Hydrogen Innovators

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Latest Episodes:

Episode 19 | Jason Sebastian | Mitigating hydrogen materials challenges at Questek Innovations Aug 13, 2024

In this episode, we learn from Jason Sebastian, EVP of Market Operations at Questek Innovations on material challenges related to H2 and how his team mitigates these challenges through ICME - Integrated Computational Materials Engineering.

Episode 18 | Kathrin Ebner | How reinsurance removes barriers in the H2 industry Jul 10, 2024

It hasn’t been all sunshine and roses in the green H2 industry lately, only 4% of projects announced by 2030 have reached FID. Find out below what key mechanism can help us remove barriers:

Reinsurance!!!

Thrilled to launch our 18th episode of the Hydrogen Innovators Podcast with Dr. Kathrin Ebner, working on risk and (re)insurance at Munich Re. Give it a listen and learn more about how Kathrin and her team remove barriers in the green hydrogen world by offering risk transfer solutions for electrolyzers

Episode 17 | Paul Nelson | Data guiding hydrogen investing at Saoradh Enterprise Partners May 01, 2024

In our 17th episode, we learn from Paul Nelson Managing Partner at Saoradh Enterprise Partners. In his conversation with Karen Baert, we learn about their data-driven approach to investing.  Some key insights include: 💡 Today’s price for delivered grey hydrogen varies from ~1.5-10$ depending on the purity requirements, volumes and proximity to producers 💡 With 150 hydrogen projects announced today, the majority is in the announced/planning stage with only ~20-30% in FID or construction 💡 Equal amount of innovation/IP on electrolytic (green) and natural-gas based (blue, purple) hydrogenAt the end of the podcast, Paul shares some of the principles that guide him as a leader incl:⚡ Be guided by giants who created an inflection point in history⚡Be focused on creating some kind of positive change ⚡Never stop learning

Episode 16 | Andy Marsh | Plug Power as one-stop-shop enabling the green hydrogen industry Mar 14, 2024

In this podcast, we learn from Andy Marsh, CEO at Plug Power, how Plug Power is a one-stop-shop enabling the green hydrogen industry.
Some key learnings include:

The key to excelling when vertically integrating is M&A and partnerships
The challenge of integration/putting all the building blocks together is vastly underestimated
Plug Power sees a lot of potential for hydrogen in the long-term in the stationary power market, replacing natural-gas peaker plants.

At the end of the podcast, Andy shares some of the principles that guide him as a leader incl:

The power of listening
Stay calm during crisis and always move forward
Character matters

Episode 15 | Florence Lambert | High-temperature electrolyzers for industrial hydrogen Feb 21, 2024

In this episode, we learn from Florence Lambert, CEO of Genvia, a French high-temperature electrolyzer company.

Key take-aways include

We will need a wide range of electrolyzer technologies to decarbonize our hydrogen industry:
- Alkaline: (+) Proven tech, easy to manufacture (-) Less efficient, bigger footprint
- PEM: (+) More flexible and smaller footprint (-) Not yet proven and more expensive
- SOEC (High-T): (+) Solid oxide electrolyzers are at least 15% more efficient and 30% more efficient than low-temperature electrolyzers when waste heat is available (-) Less proven
The attributes of high-temperature electrolyzers make them especially attractive in industrial use cases (e.g. steel, chemicals..) where heat can be recovered and integrated in the hydrogen production cycle
It isn't easy to win in manufacturing in Europe, which makes it even more important to be at the forefront of technology

At the end of the episode, Florence leaves us with some golden career (and life) advice - "listen to your intuition, and take risks"

Episode 14 | David Jaramillo | VERNE: Hydrogen refueling and storage solutions for the heavy-duty sector Jan 19, 2024

In this episode, David Jaramillo, Co-founder and CTO at Verne, explains how Verne's technology innovation enables cost-effective clean hydrogen storage and refueling to decarbonize heavy-duty transport.
Verne's unique storage technology cry-compression enables a higher energy density than liquefied or pressurized (up to 700 bar) hydrogen at at least half the cost.

