Page 163 - CW E-Magazine (7-1-2025)

News from Abroad

declines in the price of green hydro- Those industries along with steel
gen, which is made by splitting it from mills and power plants have been
water with machines called electrolysers tagged as possible end users of the gas.
running on renewable power. But in But doing so would require expensive
its recent forecast, the firm more than new equipment, which has stunted de-
tripled its 2050 cost estimate, citing mand.
higher future costs for the electrolysers
themselves. BNEF now forecasts green Only two markets – China and
hydrogen to fall from a current range of India – are likely to see green hydrogen
$3.74-11.70 per kg to $1.60-5.09 per kg become cost-competitive, according
in 2050. to BNEF. There, the cleaner fuel will
“The higher costs for producing reach a comparable price to grey
For comparison, the most common green hydrogen without any subsidies hydrogen by 2040.
form of hydrogen used today – stripped or incentives means it will continue to
from natural gas, with the carbon emis- be challenging to decarbonise hard-to- The forecast puts US’ goal of driv-
sions vented into the atmosphere – costs abate sectors, such as chemicals and ing hydrogen costs down to $1 per kg
from $1.11-2.35 per kg, according to oil refining, with hydrogen produced by 2031 out of reach. Many analysts
BNEF. The research firm expects pric- via electrolysis powered by renewa- consider that price essential to convinc-
es for such “grey” hydrogen to remain bles,” said BNEF analyst, Ms. Payal ing potential customers to start using
largely the same through mid-century. Kaur. the fuel.

AGC and Canadian startup to research ethylene

production from CO
2
Japan’s AGC, a leading manufacturer
of glass, chemicals and other high-
tech materials, has agreed to a joint
research contract with Canada-based
climate tech startup, CERT Systems, to
conduct research on the production of
ethylene using CO as a raw material
2
through electrolysis technology.

In this joint research, AGC will
begin examining the introduction of
carbon capture and utilisation (CCU)
technology.

Three main reaction methods for
producing CO -derived ethylene are
2
being considered: hydrogen-based
reactions, electrolysis reactions, and ble energy-derived electricity and water, first” to produce ethylene from indus-
photosynthesis-based reactions. in addition to CO . trial emissions using CO electrolysis
2 2
and will conduct research towards the
In particular, the electrolysis method, In this joint research, CERT and practical application of CO electroly-
2
which is the subject of this study, is AGC will leverage the knowledge sis plants. AGC plans to work with its
attracting a great deal of attention gained from CERT’s successful pilot manufacturing bases to verify the pro-
worldwide due to the high convenience demonstration experiment in 2020, cess and assess the feasibility of this
of its raw materials, which are renewa- which is touted to be “the world’s technology.

Chemical Weekly January 7, 2025 163

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