China has taken a major step toward greening one of its heaviest industrial emitters, as Datang Group begins commercial operations at the country’s first coal-to-chemicals complex to integrate green hydrogen. The landmark site in Duolun, Inner Mongolia, marks a pivotal moment in China’s emerging coal-to-hydrogen shift. The facility has long been part of China’s coal conversion landscape, and the new green hydrogen system is now being folded directly into its existing production processes.

Chinese regulators have formally designated the project as a National Hydrogen Demonstration Project, underscoring its strategic importance. CCTV said the site “provides a replicable model for the green transformation of the coal-to-chemicals industry,” reflecting the government’s expectation that this large-scale trial can guide similar upgrades across the sector. The broader coal chemical industry remains central to China’s domestic supply of chemicals, oil, and gas, helping reduce import dependence. But its rapid expansion has also been identified as a major obstacle to achieving the country’s 2025 carbon intensity reduction targets, making this early coal-to-hydrogen shift a critical testing ground for emissions mitigation.

The project is operated by state-owned Datang Group. Station manager Cao Guoan told CCTV that the plant is forecast to produce 70.59 million cubic meters of hydrogen annually, although current output levels were not disclosed. The facility continues to rely on coal gasification to produce syngas, a mix of carbon monoxide and hydrogen used to make ammonia, methanol, and olefins, but the new element is the integration of green hydrogen to reduce the carbon footprint of these outputs.

A dedicated 150-megawatt wind and solar farm powers the hydrogen system and sends surplus electricity to the national grid. This renewable energy supply enables the facility to produce green hydrogen instead of fossil-based hydrogen, marking the operational core of the coal-to-hydrogen shift now underway. As the plant moves into full commercial service, industry observers will be watching closely to see whether it can establish a workable blueprint for the next phase of China’s chemical-sector decarbonization.

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Shell Energy Europe Limited has entered into two new renewable-power agreements to supply the REFHYNE 2 hydrogen-electrolyzer project at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland. The company confirmed that the deals will provide dedicated renewable electricity for the 100 MW facility once it starts operations in 2027, forming part of Shell’s wider plan to link renewable generation with hydrogen production.

The first of the renewable-power agreements is a five-year arrangement with Nordsee One GmbH, a joint venture of Northland Power Inc. and RWE AG. Under this contract, Shell will receive roughly one-third of the output from the 332 MW Nordsee One offshore wind farm. The second agreement is a 10-year contract with Solarkraftwerk Halenbeck-Rohlsdorf I/II GmbH, covering about 75% of the output from a 230 MW solar project that is currently under construction. Together, the arrangements will deliver renewable electricity from both wind and solar sources directly into the REFHYNE 2 electrolyzer.

REFHYNE 2 is designed to produce renewable hydrogen for use in decarbonizing fuels, chemicals, and industrial products across the region. The project follows Shell Hydrogen’s development of the original REFHYNE electrolyzer at the same site, and the new facility’s larger scale requires long-term, stable access to renewable power. Shell noted that the new renewable-power agreements provide the structure necessary to match generation with the plant’s operational needs.

Andy Beard, President of Hydrogen at Shell, said: “Through these renewable power agreements, we are bringing together our advanced trading capabilities and our Low Carbon Solutions expertise to decarbonise Shell’s operations and customer products with pioneering renewable hydrogen technology. “This is an exciting milestone in progressing the REFHYNE 2 project and showcases Shell’s strategy of delivering more value with less emissions”, he further added.

According to Shell, both agreements support its approach to combining energy-trading capabilities with renewable project contracting, allowing the company to connect power supply with hydrogen output across its industrial sites. The renewable electricity secured through these contracts will enable REFHYNE 2 to operate with a low-carbon power source as soon as it begins running in 2027, aligning with Shell’s stated plan to expand renewable hydrogen production within its European portfolio.