Episode 13 | Sheldon Kimber | Hydrogen Project Development Demystified Dec 11, 2023

Sheldon Kimber, CEO and Founder of Intersect Power, demystifies hydrogen project development. Some of his golden rules and insights on effective project development include:

1️⃣ Innovative financing for large projects is typically

2️⃣ Not every long-term contract is a good contract

3️⃣ The current “flight to quality” for financiers leads to a consolidation in the project development market

4️⃣ Hydrogen deployment is much more than just a technology game. The business model matters!

Nuggets of inspiration

💡It is not about how fast the company can grow, it is about how fast you can grow

💡 Sheldon’s version of success is being a transcendent leader and being “good” at the same time

Episode 12 | David Burns | Hydrogen at Linde: From legacy to pioneering new tech Nov 17, 2023

“Some companies see it as an existential thread, we see it as a growth opportunity.”

David Burns, VP of Clean Energy at Linde, sheds light on Linde’s journey in hydrogen from legacy to pioneering new tech. Some of the key insights are:

1️⃣ Linde can build on its decades of experience in hydrogen to catalyze the clean hydrogen industry

2️⃣ For short-distance transport, David sees potential in hydrogen pipelines where possible and liquified hydrogen in other cases.

3️⃣ For long-distance, intercontinental transport David sees potential in hydrogen carriers incl. methanol and ammonia

4️⃣ David points to ammonia's potential as energy carrier, not necessarily hydrogen carrier, by finding use-cases for ammonia directly”

5️⃣ To keep costs down, the best option is still to limit the need to transport hydrogen. This is the concept behind the regional US hydrogen hubs

Nugget of inspiration

💡Since David switched to working on clean energy, the new generation (amongst which David's kids) are more interested in and inspired by his work

Episode 11 | Amanda Simpson | Net-zero carbon aviation by 2050 Sep 22, 2023

Commercial aviation has been identified as a contributor of greenhouse emissions, and is perhaps one of the most difficult industries to decarbonize--but there is a plan! Amanda Simpson, Vice President of Airbus Americas for Research and Technology and Head of Sustainability, talks about the options and opportunities within the aviation industry which will help achieve the goal of net-zero carbon aviation by 2050. Listeners will gain insight into the technological challenges, development timelines, and infrastructure impacts of potential solutions that will influence the aerospace industry.

Episode 10 | Dr. Arun Majumdar | Unique time in history for energy and hydrogen Aug 07, 2023

"Getting to net zero is the defining challenge and opportunity of the 21st century..."
In this episode, we learn from Dr. Arun Majumdar, Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability about the exciting and challenging times in energy today. Dr. Majumdar shares his perspective on where hydrogen should and should not play a role in our energy transition. Lastly, he talks about the role the Doerr School aims to play in this transition as well as what every institution and every individual across the world can do to help us move in the right direction.

Episode 9 | Lorenzo Rosa | Fueling the path to net zero agriculture with hydrogen and ammonia Jun 23, 2023

Agriculture-related emissions account for 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions. How will hydrogen fuel our path to net-zero agriculture?
In our 9th episode, Lorenzo Rosa, Principal Investigator at Carnegie Institution for Science and Assistant Professor (by courtesy) in the School of Sustainability at Stanford University, explains how hydrogen and ammonia will help us decarbonize the agriculture industry to feed the world sustainably

Episode 8 | Mothusi Pahl | Hydrogen to decarbonize industry with existing infrastructure Jun 04, 2023

Want to find out how to decarbonize industry through hydrogen with existing infrastructure today? All of that while producing a valuable carbon by-product? Learn from Mothusi Pahl, VP of Business Development and Government Affairs at Modern Electron in our 8th episode.
Spoiler alert: This episode has an on-the-field component to it!

Episode 7 | Prof. Stefan Reichelstein | Economics of clean hydrogen May 05, 2023

In this episode, we learn from Professor Stefan Reichelstein, Emeritus Professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Professor at the Department of Business Administration at the University of Mannheim. Internationally known for his research in economics, Professor Reichelstein demystifies what it will take to get to cost-effective clean hydrogen

Episode 6 | Ken Caldeira | The climate impact of hydrogen leaks demystified Apr 14, 2023

To put it in Bill Gates' words, Ken is phenomenal at translating deeply scientific concepts for people without scientific expertise.
Ken Caldeira is Senior Scientist at Breakthrough Energy and Staff Scientist at Carnegie Institution for Science.
As an atmospheric scientist, he demystifies the climate impact of hydrogen leakage.
Under the motto "I like to say that the questions we ask are driven by our values, the answers we get should be independent of our values”, he brings a valuable unbiased scientific perspective to the topic.

