Latest news with #hydrogenfuelcells
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Napa Valley town that once rode out emergencies with diesel gets a clean-power backup
For residents of this quaint tourist town on the northern edge of Napa Valley, the threat of wildfire is seldom out of mind. The hillside bears burn scars from a 2020 fire that forced all of Calistoga to evacuate, and the 2017 Tubbs fire that killed 22 people in wine country started just a few miles from downtown. When fire danger required shutting off transmission lines that might spark a blaze, the town relied on a bank of generators in a popular recreation area that belched choking diesel exhaust and rumbled so loudly it drove people away. But now Calistoga is shifting to a first-of-its-kind system that combines two clean-energy technologies — hydrogen fuel cells and batteries — for enough juice to power the city for about two days. Experts say the technology has potential beyond simply delivering clean backup power in emergencies; they say it's a steppingstone to supporting the electric grid any day of the year. As the system was undergoing its final tests in late May in an area that includes a dog park, ball fields, community garden and bike trail, residents said they were grateful to be guaranteed clean energy year-round. Lisa Gift, a resident who also serves on the city council, noted Calistoga is already grappling with climate change that is fueling more intense and frequent wildfires. 'Continuing to depend on fossil fuels was simply not sustainable,' Gift said. "That's what excited me about this. It's a clean and reliable energy solution that ensures the safety and resilience of our community.' Energy Vault, an energy storage company based in California, built the new facility that was to come online in early June. Next year, it could be exporting power to the electric grid whenever needed once its application to fully connect is approved. The installation sits next to where Pacific Gas & Electric used to set up nine mobile generators every year from late spring through fall. Behind a chain-link fence stand six hydrogen fuel cells standing two stories tall made by Plug Power in New York. Water vapor wafted from one of the fuel cells being tested as The Associated Press got an exclusive tour of the site as it was in final testing. Shipping containers hold two pairs of Energy Vault's lithium-ion batteries. Nearby, a cinder block wall surrounds a massive, double-walled steel tank that holds 80,000 gallons (302,833 liters) of extremely cold liquid hydrogen that gets converted to gas to run the fuel cells. Utility was searching for a cleaner solution California utilities, especially PG&E, have had to pay large settlements over igniting wildfires. PG&E began cutting power at times to reduce fire risk in 2018, one of California's deadliest and most destructive wildfire years. It ships diesel generators to about a dozen towns to provide backup power during those periods. Calistoga, the largest with about 5,000 people, has had its power shut off 10 times. When generators ran, they spewed exhaust with harmful nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and soot. PG&E considered replacing Calistoga's diesel generators with a natural gas version that would pollute less, but opted instead for Energy Vault's fully clean solution, said Dave Canny, the utility's vice president for the North Coast Region. Energy Vault CEO Robert Piconi said other communities, military bases and data centers could all use something similar, but potential customers wanted to see it function first. 'There's a massive proof point with this project,' he said. 'I think it'll have a lot of implications for how people think about alternative, sustainable solutions." The fuel cell maker, Plug Power, is planning for these types of products to be its main business in a decade. Energy Vault said it's buying clean hydrogen, produced with low or no greenhouse gas emissions, to run the fuel cells in Calistoga. 'This solution is just beautiful," said Janice Lin, founder and president of the Green Hydrogen Coalition, a nonprofit that advocates for green hydrogen projects to combat climate change. "No noise, no emissions. And it's renewable. It's dumping diesel.' A year-round clean system brings comfort Calistoga caters to tourists with a main thoroughfare that emphasizes local shops, restaurants, tasting rooms and art galleries over franchise stories. Residents pride themselves on a smalltown vibe, and say Calistoga isn't posh like much of the rest of Napa Valley. Some of those residents were concerned at first about the hydrogen, which is flammable and can be explosive. Fire Chief Jed Matcham said the 'very, very large tank' got his attention, too. He collaborated with Energy Vault on emergency planning and training, and said he's comfortable with the safety measures in place. Energy Vault's batteries also come with alarms, detectors and piping to extinguish a fire. The next time PG&E turns off the power to the area to prevent wildfires, it will tell Energy Vault when it's safe to electrify Calistoga. The batteries will get things back up and running, discharging the energy stored inside them to the local microgrid. Then the hydrogen fuel cells will take over to generate a steady level of power for a longer period. By working in tandem — the company likened it to the way a hybrid vehicle works — the batteries and fuel cells are expected to keep the lights on for about 48 hours or longer. Clive Richardson, who owns downtown's Calistoga Roastery and can typically be found behind the counter, drinking coffee and chatting with customers, said people in Calistoga get on edge when the winds kick up. And he knows what it's like to have to empty out his store when power goes out — a big hit for a small-business owner. A year-round clean solution for emergency power gives him a measure of comfort. 'This will give us far more security than we had before,' he said. 'It's fantastic that it's come. Here we are, little ol' Calistoga, and we've got the first-of-a-kind system that hopefully will be endorsed and go all over the world.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Electric plane tech centre to be built near Glasgow Airport
