US Caught Napping While Global Green Hydrogen Industry Moves On

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

Napping, heck! The US government has gone practically comatose on the topic of decarbonization, beginning with the inauguration of US President Donald Trump on January 20 and leading right on up to today. So much for American Energy Dominance. Meanwhile, other nations have taken up the task of weaning the world off fossil fuels, one recent example being a new green hydrogen hookup between the Estonian startup Stargate Hydrogen and the government of Saudi Arabia.

Oil & Gas Producers Love Green Hydrogen

The newly announced green hydrogen partnership engages Stargate’s electrolyzer system with the Research, Development, and Innovation Authority of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It may seem odd for an oil and natural gas-soaked nation like Saudi Arabia to pursue alternative hydrogen pathways such as that offered by Stargate. Instead of squeezing hydrogen from natural gas, electrolyzers push hydrogen from water. Ideally, electricity to run the system comes from renewable resources, further cutting fossil fuels out of the picture.

Still, some oil and gas stakeholders have been pivoting into wind and solar energy as well as geothermal energy, so it’s no surprise to see green hydrogen in the mix. Consider these emerging trends in recent years:

— China is also leveraging the green hydrogen field to form new economic partnerships, including with hydrogen stakeholders in Europe.

— Both China and Saudi Arabia have begun to exploit their copious wind and solar resources, which can be deployed to run electrolyzer systems.

— Saudi Arabia is finally beginning to support a domestic battery-electric vehicle manufacturing industry and it is planning to upsize its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle profile, too.

— And, green hydrogen can replace gas-sourced hydrogen in industrial operations, including oil refining, providing oil refiners to claim a modicum of decarbonization, although greenwashing is a probably a more accurate description (looking at you, ExxonMobil).

The Stargate — RDI Green Hydrogen Deal

One need look no farther than ExxonMobil to explain why oil refiners and producers are pursuing green hydrogen. They can use green hydrogen in the refining process to burnish their sustainability image, such as it is. Another example is the Corporate Venture arm of the diversified Spanish energy firm Repsol, which nailed down a minority stake in Stargate earlier this year.

Saudi Arabia has expressed a more expansive decarbonization strategy, including an early focus on nuclear energy as an exportable technology. More recently, Saudi Arabia has been eyeballing new opportunities to export green hydrogen to Europe, leveraging its wind and solar resources.

The new Memorandum of Understanding between Stargate and RDI builds on that goal, with the aim of establishing Saudi Arabia as a leading producer and exporter of green hydrogen “This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in advancing Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for green hydrogen and deep-tech innovation, aligning with the Kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 goals, a long-term national transformation plan announced in 2016, designed to diversify the economy and build a globally competitive society,” Stargate explains.

“Both parties will also explore opportunities to strengthen the regional hydrogen value chain, drive industrial decarbonization, and position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for sustainable energy technologies,” Stargate adds, noting that support for local innovation is part of the plan alongside technology transfer, including research partnerships with KAUST and other institutions.

Along with Saudi Arabia’s intention to support domestic EV manufacturing, the new MOU also calls for Stargate to support a domestic electrolyzer fabrication industry in Saudi Arabia.

All Is Not Lost For US Hydrogen Stakeholders

The green hydrogen connection is also of apiece with Saudi Arabia’s plan to add hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles to its zero emission mobility profile. That could be a lifeline for FCEV manufacturers in the US, who were struggling to find a market even before this year’s abrupt shift in federal energy policy.

In May, the Arizona-based high performance motor vehicle firm RONN Motor Group announced that it is setting up shop in Riyadh under a three-year, $4 billion auto manufacturing agreement. The centerpiece of the venture consists of two factories that are expected to produce 10,000 hydrogen-electric logistics trucks.

That part of the program is consistent with the prevailing consensus on FCEV marketability. Battery-powered EVs have the edge in light-duty fleets, but FCEVs can offer a drop-in alternative for truck fleets.

RONN also anticipates edging into the high (very high) end consumer market. The new venture calls for 1,000 RONN Phoenix fuel cell sport vehicles to be manufactured in Saudi Arabia, which just goes to show that persistence pays off. RONN surfaced on the CleanTechnica radar back in 2020, when the company launched its MYST fuel cell supercar and indicated that plans were in the works for a fuel cell SUV inspired by the company’s Scorpion hydrogen-fueled ICE vehicle.

“The ‘PHOENIX’ is our second-generation supercar based on our original flagship eco-exotic design ‘SCORPION,” RONN explains.

“This zero-emission, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (HFCEV) will feature hydrogen fuel cell/battery propulsion with an all-electric drive for stellar performance. PHOENIX is estimated to have a 400+ mile driving range with sleek, futuristic architecture, intuitive design, and exceptional performance,” the company adds.

The Green Hydrogen Dream Lives On, Elsewhere

RONN is also looking forward to showing off a limited (very limited) single-edition fuel cell hypercar to be produced in Saudi Arabia for one lucky client. No word yet on who the client is or what the new Halo Hypercar will look like, but RONN anticipates that the vehicle will serve as a technology transfer platform in accord with Saudi Arabia’s workforce development plans. “Initial engineering will be executed in the U.S., with training programs designed to upskill Saudi-based engineers,” RONN notes.

Meanwhile, other hydrogen-based businesses here in the US are also following the money to green hydrogen markets outside of the US. Another recent example is the Massachusetts electrolyzer manufacturing startup Electric Hydrogen. Last week the firm announced that it is leveling up its business plan with the acquisition of the hydrogen project developer Ambient Fuels.

Electric Hydrogen hasn’t quite given up on the US green hydrogen market yet, but it is on the prowl for business overseas. The Ambient Fuels acquisition also puts the investment firm Generate Capital into the Electric Fuels camp along with up to $400 million in financing for hydrogen projects around the world.

“Rising demand for clean hydrogen in both the US and EU is accelerating the already fast-growing market for US technology,” Electric Hydrogen says of its electrolyzers. That may be somewhat overly optimistic as applied to the US market, but keep an eye on New York State, where Stony Brook University has just received a grant of almost $5 million to test an onsite electrolyzer system to produce green hydrogen for use at a health care facility.

The onsite angle cuts the cost of green hydrogen by practically eliminating transportation costs and trimming down storage costs, with the help of a new solid-state storage system that traps green hydrogen in an expanding-contracting adsorbent without the need for extreme pressure or temperature.

Photo (cropped): The Estonian electrolyzer firm Stargate Hydrogen is among the startups pursuing the global green hydrogen market (courtesy of Stargate Hydrogen).