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Hyundai Motor Group will build a 1 GW green hydrogen facility and a new PEM electrolyzer factory in Korea’s southwest, putting the green hydrogen project at the center of its five-year, ₩125.2 trillion ($86 billion) domestic investment strategy. The electrolyzer site will also produce hydrogen fuel cell components for global export, a sign of how firmly Hyundai is leaning into green hydrogen for both mobility and industrial use.

Hyundai has confirmed that the 1 GW green hydrogen plant will rely on proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, making use of the region’s renewable energy resources and its established hydrogen distribution infrastructure. The company noted that “PEM electrolyzers will be deployed at the proposed green hydrogen plant,” citing proximity to “nearby hydrogen shipment centers and refueling stations” as strategic advantages. The facility forms a key part of Hyundai’s broader effort to support Korea’s position as a global mobility hub through large-scale clean-energy production and to move this green hydrogen project from concept to industrial scale.

In parallel, Hyundai will construct a dedicated manufacturing facility for PEM electrolyzers and hydrogen fuel cell components. This site will anchor a new global hydrogen export business. The company has not provided any cost or timeline details for either the green hydrogen installation or the electrolyzer production facility, nor has it clarified whether the investment applies to a newly planned site or work already underway at another PEM manufacturing project. Hyundai’s long-term hydrogen ambitions include “building a hydrogen ecosystem” and creating an “end-to-end hydrogen value chain,” covering production, supply, storage, and utilization.

The 1 GW plant also aligns with broader provincial initiatives. South Jeolla Province (Jeonnam) is seeking ₩2.7 trillion ($1.9 billion) in national funding for a 500 MW green hydrogen project, with plans to scale it to 1 GW. The region hosts some of Korea’s most promising offshore wind resources, with 580 MW recently awarded in a government auction and long-term potential of more than 78 GW in fixed offshore wind and 546 GW in floating capacity. That kind of renewable base could help drive Hyundai’s green hydrogen plans and South Korea’s broader floating-wind ambitions, especially if national hydrogen incentives stay in place.

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Air Liquide has started operating what it describes as the first industrial-scale ammonia cracking pilot unit, a facility built to convert ammonia to hydrogen at a throughput of 30 tons per day. The unit is located at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium. Air Liquide presents the plant as a significant step toward making large-scale ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion workable in practical industrial settings. The company links the pilot to long-standing challenges of transporting hydrogen and points to ammonia’s established position as a globally traded carrier.

Ammonia is produced from hydrogen and nitrogen and can be manufactured in regions with abundant renewable or low-carbon energy before being shipped through existing global infrastructure. Once delivered, it can be cracked back into hydrogen, creating a route that allows decarbonization efforts in the industrial and mobility sectors. Air Liquide says this configuration supports emerging low-carbon and renewable hydrogen supply chains, with the ammonia-to-hydrogen process acting as a connective element between producing regions and final users.

The company notes that the pilot incorporates new technology developments intended to broaden its portfolio for renewable and low-carbon hydrogen. The project involved proprietary work across several technical areas, including process safety, material testing, catalysis for ammonia cracking, ammonia combustion and efficient molecule separation. Air Liquide highlights the shift from laboratory research to an industrial-scale operation as an indication of its ability to advance first-of-its-kind solutions.

Armelle Levieux, member of Air Liquide’s Executive Committee with responsibility for Innovation and Technology and Hydrogen Energy activities, said: “The commissioning of our ammonia cracking pilot unit in Antwerp is a key milestone. This is a world’s first which paves the way for new low-carbon hydrogen supply chains. By proving the viability of industrial-scale ammonia cracking, Air Liquide demonstrates its capacity to innovate and provide concrete solutions for its customers, and contributing to the Energy Transition. I am immensely proud of the work and commitment of all our teams who made this achievement possible.”

Air Liquide says the pilot will be used to validate operating conditions and safety measures that would be needed for wider deployment. The company also notes that enabling ammonia to hydrogen conversions directly at a port terminal could support alternative logistics pathways by allowing ammonia shipments to be received and processed onshore. Supported by the Flemish Government through VLAIO, the project is presented as groundwork for future industrial and onshore cracking sites capable of producing hydrogen where it is required.

