Australia and the Middle East have the greatest potential to be major exporters of “green” hydrogen in the coming years, according to an analysis by energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. It can be used as a clean power source for sectors such as manufacturing and transportation — but it is expensive to produce and difficult to transport.
Still, an expected surge in demand for low-carbon hydrogen — which includes green hydrogen — has prompted several countries to announce plans to build hydrogen exporting capabilities. Nearly 60% of such projects are in Australia and the Middle East, Wood Mackenzie said in a report.
Australia vs. Middle East
Both Australia and the Middle East are near potential major importers in Northeast Asia and Europe, said Prakash Sharma, the consultancy’s head of markets and transitions in Asia-Pacific.
“The proximity is going to help … Australia is close to the Northeast Asian market but also Middle East could go anywhere in both directions — it could go to Europe and it could also potentially go to the Northeast Asia market,” Sharma told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” on Thursday.
The main question is which market can overcome the cost and challenges oftransporting hydrogen, especially over long distances, he added.
“I think companies and countries have mastered the on-site production, but I think when it comes to the logistical challenge, it could be anyone’s game,” he said.
Australia has an edge in exporting green hydrogen to Northeast Asia given its existing trading relationship with the region, said Sharma. The country is already a major exporter of various natural resources and minerals, and has vast potential for renewable energy, he added.
Hydrogen: a gamechanger?
Demand for low-carbon hydrogen could rise six-fold to as high as 530 million tonnes by 2050 — if countries keep global warming within 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, said Wood Mackenzie.
Almost 150 million tonnes of that low-carbon hydrogen demand could be shipped via sea, said the consultancy. Northeast Asia could account for about 55% of that seaborne hydrogen trade, while Europe could make up 16%, it projected.
Despite its potential, wider adoption of green hydrogen still faces obstacles.
But Wood Mackenzie said hydrogen could be a “gamechanger” in global efforts to slash carbon emissions and enhance energy security.
The costs of producing green hydrogen are expected to fall as the technology improves and renewable electricity costs decline, said the consultancy. That will help nudge producers toward the clean energy source, it added.
DHL Express has more than 10,000 eSprinter vans in its global delivery fleet, but none of those have been deployed in North America – until now, that is! The company recently added 45 new Mercedes eSprinter panel vans, and they’ve got plans for plenty more!
While Mercedes offers its eSprinters with a promised 206 mile estimated range, DHL says it’s consistently seen them exceed 240 miles in stop-and-go delivery duty, making them the longest-range battery electric vehicles in DHL’s US fleet.
And, of course, the eSprinter will do all of that without the noise, vibration, and harmful carbon emissions of diesel.
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“Electrifying our fleet is one of the most visible and impactful ways we are moving toward a more sustainable future,” explains Greg Hewitt, CEO of DHL Express, US. “The Mercedes-Benz eSprinter brings an extended range and proven cargo capabilities that allow us to serve our customers with zero emissions, while also advancing our global goal of more sustainable logistics. These vehicles not only strengthen our operations in major US cities but also set the stage for future electric fleet growth across the Americas.”
The 45 eSprinters will see deployment in Chicago, Indiana, and Pittsburg, and will act as a first step DHL’s global Sustainability Roadmap, which will see the company electrify 66% of its last-mile US delivery fleet (and some of its long-haul fleet operations) by 2030.
In short, they’re doing the right thing – or seem to be, anyway. Whether or not that commitment to decarbonization will win them more American customers remains to be seen.
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Enphase Energy just launched a new off-grid system that lets homeowners power their homes without a utility connection – even for extended periods. The California-based Enphase says the off-grid setup delivers a seamless way to live independently from the grid while still using solar, batteries, and a standby AC generator.
A full off-grid setup
The new system combines Enphase’s IQ Battery 5P with embedded grid-forming microinverters, IQ8 Series Microinverters with Sunlight JumpStart, and a third-party standby AC generator. The components work together to supply power to a home and automatically manage energy sources to maximize efficiency and reliability.
If the batteries are drained and the generator runs out of fuel, the Sunlight JumpStart feature can automatically recharge the batteries the next morning once the sun comes up.
The IQ Battery 5P delivers 3.84 kVA of power per 5 kWh of capacity, and systems can be scaled up to 40 kWh and 15.4 kVA. That’s enough power to start big household appliances like HVAC systems or water pumps. The IQ System Controller 3G provides the backbone, managing solar, batteries, and generator inputs to deliver up to 46 kVA of off-grid power.
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Smarter control and connectivity
Each system connects to the cloud through Enphase’s IQ Combiner 5C HDK, which bundles solar interconnection, communications, and metering into one box. For homes without reliable broadband, the built-in 4G LTE Cat 4 modem keeps the system online for monitoring, firmware updates, and remote support.
Homeowners can manage everything from the Enphase App – from solar generation and battery status to generator integration and load control.
Why it matters
As grid outages become more common and homeowners look for ways to gain energy independence, off-grid systems like this are becoming more appealing.
“With the launch of our off-grid solution, we are giving homeowners a reliable path to complete energy independence,” said Nitish Mathur, Enphase’s SVP of customer experience. Enphase says over 100 homes are already operating entirely off-grid using its technology. The company plans to expand availability beyond the US in 2026.
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Global offshore wind targets are still strong enough to triple global capacity by 2030, despite the US’s offshore wind stagnation under Trump. A new analysis from energy think tank Ember and the Global Offshore Wind Alliance (GOWA) shows that the rest of the world is charging forward, underscoring confidence in offshore wind as a cornerstone of future clean energy systems.