The potential of hydrogen gas
The needs of the hydrogen society and our role in it
Hydrogen has extensive applications across various industries and is widely considered to be one of the key components of the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy. Our market position is gradually strengthened by hydrogen’s increasingly recognised role in society’s transition towards a future with renewable, domestically produced and emission-free fuels and energy.
Hydrogen has great potential and is a versatile and efficient substitute for fossil fuels. Hydrogen can be used for energy storage, to produce electricity and heat without carbon dioxide emissions, and generates minimal air pollution when burned. Its high energy density, three times higher than gasoline or diesel, makes it particularly powerful. Hydrogen also has the potential to revolutionise industrial processes by replacing fossil materials such as coal.
Global trends and future perspectives
At both EU and national level, strategies for hydrogen development have been formulated. In Sweden, even though we have access to cheap energy from hydro and nuclear power, we see an increasing industrial investment in hydrogen. This includes significant projects in the steel industry as well as plans to launch hydrogen-powered trucks from both Volvo Trucks and Daimler Trucks by 2030. In addition, Vattenfall is exploring the possibilities for hydrogen production from wind power and Gotlandsbolaget has announced its intentions to introduce hydrogen-powered vessels.
Internationally, there has been a marked increase in commitment to hydrogen. Major vehicle manufacturers such as Stellantis have launched hydrogen-powered vehicles, and European and American truck manufacturers already have ready hydrogen trucks for commercial use. In addition, several hydrogen car projects are underway at well-known car manufacturers such as Toyota, Hyundai and BMW. Hydrogen is also seen as a solution in public transport and the aviation sector.
The market for electrolysis plants is expected to grow significantly in the coming years to meet the increased demand for fossil-free hydrogen. According to Hydrogen Europe’s ”Clean Hydrogen Monitor 2022”, the planned electrolyser capacity for green hydrogen in Europe is expected to increase significantly. By 2025, it is expected to reach about 31 GW, rise to 139 GW by 2030, and by 2040, an installed capacity of 191 GW is expected. This means a large gap between supply and demand, where the need for electrolysers is expected to exceed the available production capacity.
The future of Metacon in the hydrogen sector
With the rapid development of the hydrogen sector, the need for hydrogen production facilities is becoming increasingly apparent. Metacon is one of the few players that has a proven ability to design and build medium-sized production facilities and refueling stations for hydrogen. This positions us as an important player in the fast-growing hydrogen industry.
Metacon is ready to meet the growing demand. We can construct hydrogen production facilities based on electrolysis and reforming technology in different sizes. Our latest successful project is a plant that produces hydrogen from wind power.
Our unique reforming technology makes it possible to use non-fossil fuels such as bio-methane, ethanol and ammonia. These fuels can come from wastewater treatment plants, the food industry and agriculture. We see an increased interest in the shipping industry and plan to build cargo ships with ammonia as the basic fuel for hydrogen production.
We also have an ongoing demonstration project in Germany, where we are building a hydrogen production plant with our medium-sized reformer HHG50 (approx. 100 kg/day) at a wastewater treatment plant. The project has already attracted a great deal of international interest. We are also expanding our production capacity by moving to purpose-built facilities in Greece to produce container-based reforming plants of up to 500 kg of hydrogen per day.
Given the rapid development, Metacon is well positioned as a leading supplier of hydrogen production equipment and facilities to meet the needs of the growing hydrogen society.