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The German government has made major regulatory reforms to expedite the permitting procedure for large-scale energy storage projects. New legislation aims to simplify planning regulations for facilities in non-urban areas. The German Parliament, the Bundestag, has adopted a legal modification that will define battery, heat, and hydrogen storage as privileged projects in non-urban regions, specifically under Paragraph 35 of the Federal Building Code. This crucial move aims to simplify zoning requirements and ultimately hasten the deployment of these vital facilities. While the legislation passed a critical legislative vote in the Bundestag, it still needs approval from the Bundesrat, the second legislative house of Parliament, before it can officially go into effect.

This reform is part of an “omnibus package” that simultaneously amends the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) and several related statutes. The governing parliamentary groups—CDU, CSU, and SPD—introduced the provision based on the argument that large battery systems often require access to substations and high-voltage nodes, which are rarely situated within built-up zones. The German Solar Association (BSW-Solar) confirmed that this new zoning category will remove a significant procedural bottleneck for utility-scale batteries. “This will significantly simplify planning approvals for battery and heat storage and provide greater legal certainty,” said Carsten Körnig, the association’s CEO. He added, “It removes an important barrier to the rapid scale-up of storage needed for an efficient and cost-effective energy transition.” A Bundestag statement on the vote explicitly recognized that battery systems of at least one megawatt-hour are “by their nature” typically situated outside urban areas. Granting privileged status under the BauGB is intended to offer developers a clearer, faster permitting pathway.

The German Energy Storage Systems Association (BVES) immediately welcomed the ruling, with CEO Urban Windelen stating that the legal clarification would finally provide a stable framework for siting “flexibility projects” in appropriate locations. Windelen further noted that the amendment reflects a broader shift in understanding: flexibility and resilience requirements in the modern power system can no longer be managed with rules designed for older infrastructure. “With this revision, lawmakers are taking a clear and pragmatic step in that direction, which we, as the storage sector, strongly welcome,” he said.

In a related change, the legislative package includes a separate amendment that ends a long-standing disadvantage for mixed-use storage systems—those that can charge from both the grid and renewable generators. Previously, only facilities that charged exclusively from the grid and fed all electricity back to the grid qualified for a network charge exemption. The updated rule will extend this exemption to multi-use systems, consequently improving the business case for batteries paired with PV plants or customer-side installations. Körnig commented that “Multi-use storage is particularly useful because it makes very efficient use of grid-connection capacity and reduces export and consumption peaks.” Additionally, Udo Hemmerling, Managing Director of the Federal Association of Non-Profit Land Companies (BLG), was reportedly positive about the decision, saying, with a positive surprise, “For wind, biogas and ground-mounted PV plants, it is now possible to add battery storage to the plant with less planning effort and improve revenues on the electricity market.” This move supports large-scale energy storage by reducing planning effort and improving project economics. The law will take effect once the Bundesrat grants its approval and the final text is published in the Federal Gazette (Bundesgesetzblatt).

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Engineering studies have begun on a planned facility in northwest England that would produce turquoise hydrogen as part of a wider offshore natural-gas and hydrogen storage development. The work marks an early phase in a turquoise hydrogen project that EnergyPathways intends to integrate into its broader coastal infrastructure. The company confirmed it has started design work with Hazer Group, which supplies methane-pyrolysis technology, and KBR, the project’s EPC partner. The plant is designed to generate hydrogen from natural gas while creating solid carbon rather than carbon dioxide.

According to EnergyPathways, the plant could be incorporated into the Marram Energy Storage Hub (MESH), a development that aims to store up to 50 billion cubic feet of natural gas and hydrogen about 18 km off the Lancashire shoreline. Under an agreement signed in July, Hazer’s technology could allow the site to produce as much as 20,000 tonnes of turquoise hydrogen per year using natural gas and unprocessed iron feedstocks intended for ammonia production. The partners are also assessing potential markets for as much as 60,000 tonnes of graphite produced through the process. This graphite can be directed toward several applications.

