September 2025

Battery technology is advancing but faces limitations regarding capacity and cost. An alternative solution can be found in electrolyzers, where excess energy is used to create green H₂, which can be stored, transported and eventually used by the process industries.

Relevant data were collected on the five options for H₂ production and the various specifications for the feedstocks and market. Additionally, a thorough study was conducted on the principal components for federal regulations vis-à-vis the incentives associated with the carbon footprint for H₂ production.

Developers are now exploring the integration of electrolyzers with offshore wind farms to produce green H₂ at sea. This approach combines abundant offshore renewable energy with H₂’s versatility, accelerating the energy transition.

H₂ (particularly low-carbon H₂) can be used as a fuel or feedstock in industries like heavy transport and steel production, while CCUS can capture CO₂ emissions from these industries and potentially repurpose them for other applications.

The author’s company’s data show that while there are 41 proposed green H₂ projects on the continent, construction has not begun for any of them. The company expects work to begin in at least one of the North African projects in 2025–2026.

Over the past several years, clean H₂ and its derivatives have emerged as a major focus for industry and government, particularly regarding efforts to improve project bankability and build out supporting supply chains.

Alkaline water electrolysis relies on activated electrodes—typically nickel-based electrodes activated with catalysts—to perform water splitting and gas formation. The selection of the electrode package can have a big impact on the performance of the electrolyzer system.

September’s H₂Tech Tech Spotlight consists of a steam gasification process that can produce H₂-rich synthetic gas, new components for H₂ refueling stations, solutions to replace natural gas in thermal processes with clean H₂ and much more.