Critical Roles In The Energy Transition

Hydrogen can be a fuel or a store of energy. For driving the Net Zero transition, hydrogen has roles to play in aviation and marine, in industrial processes like glass, chemicals and metals manufacture and in various forms such as ammonia to store and transport energy.   We are active across an inter-connected ecosystem that includes hydrogen, ‘joining the dots’ to commercialise low/no-carbon value chains, identify viable new business models, licensing & manufacturing strategies and establish strong partnerships.

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What sources of hydrogen support the Net Zero transition?

To date, hydrogen has primarily been sourced from natural gas through steam methane reforming. This ‘grey hydrogen’ is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. ‘Blue hydrogen’ adds the capture and storage of carbon dioxide to natural gas reforming, lowering carbon emissions. ‘Green hydrogen’ from renewable electricity sources requires electrolysis, whereas naturally occurring ‘White hydrogen’ is also a possible future commercial source.

NovAzure supports clients seeking to commercialise hydrogen derived from ‘green’ and other low or no carbon sources.

For which applications will hydrogen be a winner?

For transportation, 1kWh weighs 12.5kg stored in batteries and 1.7kg stored as hydrogen. Hydrogen can win for heavy, long-haul trucks, short-haul commercial marine and construction, where battery size and time to recharge are problematic. Hydrogen requires too much space for long distance commercial marine. Although ammonia and methanol are more energy dense and easier to handle at ports, etc., current production volumes can’t meet potential demand. Hydrogen’s power density and quick-refuelling are useful for long-haul aviation and hydrogen can play a part in synthetic fuels production for aviation and other applications.

Heavy industries like steel and glass, requiring high temperatures, currently use vast amounts of coal and gas in plants that are expensive and time-consuming to build. Hydrogen can be a simpler alternative to sourcing renewable electricity to fuel them. Hydrogen will also compliment batteries for renewable energy storage, in off-grid applications, grid balancing and energy transportation.

Hydrogen converted into electricity in a fuel cell and then back to hydrogen by electrolysis has a round-trip efficiency of 18%-46%, compared to 75%-90% for a battery round-trip.

All applications are subject to the Levelised Cost of Hydrogen and viable value chains.

NovAzure helps clients to adopt effective business strategies for a growth journey to commercially scale hydrogen applications, including new business models and the development and implementation of go-to-market plans.

Should my growth journey involve licensing IP to others?

Scaling of hydrogen production capacity can be very expensive, requiring a lot of new capital and expertise. This can be done by adding internal capacity or by licensing your technologies to other manufacturers, or a combination.

We help hydrogen industry clients to navigate the manufacturing and supply chain options for scaling business, including negotiating the commercial terms for licensing agreements and how to value and price a licence.

How can I build a case to show that hydrogen is a viable solution?

Innovators must meet the challenge of demonstrating the positive impact that their offers can have on business bottom-lines to stakeholders. This can prove to be a headache and a blocker.

We have developed proprietary models that compare the total cost of ownership performance of competing technologies. We work with client Finance, Sales and Technical teams to embed easy-to-use online tools that they use to convince customers of their superior value and to close profitable deals

How can I find others to collaborate with?

For commercial success, hydrogen players must participate in viable value chains connecting hydrogen supply with transportation and demand. Locating hydrogen production and demand adjacent to one another can mitigate conversion losses. Collaborations can include developing applications in new markets requiring Net Zero transition, such as data centres, construction, off-grid power generation and production of synthetic fuels.

NovAzure has an extensive ecosystem made up of clients, investors, professional services partners (e.g., legal, grants, etc.) and influencers with complimentary offers, skills and services across the value chain. We can assist in identification of the right partners to help you to accelerate your own growth journey.