A new manufacturing centre for zero-emission aircraft technology is to built near Glasgow Airport. ZeroAvia said a facility to develop and manufacture hydrogen fuel cells for small electric planes could be in operation by 2028, creating around 350 jobs. The US-based start-up has previously conducted test flights in England with a 19-seater aircraft which was powered by a hydrogen/electric system. The firm has received millions of pounds of backing from the UK and Scottish governments, and Scotland's National Investment Bank. The new Hydrogen Centre of Excellence and manufacturing facility with be located within the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District near the airport in will focus on developing the hydrogen fuel cells, while the electric motors will be built in the US and the planes tested at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire. First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Secretary Ian Murray both attended an event at Glasgow Airport to launch the firm's plans. Swinney said: "ZeroAvia's decision to establish a base in Scotland – creating 350 highly-skilled jobs in the process - is the perfect illustration of Scotland's growing reputation in the global transition to net zero."Murray said millions of pounds of UK government investment would create and support hundreds of Scottish jobs. "It is a perfect example of the UK and Scottish governments working together to drive innovation and manufacturing in Scotland," he said. The firm has received £32m of investment from the UK's National Wealth Fund and £18.5m of research funding since 2019. Scottish Enterprise has also provided £9m of grant funding while the Scottish National Investment Bank has invested £20m. The aviation industry is thought to account for 2-3% of global carbon emissions, and decarbonising the sector is a major technical weight of batteries limits their potential for electric aircraft, and a number of firms are instead looking to use hydrogen to generate electricity on board the plan itself, using hydrogen fuel cells on board the plane. The only emissions from this process would be water. In 2023 ZeroAvia successfully tested a twin-engined Dornier 228 aircraft, normally powered by kerosene, with one motor powered by a hydrogen electric system. The firm has submitted its first full engine for up to 20 seat planes for certification from aviation regulators, and is working on a larger system for 40-80 seat aircraft. A spokesperson said it was hoping to get its first regulatory approvals next year, and it had received advanced orders for nearly 3,000 power systems and components. Hydrogen economy The founder and chief executive of ZeroAvia, Val Miftakhov, said Scotland had been chosen for the new facility because of its strong aerospace and engineering skills and "burgeoning" hydrogen sector. "The aviation industry is on the cusp of the biggest transformation since the advent of the jet age, with entirely new propulsion systems set to power the next era of aviation – cleaner flights, better economics and better experiences for all," he said."With this new facility, Scotland has a big role to play in driving this transformation."The environmental credentials of hydrogen depend on how it is produced. "Green hydrogen" produced from wind or solar power is considered environmentally friendly but "grey hydrogen" produced from fossil fuels can lead to significant greenhouse gas emissions. Scotland is hoping to become a major producer of hydrogen. Glasgow Airport recently hosted a summit on plans for it to become a "hydrogen hub" by 2027 to support zero-emission currently employs about 100 people in the UK and 200 at sites in the UK.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Why Plug Power Stock Plummeted by 11% Today
A federal agency is targeting the green energy sector for a series of reviews. Such companies collectively received billions of dollars in federal grants during the Biden administration. 10 stocks we like better than Plug Power › Leading hydrogen fuel cell developer Plug Power (NASDAQ: PLUG) needed some juice on Thursday, as investors aggressively traded out of the company. They were largely reacting to news of a federal review of grants and other forms of support doled out to a range of energy companies, including Plug Power. At the end of the day, Plug Power closed almost 11% lower in price. That was on a session when the benchmark S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) managed to tick up by 0.4%. The Department of Energy (DoE) announced that morning that it would be conducting a review of more than $15 billion in financial assistance spread among 179 grants to energy projects. The grants were awarded for a variety of purposes, such as the development of next-generation batteries (Plug Power's specialty). The DoE said it would be reviewing such projects on a case-by-case basis to, in its words, "identity waste of taxpayer dollars, protect America's national security, and advance President Trump's commitment to unleash affordable, reliable and secure energy for the American people." The government agency added that it has already requested additional information from entities that have received the grants. It said that it is prioritizing large-scale commercial projects. Trump has been a frequently sharp critic of next-generation, "green" energy solutions, and openly supported classic inputs like oil and even coal. He has also claimed that the outgoing Biden administration rushed through many grants in the days before it left office. Plug Power is an obvious target in this effort, as it received billions of dollars in loan guarantees for its work with batteries. While it remains to be seen how this new initiative from the DoE plays out, it puts Plug Power and its green energy peers on a defensive footing, and drains resources from their core competencies. Investors should keep a sharp eye on how this situation develops. Before you buy stock in Plug Power, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Plug Power wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $620,719!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $829,511!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 959% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 170% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 12, 2025 Eric Volkman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Plug Power Stock Plummeted by 11% Today was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
