3 Big Hydrogen Wins: Ireland’s Push, JCB’s Breakthrough, and India’s Mega Project

In this episode of The Hydrogen Podcast, we explore three powerful hydrogen stories making global waves:

🇮🇪 Ireland: The Irish Examiner outlines how Ireland plans to leverage 50,000 km² of offshore wind to decarbonize heavy industry, transport, and heating. With 5 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and projects like the €200M Galway Hydrogen Hub, Ireland is betting big on green hydrogen—but will the economics work?

🏴 Scotland (JCB): The Scotsman covers the debut of JCB’s hydrogen internal combustion engine at The Royal Highland Show. With a retrofit-ready 4.8L hydrogen ICE for heavy machinery, JCB is taking on diesel and battery-electric power head-on. Could this be a game-changer for construction and agriculture?

🇮🇳 India: Moneycontrol reports on Indian Oil Corporation’s plan to build India’s largest green hydrogen facility at Panipat. With 200 MW of renewables powering 27 tons of daily hydrogen output, this project is key to India’s 5 million-ton hydrogen target and clean refining future.

🔎 In this episode:

• Policy-backed hydrogen strategies from Ireland, India, and Scotland
• Economic analysis of electrolytic vs low-CI hydrogen
• Demand challenges and internal-use strategies
• Technology deep dives: PEM, alkaline, and hydrogen ICE innovation
• Lessons for the U.S. from H.R.1, Baytown, and Koloma

🌍 As hydrogen accelerates worldwide, each country’s approach offers insight into how the global hydrogen economy is taking shape—from cost, to technology, to market demand.

Transcript

Today, we’re diving into articles from Ireland, Scotland, and India that showcase hydrogen’s growing momentum. First, we’ll unpack Ireland’s push for hydrogen as a cornerstone of energy security. Next, we’ll rev up with JCB’s hydrogen engine debut in Scotland. Finally, we’ll explore India’s massive hydrogen project at Panipat. Each story highlights unique angles of the hydrogen economy, from policy-driven production to innovative applications and large-scale infrastructure. All of this on todays hydrogen podcast

Let’s kick off with the Irish Examiner article from May 29, 2025, titled “Ireland 4.0: Green Hydrogen's role in our energy security.” This piece, featuring insights from Paul McCormack of Hydrogen Ireland and James Carton of Dublin City University, outlines Ireland’s ambition to leverage hydrogen for energy independence and decarbonization. Ireland, with its 50,000 square kilometers of offshore wind potential, aims to produce hydrogen via electrolysis using renewable energy, targeting 5 GW of offshore wind by 2030 to power electrolyzers. The article emphasizes hydrogen’s role in decarbonizing heavy industry, transport, and heating, which account for 60% of Ireland’s emissions, or roughly 36 million tons of CO2 annually. Gas Networks Ireland is replacing natural gas with hydrogen and biomethane, supporting a net-zero grid by 2050, with pilot projects injecting hydrogen into the gas network at 20% blends.

Economically, Ireland’s hydrogen strategy hinges on scaling electrolysis, currently costing $4–$6 per kilogram due to electricity prices of $50–$100 per megawatt-hour and electrolyzer costs of $1,000–$2,000 per kilowatt, per DOE and IEA estimates. This is triple the cost of hydrocarbon-derived hydrogen via steam methane reforming (SMR) at $1–$2 per kilogram, which emits 10–12 kg CO2 per kilogram without CCS, per BloombergNEF. The article notes that government subsidies, like the €250 million National Hydrogen Strategy fund, could reduce costs to $2–$3 per kilogram by 2030 if wind power drops to $20–$30 per megawatt-hour. Projects like the €200 million Galway Hydrogen Hub aim to produce 50 tons of hydrogen daily, but scaling requires $5–$10 billion for 1 GW of electrolyzer capacity. Demand is a challenge, with industries like cement and shipping needing firm contracts, which the article suggests could be secured via EU-backed hydrogen purchase agreements.

Technologically, Ireland leverages proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers, consuming 50–60 kWh per kilogram at 60–70% efficiency, with challenges in membrane durability (20,000–30,000 hours) and water purification, adding $0.10–$0.20 per kilogram, per DOE. Offshore wind’s intermittency requires grid balancing systems, costing $10–$20 million per plant. The article highlights Ireland’s HIDC pilot, testing hydrogen in transport and heating, with potential to decarbonize 1–2 million tons of CO2 annually by 2030. However, over-reliance on electrolysis risks economic hurdles, and the article subtly nods to low-CI alternatives like natural hydrogen, which could be explored in Ireland’s geological formations, costing $0.50–$1 per kilogram, per DOE. Ireland’s strategy aligns with the EU’s 10 million-ton hydrogen target by 2030, but success depends on infrastructure like a €1 billion hydrogen pipeline network.

Next, let’s shift to The Scotsman article from June 5, 2025, titled “JCB hydrogen engine to debut at The Royal Highland Show.” This piece announces JCB’s public unveiling of its hydrogen-fueled internal combustion engine (ICE) at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, a breakthrough for heavy machinery. JCB, a construction equipment giant, has developed a 4.8-liter hydrogen ICE, producing 120 kW (160 hp) with near-zero emissions, targeting applications in excavators, loaders, and agricultural equipment. The article highlights the engine’s retrofit potential, allowing existing diesel fleets to switch fuels without replacing vehicles, a game-changer for farmers and contractors facing EU emissions regulations.