Episode 5 | Dr. Sunita Satyapal | How DoE's bold Hydrogen Shot will advance the industry Mar 24, 2023

1-1-1 Hydrogen cost of $1 per 1 kg in 1 decade. Can we get there?

“No One Can Whistle A Symphony, It Takes An Orchestra to Play It”

As Director for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DoE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Dr. Sunita Satyapal is often referred to as the mother Theresa of hydrogen for her steadfast commitment to the industry over decades of ups and downs.

When President Biden asked the Secretary of Energy what more they could do that advance the energy transition, the DoE came up with its bold Hydrogen Shot (1-1-1), seeking to reduce the cost of hydrogen to $1/kg. Bullish about the industry, Sunita points out that, unlike many “false” turning points in the industry in the past, we are at a unique point in history where the hydrogen industry is no longer a decade away.

Episode 4 | Tom Linebarger | Where to Use and Not Use Hydrogen to Decarbonize Our Power Sector Mar 10, 2023

Learn from Tom Linebarger, Executive Chairman of the Board and previous CEO of Cummins on the role of hydrogen in decarbonizing the power sector. Tom puts hydrogen into perspective compared to alternative clean power solutions and stressed the importance of a global carbon tax to advance our clean economy.
We end on a personal note and learn about the importance of "life outside of work" and "providing a hand-up for others"
About what a little bit of serendipity, a lot of hard work and a lot of support from giants can mean...

Episode 3 | Professor Leora Dresselhaus-Marais | Transforming the Steel Industry as Ultimate Climate Challenge Feb 24, 2023

Did you know that the mass of steel produced yearly is four times the mass of humans on this planet? Did you know that the steel industry accounts for almost 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions?
In this episode, we learn from Assistant Professor Leora Dresselhaus-Marais. She leads a lab at Stanford focused on decarbonizing this massive and ever-growing sector.

Episode 2 | Dr. Ilham Kadri | Hydrogen as enabler to decarbonize the mother of all industries from within Feb 10, 2023

Did you know that in 1825, none other than Jules Verne predicted that one day we would use water as a fuel?
In this podcast, we learn from Dr. Ilham Kadri, the CEO of multi-billion dollar global chemicals company Solvay. Guiding Solvay through its sustainability transition, she experiences the growing role of hydrogen in our decarbonized world first-hand. While Solvay is technology and use-case agnostic, its materials advance the industry across the entire value chain. Don't miss Ilham's golden nuggets of wisdom at the end of the podcast (19:30)

If an ambition doesn't scare you, it's not ambitious enough
Never waste a good crisis - take the opportunity to emerge stronger
IQ is a commodity, EQ is what will make the difference
Invite diversity to the dance and dance with it

Episode 1 | Professor Tom Jaramillo | Hydrogen Electrolysis as Flagship Technology for Decarbonization Jan 24, 2023

In this podcast, Professor Jaramillo gives an overview of the different clean hydrogen production pathways and use cases and explains the growing role of hydrogen in a decarbonized world. Additionally, don’t miss Professor Jaramillo’s career advice (34:30) and find out who inspires him most and why (43:15) at the end of the podcast.

Today, Hydrogen is a very cheap chemical feedstock and already a crucial molecule, we depend on it to live (E.g fertilisers)
There won’t be just one clean hydrogen technology that solves all the problems, we need progress across all
Electrolyzers have been around for centuries. The game-changer today is cheap renewable electricity. This comes with a bright future for electrolysis to enable cost-effective green hydrogen production
It is always important to create as many options as possible in the fast-evolving landscape of clean energy
The range of use cases for hydrogen is expanding with hydrogen’s growing role in a decarbonized economy. New use cases include steel, aviation, road transportation…
Within electrolysis, the different technologies (PEM, Alkaline, SOEC…) each have a role to play

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