Hazer and KBR are managing the engineering design and concept-development studies, which are scheduled for completion in early 2026. The shift toward this turquoise hydrogen project marks a change from MESH’s initial vision, which had included blue and green hydrogen. As EnergyPathways explained, those earlier pathways were affected by rising production costs. CEO Ben Clube said, “With … blue and green hydrogen looking increasingly challenged by high production costs, EnergyPathways aims to develop a hydrogen production pathway and decarbonization solution that could be more affordable to Britain’s taxpayers and energy consumers.”

Methane pyrolysis is viewed as a lower-cost route to clean hydrogen due to the solid carbon it yields. Clube added, “With the UK 100% dependent on imports for its graphite needs, and China dominating global supply with over 80% of market share, the British government… [is] actively seeking to secure [its] own graphite supply chains.” Even so, the technology remains relatively early in deployment, with only a small number of operating plants.

Hazer began producing hydrogen through its process at a pilot facility in Perth, Australia, in February 2024. Commenting on the integration of its technology into the MESH plans, CEO Glenn Corrie said it represents a “genuine game-changer” for UK energy transition plans. As EnergyPathways advances this turquoise hydrogen project, the company positions the hub as a potential example of how hydrogen production and offshore storage can be paired within a single development. An earlier report from South Korea points to similar progress in turquoise hydrogen, underscoring how this production route is advancing in multiple regions.

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ExxonMobil and BASF have formalized a Joint Development Agreement to speed up work on methane pyrolysis for low-emission hydrogen. The two companies announced the move in November 2025 and said they plan to build a demonstration unit in Baytown, Texas.

As outlined in the project details, the Baytown site is expected to show whether it can produce up to 2,000 tons of low-emission hydrogen a year and around 6,000 tons of solid carbon. If successful, it would represent a key technical step forward for both companies. The plan reinforces their shared interest in advancing a hydrogen value chain pathway designed to deliver industrial-scale solutions anchored in low-emission hydrogen.

“This collaboration combines technological innovations and industrial expertise of ExxonMobil and BASF to accelerate the development of low-emission hydrogen,” stated Mike Zamora, president of ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company. He added that “Methane pyrolysis holds real potential, especially in regions where traditional carbon capture and storage solutions are less viable. ExxonMobil brings decades of deep technical knowledge in methane pyrolysis and a shared commitment to innovation.” BASF confirmed that the partnership aligns with its long-term strategic roadmap, following years of research on methane pyrolysis supported by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). “This novel methane pyrolysis technology generates competitive low-emission hydrogen and has a high potential for further reduction of the carbon footprint of our product portfolio. In line with our new Winning Ways Strategy, it will contribute to our ambition to be the preferred chemical company to enable our customers’ green transformation,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, member of the Board of Executive Directors and Chief Technology Officer at BASF.

The initiative fits with ExxonMobil’s broader goal of developing hydrogen solutions that can be scaled in different regions and energy systems. The partnership is being presented as a possible route toward longer-term industrial deployment, with the aim of reaching volumes that make commercial sense. Both companies said the partnership supports their push toward a larger role in the hydrogen sector while continuing to focus on methane pyrolysis as a core development area.

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Protium, which happens to be one of the leading green hydrogen energy companies in the UK, is in the advanced stages in terms of construction related to its second hydrogen production facility in South Wales.

Called the Pioneer 2, the new facility is a major step forward in the mission from Protium to deliver dependable as well as scalable green hydrogen energy throughout the UK, as per the company.

It is well to be noted that the new facility builds upon the success of the existing Pioneer 1 site of Protium, which also happens to be located in South Wales. Put together, both the projects go on to form the foundation of a network of green hydrogen energy assets that are growing and designed to decarbonize the hardest-to-electrify sectors of the UK, like logistics, heavy transport, and off-grid power, as well as large energy-intensive industries.