Economically, JCB’s hydrogen ICE offers cost advantages over battery-electric alternatives, which require $100,000–$200,000 per machine for heavy-duty applications, per BloombergNEF. Hydrogen fuel costs $10–$15 per kilogram at the pump, translating to $2–$3 per hour of operation for a 20-kW machine, competitive with diesel at $1.50 per liter, per DOE estimates. Refueling infrastructure is a hurdle, with each station costing $2–$3 million and fewer than 200 across Europe. JCB’s £100 million investment in hydrogen engines, producing 100 prototypes, signals confidence, but scaling to 10,000 units annually requires $1–$2 billion in supply chain upgrades, including hydrogen distribution. The article suggests government grants, like the UK’s £166 million Advanced Propulsion Centre fund, could support 50–100 refueling stations by 2030, serving 5,000–10,000 machines.

Technologically, the hydrogen ICE adapts existing diesel engine designs, burning hydrogen in a modified combustion chamber with 90–95% lower CO2 emissions, achieving a CI of 0.5–1 kg CO2e per kilogram, per IEA. Challenges include nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, mitigated by advanced catalytic converters, and hydrogen storage at 350 bar, adding $5,000–$10,000 per vehicle. The article notes JCB’s trials with farmers, proving reliability in rugged conditions, with engines lasting 10,000–15,000 hours. Unlike fuel cells, which cost $50,000–$100,000 per machine, the ICE’s $20,000–$30,000 price point is a draw. The debut aligns with Scotland’s hydrogen strategy, aiming for 5 GW of production by 2030, potentially using low-CI methods like SMR with CCS at $1–$2 per kilogram to supply JCB’s fleet, reducing reliance on electrolytic hydrogen at $4–$6 per kilogram.

Finally, let’s explore the Moneycontrol article from June 2, 2025, titled “IOC finalises India’s largest green hydrogen project at Panipat.” This piece details Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) plan to build a 10,000 tons per annum (27 tons daily) hydrogen production unit at its Panipat refinery in Haryana, India’s largest hydrogen project to date. The plant, aligned with India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission, uses electrolysis powered by 200 MW of renewable energy (solar and wind) to produce hydrogen for refining and ammonia production, supporting IOC’s net-zero goal by 2046. The project aims to decarbonize 500,000–1 million tons of CO2 annually, per IEA estimates, reinforcing India’s clean energy ambitions.

Economically, IOC has finalized the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCoH) at $4–$6 per kilogram, driven by electrolyzer costs ($1,000–$2,000 per kilowatt) and electricity prices ($50–$100 per megawatt-hour), per DOE and BloombergNEF. The $500–$700 million project cost is partially offset by government subsidies under the $2 billion Green Hydrogen Mission, covering 20–30% of capital expenses. Hydrogen will reduce refining costs by $0.50–$1 per barrel, saving $50–$100 million annually for Panipat’s 15 million-ton capacity, but scaling to 100,000 tons requires $5–$10 billion. Demand is secured internally, with IOC’s ammonia and refining units consuming all output, avoiding market risks faced by export-focused projects like Neom’s. The article notes India’s 238.7 MW renewable portfolio (167.6 MW wind, 71.1 MW solar), targeting 31 GW by 2030, ensuring long-term electricity supply.

Technologically, the plant uses alkaline electrolyzers, consuming 50–60 kWh per kilogram at 60–70% efficiency, with challenges in stack durability (30,000 hours) and water treatment, adding $0.10–$0.20 per kilogram, per DOE. Grid integration with renewables requires $10–$20 million in balancing systems. India’s renewable portfolio (238.7 MW, including 167.6 MW wind and 71.1 MW solar) must expand to 31 GW by 2030 to support hydrogen goals. The project’s internal focus positions India to meet 10% of its 5 million-ton hydrogen target by 2030, but limited refueling infrastructure (fewer than 50 stations nationwide) restricts transport applications. While the article emphasizes electrolysis, India’s geological potential and refinery infrastructure could support future exploration of low-CI methods to enhance economics, though this is not addressed in the text.

Globally, these developments underscore hydrogen’s diverse paths, but the U.S. must keep pace. The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R.1), repealing the Section 45V credit but retaining 45Q ($85 per ton of CO2), prioritizes low-CI methods like SMR with CCS and natural hydrogen at $1–$2 per kilogram, undercutting electrolytic hydrogen. ExxonMobil’s Baytown facility, producing 1 billion cubic feet daily by 2028, could export to Europe, competing with Ireland’s output. JCB’s ICE could inspire U.S. manufacturers like Caterpillar, while India’s project highlights the need for U.S. refineries to integrate low-CI hydrogen. By leveraging natural hydrogen pilots like Koloma’s, costing $10–$50 million per site, and methane pyrolysis, the U.S. can challenge global leaders, driving a cost-competitive, low-CI hydrogen economy.

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