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.

The post INPEX Hydrogen Park Opens to Advance Blue Hydrogen in Japan first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.

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.

The post Air Products, Plug Power Land Major NASA Hydrogen Contracts first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.

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.

The post Qilu Liquid Hydrogen Project Bolsters China’s Hydrogen Push first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.

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.

The post Datang Group Drives New Coal-to-Hydrogen Shift Strategy first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.

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.

The post Hyundai Invests $86B; Anchors 1GW Green Hydrogen Project first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.

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.

The post Air Liquide Opens Ammonia-to-Hydrogen Pilot at Antwerp Port first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.

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.

The post Engineering Studies Begin on UK Turquoise Hydrogen Project first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.

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.

The post ExxonMobil and BASF Advance a Low-Emission Hydrogen Project first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.

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.

The post Second Hydrogen Production Facility of Protium Breaks Ground first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.

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.

The post New Catalyst Helps in Reducing Iridium Use By 80% first appeared on Hydrogen Informs.