Apparently, Pioneer, second hydrogen production facility of Protium 2 happens to be one of the largest containerized PEM systems located in the UK and at full capacity can also provide almost one tonne of green hydrogen every day. Apparently, the system is also going to be among the first to participate in grid balancing, following on the successful collaboration of Protium with Flexitricity as the first green hydrogen asset to be awarded support as per the capacity market auction process of the government.

All this is going to support off-grid power and, along with it, the transport applications, and also continue the proud tradition of Protium of supporting the scale-up of early-stage as well as novel applications like e-fuel production and H₂ autonomous vehicles, as well as R&D facilities. Through helping with green hydrogen access that goes beyond the national grid, Protium is enabling the decarbonization of construction sites, remote operations, and temporary logistics hubs across all the sectors that happen to be critical to reaching the broader net-zero objectives of the UK.

Pioneer 2, second hydrogen production facility of Protium makes utmost use of the advanced high-pressure hydrogen compression as well as the storage systems to help with more efficient logistics and also downstream refueling applications. This sort of technical advantage enables Protium to better serve the heavy-duty transport and maritime as well as the industrial users and also the off-grid systems wherein compact, high-pressure hydrogen solutions happen to be quite necessary.

According to the CEO of Protium, Chris Jackson, Pioneer 2 is indeed a major milestone for Protium as well as for UK green hydrogen. For the company, this goes on to represent a 25-times increase in their present hydrogen production capacity, and when it comes to their customers, this means Protium is indeed going to be able to support some larger volumes of hydrogen, and that too in a greater array of storage products than before. He added that as they have operated Pioneer 1 for over two years, they have seen the demand in the market when it comes to available green hydrogen, and they certainly know that the supply happens to be now a constraint on further growth in UK green hydrogen demand. This is the reason why they are proud to be leading the way, helping their customers across South Wales and beyond when it comes to their net zero transition.

The CEO of Net Zero Industry Wales, Ben Burggraaf, says that ever since the inception of the South Wales Industrial Cluster – SWIC, it has been clear that hydrogen does indeed play a major role in making Wales one of the leading clean energy transition hubs and also a landmark for the industrial base of the UK.

They are indeed delighted that this project has arrived in Wales, based in Baglan within the heart of the South Wales Valleys. Pioneer 2 will help with manufacturing jobs across the region and will also form an integral part of the thriving hydrogen ecosystem of the region.

As the planning and permitting get complete, and the key equipment is secured, a 2.5 MWe Nel electrolyzer in addition to compression as well as dispensing systems happens to be already on-site. The fact is that the project is indeed making sound progress so as to fulfill a full commercial operation scenario as early as 2026.

There are many commercial customers who have already committed, and together, such kinds of milestones go on to demonstrate the robust momentum that is around the Pioneer 2 since Protium moves pretty confidently towards commissioning and also first hydrogen later in 2025.

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RWE AG, an Essen-based German energy group, looks to build a hydrogen-compatible combined cycle power plant having a capacity of 850 MW at the site of its previous power station based in western Germany’s Voerde, therefore seeking to contribute to the long-term energy security of the country.

It is well to be noted that the German government announced plans to soon go ahead and create a regulatory framework pertaining to tenders for hydrogen-compatible gas-fired power plant. RWE confirmed that it is currently preparing to take part in the tenders. If it gets awarded the contract, it is going to start building the plant and have it operational by 2030. Once the plant is commissioned, the facility is going to be able to use a minimum of 50% hydrogen. Subsequently, it could very well get converted to run completely on hydrogen.

Nikolaus Valerius, CEO of RWE, said that they are indeed prepared to go ahead and invest in the construction of hydrogen-compatible gas-fired power plant. He added that they are also pressing ahead with the approval planning for the plant in Voerde, which would help with the completion by 2030. But according to him, they now need a pretty rapid clarity coming from the federal government concerning the announced tendering regime.

