(Credit: Pixabay)Fuel cell manufacturer FuelCell Energy is partnering with green hydrogen developer TuNur which will increase the clean fuel’s production for Europe and North Africa.
TuNur is based in Tunisia, which has a central location in the Mediterranean and offers significant potential for green hydrogen, electricity, and ammonia production. Those logistics also present an opportunity for export to Europe, in addition to domestic production for the area, FuelCell Energy says.
Tunisia also has significant solar energy production potential, which lowers the cost of creating the renewable source. That will help utilize FuelCell Energy’s electrolysis platform to generate hydrogen.
Combined with a pipeline from the area to Italy, will help expand the transport of green hydrogen into Europe.
“Tunisia has important targets for renewable energy and is perfectly positioned to be a key energy hub in the Mediterranean region by utilizing renewable energy to supply its own energy needs and in parallel for exportation to Europe, creating a new sustainable export industry,” says TuNur CEO Daniel Rich.
Hydrogen accounts for less than 2% of Europe’s energy use, and 96% of that use is produced through natural gas, according to the EU. The EU says clean hydrogen is a part of its overall energy approach, and in 2020 adopted a dedicated strategy specifically for hydrogen.
Plug Power recently revealed plans to build a large hydrogen plant at Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium. The facility at the second largest port in Europe will have the capacity to produce 35 tons a day of green hydrogen.
Overall, green hydrogen is seen as an important piece of clean energy transitions.
Several organizations promoting and increasing its use. The Green Hydrogen Catapult last year set a target to increase the use of electrolyzers, and the Building the Clean Hydrogen Economy in the US aims to decarbonize heavy transport and encourage renewable energy use.
The hydrogen fuel cell market is also rapidly expanding as a result and is expected to be valued at nearly $25 billion by 2028, according to Valuates Reports.
TuNur says it has a goal of installing 7 gigawatts of renewable energy and green hydrogen capacity by 2030.
