group praised a "pragmatic approach" to the law but reiterated recent warnings around planned funding cuts for hydrogen . European industry body Hydrogen Europe's chief executive Jorgo Chatzimarkakis said the law will be an "enabling act" for the hydrogen economy. The regulation "finally matches the urgency of industrial transformation," Chatzimarkakis said, urging the EU to follow suit with similar rules. By Stefan Krumpelmann Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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