Apparently, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy – BMWE recently confirmed that it looks forward to offering clarity by the end of 2025 related to tenders when it comes to new controllable capacities, especially the gas-fired power plants with the possibility of conversion to hydrogen. It is well to be noted that the conditions and scope of the tenders, along with the specific division between power plant strategy and capacity mechanism, happen to be a subject of intensive discussions between the European Commission and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

Overall, the government looks forward to subsidizing a minimum of 20 GW of gas-fired power plants by the end of the decade. 1Komma5, the German cleantech unicorn, however, has recently gone ahead and filed a complaint with the European Commission, thereby claiming that the strategy is going to distort competition and, at the same time, unnecessarily drive up the expenditures related to energy transition.

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In a scenario to have a decarbonized future, hydrogen has gone on to emerge as a promising clean fuel. However, in spite of its potential to power industries as well as transport without emissions, sustainable hydrogen production goes on to face a major hurdle, which is the high cost and scarcity of iridium.

The Rice University researchers have gone on to develop a new catalyst reducing iridium use in proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers by more than 80%.

The breakthrough could also go on to make green hydrogen production much more affordable as well as scalable.

According to the associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Rice, Haotian Wang, this is indeed a major step toward making green hydrogen much more accessible and also scalable. He adds that through reducing iridium use by more than 80%, they are addressing one of the biggest economic as well as supply chain bottlenecks that exists in the hydrogen economy.

It is well to be noted that the present PEM electrolyzers depend quite heavily on iridium, which happens to be one of the few metals that can take into account the harsh acidic environment of water splitting. However, iridium happens to be among the rarest elements on Earth, which costs almost $160 per gram.

Without even decreasing the iridium consumption, the forecasted demand from electrolyzers alone could go beyond 75% of the annual supply of the world, opined Haotian Wang. This is simply not sustainable if one is serious in terms of scaling the hydrogen production.

In order to solve this, the Rice team went on to design a catalyst where iridium atoms get embedded in a ruthenium oxide lattice rather than coating the surface.

Working alongside De Nora Tech, they made use of density functional theory and also Monte Carlo simulations so as to forecast the optimal atomic arrangement.

As per associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Rice, Thomas Senftle, the simulations went on to reveal that iridium atoms within the subsurface layer happen to play a very major role. They help in protecting the ruthenium atoms above them from getting dissolved under extreme electrochemical conditions.

The industrial-grade performance

It is well to be noted that the team went ahead and synthesized a material called Ru₆IrOₓ, that features a six-to-one ratio of ruthenium to iridium.

It sustained an industrial-level current density of 2 amperes for every square centimeter for over 1,500 hours with minimal degradation.

Senftle says that the key is going ahead and attaining a standard iridium distribution all across the ruthenium oxide structure. That uniformity happens to promote stability since the iridium helps to stabilize the neighboring ruthenium atoms within the oxide lattice.

De Nora Tech’s industrial testing confirmed the performance of the catalyst. Within a 25-square-centimeter PEM electrolyzer, the Rice-designed catalyst went on to match the activity of pure iridium systems while at the same time using a fraction of the metal.

Wang says that their results show that they don’t need iridium-rich catalysts so as to achieve durability. This kind of opens the door to mass production when it comes to cost-effective and high-performance PEM electrolyzers.

Economic and scientific effect

One of the economic evaluations ascertained that replacing the standard iridium oxide having  Ru₆IrOₓ could decrease the anode catalyst costs by more than 80%. The design also decreases the exposure to price swings within iridium.

Beyond the expenditure, the study goes on to offer a new paradigm when it comes to catalyst engineering, stabilizing the materials from within and not coating them for protection.

As per Senftle, this work goes on to underscore how theory as well as experiment can work hand in glove. Through combining atomic-scale simulations along with stringent experimental testing, they have been able to pinpoint how a small amount of iridium can go on to balance the overall oxide lattice.

The research, which happens to be supported by the Welch Foundation, the Packard Foundation, and the National Science Foundation, could help to speed up the adoption of global hydrogen. If one can make the electrolyzers cheaper, more durable, and, at the same time, less dependent on scarce materials, hydrogen can go on to become an absolutely global and renewable fuel, said Wang.

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