INPEX CORPORATION has opened the INPEX hydrogen park in Kashiwazaki City, Niigata Prefecture, moving its blue hydrogen and ammonia demonstration effort into full operation. The site brings together several existing elements, the blue hydrogen and ammonia plant, the Kashiwazaki Hydrogen Power Plant, and the Hirai Gas Collection Station, into one coordinated facility. INPEX developed the complex to run its broad demonstration program covering hydrogen and ammonia production and their eventual use.

The INPEX hydrogen park also reflects the company’s long-running commitment to Niigata Prefecture through a “local production for local consumption” model. Natural gas from the Minami-Nagaoka Gas Field serves as the main feedstock, and CO₂ created during hydrogen and ammonia production will be directed into the reservoir beneath the Hirai area of the Higashi-Kashiwazaki Gas Field, where gas extraction has already ended. The hydrogen produced through this project will supply electricity generation at the Kashiwazaki Hydrogen Power Plant and be delivered through the grid to users in Niigata Prefecture. A portion of that hydrogen will be synthesized into ammonia for customers located in the same region.

INPEX said the purpose of the INPEX hydrogen park is to strengthen its experience across the full hydrogen and ammonia value chain and build a record of operational know-how that can support its role in these sectors both domestically and internationally. Parts of the hydrogen and ammonia production system, including CO₂ capture, are backed by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization under its “Fuel Ammonia Utilization and Production Technology’’ program. Work on subsurface CO₂ storage is being advanced with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security through joint research on depleted oil and gas fields in Japan.

The initiative forms a core component of INPEX Vision 2035, released in February 2025, which sets out the company’s plans for a responsible energy transition and names CCS and hydrogen as key growth areas. INPEX noted that commissioning and the introduction of natural gas represent a major step in the project’s rollout. Running from the second half of fiscal 2022 through the end of fiscal 2025, with room for extension, the project includes blue hydrogen and clean electricity production, low-temperature and low-pressure ammonia synthesis, studies on CO₂ storage potential, enhanced gas recovery assessments, and monitoring designed to verify safe CO₂ injection.

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Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. and Plug Power, Inc. will take on major supply roles under the new NASA hydrogen contracts, as the agency locks in long-term access to nearly 37 million pounds of liquid hydrogen. NASA has finalized firm-fixed-price agreements that run from December 1, 2025, through November 2030, a schedule designed to protect the fuel needs of its rocket programs and aeronautics research. In total, the commitments cover 36,952,000 pounds of liquid hydrogen at an estimated value of about $147.2 million.

Air Products is positioned to deliver the overwhelming share of that volume. Its contract allows for as much as 36.5 million pounds of liquid hydrogen to be sent to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, as well as Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Plug Power’s contribution, capped at up to 480,000 pounds, is earmarked for Glenn Research Center and the Neil A. Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio, at a price point of roughly $2.8 million. Together, these allocations represent the backbone of the NASA hydrogen contracts and ensure uninterrupted access to a critical cryogenic propellant.

NASA highlighted the value of the multi-year, fixed-price setup, noting how it stabilizes planning for engine testing and flight development tied to future lunar and Martian missions. The distribution between two suppliers also adds a degree of resilience to the agency’s hydrogen procurement chain. Air Products extends a relationship with NASA that reaches back to the Apollo era, while Plug Power increases its presence in aerospace fueling following its recent activity in green hydrogen production.

Liquid hydrogen has supported NASA missions for more than six decades, and the latest contracts maintain that legacy through 2030. The agency expects the secured volume to keep propulsion tests, launch operations, and aeronautics experimentation on schedule. Maintaining purity standards, managing cryogenic logistics, and scaling production will remain central challenges as NASA advances its next wave of exploration and relies on producers tied to the NASA hydrogen contracts to keep operations moving.

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The Qilu Liquid Hydrogen Project has moved into mass production, now turning out 10 tons of liquid hydrogen each day with equipment and engineering support supplied by GUOFUHEE. It marks a key moment for the Qilu Liquid Hydrogen Project, which is noted as China’s first 10-ton-class liquid hydrogen facility built entirely with domestically developed intellectual property. GUOFUHEE says the achievement reflects years of continuous technical refinement and engineering work, forming the base upon which larger-scale liquid hydrogen development in China can grow and adding momentum to the wider hydrogen energy sector.

Project records show that GUOFUHEE advanced the effort through a series of stages. In May 2023, the company completed its core equipment package after working through several challenges specific to liquid hydrogen production. By May 2024, the systems had been delivered and installed at the Qilu Hydrogen Energy base in Zibo, Shandong, where the full operating sequence was commissioned. A panel of domestic liquid hydrogen specialists reviewed the setup and gave it the go-ahead. Once the team wrapped another cycle of optimization and steady-state testing, the project shifted into steady mass production, holding to its early pledge to deliver engineered capability and industrial output on time.

Performance indicators from the Qilu Liquid Hydrogen Project provide a snapshot of how the facility is performing at scale. The comprehensive energy consumption for liquefaction is reported at under 12 kW•h/kg-LH₂. Para-hydrogen content in the product exceeds 98.5%, and the purity reaches above 7N—figures that meet or surpass recognized international thresholds. These results support lower production costs and match the needs of downstream users, including fuel cell vehicle suppliers and semiconductor-grade gas applications. The plant’s operation is built around GUOFUHEE’s multi-stage pre-cooling hydrogen expansion refrigeration technology, and both the 20K hydrogen liquefaction cold box and the hydrogen expander carry independent intellectual property rights.

GUOFUHEE notes that the equipment design, with its compact form, stable operation, and heat-exchange performance, suits larger deployment scenarios. The mass production level reached at the Qilu Liquid Hydrogen Project is seen as an early marker for the hundred-ton-class liquid hydrogen projects expected to follow. It also aligns with China’s “West Hydrogen East Transmission” strategy, supporting long-distance movement of hydrogen and offering a model for peak-shaving and storage within pipeline networks. As liquid hydrogen moves deeper into applications tied to new energy, aerospace, advanced materials, and the low-altitude economy, the project is positioned to feed into wider industrial development and a new wave of emerging growth areas.

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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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The BarMar project is picking up pace. Its partners have confirmed the technical feasibility of the BarMar hydrogen pipeline connecting Barcelona and Marseille, following comprehensive geotechnical and engineering studies for the H2med project. The European corridor H2med project recently finished its first in-depth assessment of the BarMar route. Those campaigns, carried out in summer 2025 and in 2024, confirmed that the proposed corridor for the BarMar hydrogen pipeline is viable. The study found no major physical constraints on the route, and all planned infrastructure crossings were judged feasible. Seabed and terrain conditions also raised no critical concerns.

The report concludes the BarMar route is technically feasible because every identified challenge can be managed through established engineering practices. This clarity lets the partners continue making progress on the overall schedule, which is part of the future European hydrogen network planning. The schedule now sets the Commercial Operation Date (COD) for BarMar in 2032. This is the same date targeted for the CelZa project.

This update reflects the project’s technical demands and the work of the countries involved, which are all developing their own national hydrogen networks. Securing permits and synchronizing the authorization schedule is essential, as H2med is designed to be the backbone connecting all these systems. During the joint Council of Ministers on August 29th 2025, France and Germany reaffirmed their common approach to supporting the corridor’s timely implementation. Also, the progress being achieved now in cross-border governance and regulatory harmonization is truly pioneering. This diligent, laborious effort will not only ensure the success of H2med; it will help establish an essential blueprint for subsequent transnational energy projects.

The year 2025 marked a clear acceleration for H2med, which followed its designation as a Project of Common Interest by the European Commission in 2024. Key steps included the signing of Grant Agreements with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) for both BarMar and CelZa. The BarMar company was also created last July to advance the Barcelona–Marseille interconnection. Political backing remains strong across all involved member states, supported by the European Commission, which has called the corridor a priority “energy highway.” Industry support has also widened through the H2med Alliance, now made up of 49 organizations across the hydrogen value chain. For background on the corridor, see our previous coverage of the BarMar hydrogen pipeline and the H2med hydrogen project.

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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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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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Germany and the Czech Republic have set up a bilateral working group to speed up the development of a joint hydrogen infrastructure connecting the two countries. Both governments announced the creation of the platform as a way to coordinate their hydrogen transmission planning and bring their cross-border network ambitions into a shared framework. With this step, the agenda around joint hydrogen infrastructure between the two nations enters a more organized phase.

The working group brings together national regulators, industry representatives and transmission system operators, including NET4GAS. Its scope covers the technical, regulatory and economic aspects of hydrogen transport, allowing both sides to work from the same foundation as they shape long-distance flows. A key part of the collaboration is the Czech-German Hydrogen Interconnector (CGHI). The project outlines the conversion of existing natural-gas pipelines for hydrogen transport, a move intended to form a revised configuration for cross-border movement. Through this cooperation, the effort to create a joint hydrogen infrastructure aims to support industrial users on either side of the border.

Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček commented on the Czech government’s position as the group convened. He said, “Hydrogen can significantly contribute to the energy transformation and strengthen our energy security. Together with Germany, we want to build an infrastructure that will connect our industries, strengthen regional self-sufficiency and enable the use of clean energy sources across Europe,” says Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček, adding, “The Czech Republic thus confirms its ambition to be an active partner in the development of the European hydrogen economy.”

Additional detail was provided by Tomáš Ehler, Senior Director of the Nuclear Energy and New Technologies Section, who noted, “The import of hydrogen via Germany can significantly contribute to the decarbonization of the Czech chemical industry and other segments. The planned connection of the Czech and German hydrogen networks represents an important step towards connecting the main European hydrogen corridors.”

Bernhard Kluttig, Director General of the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, added the German perspective, saying, “A reliable hydrogen infrastructure does not end at national borders. With this working group, we are laying the foundations for a strong and shared energy future in Central Europe – climate-neutral, interconnected and secure.”

The cooperation follows a Declaration of Intent signed on 25 April 2025 and reflects a shift toward more formal alignment of hydrogen-network planning. As work progresses, the CGHI is expected to become a significant element in linking the two systems. Its role in allowing future hydrogen imports into the Czech Republic demonstrates how the vision for joint hydrogen infrastructure is beginning to materialize in practical, cross-border development.

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