New Renewable Fuel May be 3 Times More Powerful Than Gasoline
Monday, June 14th, 2021
The U.S. Department of Energy is now backing continued research of an incredible fuel that has up to three times the energy content of gasoline. More importantly, it could be the only fuel on earth that produces zero emissions when burned. Mentioned in today's commentary includes: Ballard Power Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: BLDP), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Microsoft Corporation(NASDAQ: MSFT), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ).
Until recently, this remarkable fuel was considered too dangerous and expensive to be used commercially…But a new technological breakthrough appears to have made the adoption of this super fuel much more likely. And one little-known company – Headed by an ex NASA Engineer - AmmPower Corp. (AMMP; AMMPF) – appears to be in a very strong position…
In a market that's projected to grow to over $81 billion. Not a bad position to be in when the DOE has expressed its commitment to continued research for the comprehensive development, demonstration, and commercialization of this energy source.
This up-and-coming energy source harnesses the second-most widely usedinorganic chemical in the world…So supply shouldn't be an issue. But getting your hands on the technology that makes this all possible… well we think that is no easy task.
Throughout the history of the energy industry, new--more powerful--sources of energy have started off small … and then come to dominate the industry for a time.
From coal ... to petroleum ... to natural gas... And now, renewables. Each new energy source had a scientific problem to overcome before widespread adoption.
Could This Be The Death Of Lithium?
For decades, lithium had been thought to be the solution to the clean energy movement. Unfortunately, it has been proven that lithium will not be able to provide enough power for long-range trucks... ocean-going freighters... military vehicles...trains… planes... jets, and more.
Why? The story of energy transitions through history has been a constant move toward fuels that are more energy-dense and convenient to use than the fuels they replaced. It simply doesn't appear to have enough power density to become practical for HEAVY industries. But now finally... scientists may be able to harness a NEW renewable replacement that CAN easily power heavy industry.
So, what has nearly 3X more energy than gasoline? And is a widely used inorganic chemical? Hydrogen. But, until now, the technology didn't exist to transport it safely and economically. That's where AmmPower Corp. (AMMP; AMMPF) comes in...
A New $81 Billion Opportunity
After decades of stagnation and multiple false dawns, we think the hydrogen economy now appears primed for a major takeoff. Entire countries and industries are proactively investing in the development of hydrogen technologies. Hydrogen is now being dubbed by some as a 'fuel of the future.'
Bank of America says hydrogen technology is at a tipping point and could be set to explode with a total market potential reaching $11 trillion by 2050. And last year, the European Union set out its new hydrogen strategy… and now, the private sector may be looking to give the EU a run for its money.
Some of the world's green hydrogen leaders have joined hands with an ambitious goal to drive a 50-fold scale-up in green hydrogen production over the next six years.The Green Hydrogen Catapult Initiative is another huge endeavor founded by Saudi clean energy group ACWA Power, Australian project developer CWP Renewables, European energy giants Iberdrola and Ørsted, Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Envision, Italian gas group Snam, and Yara, a Norwegian fertilizer producer.
They aim to drive 25GW of green – easily transportable -- hydrogen production by 2026. That transportation breakthrough could push hydrogen costs below $2/kg, making it competitive with fossil fuels.
The Ammonia Revolution
Liquid ammonia, which is made up of one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms, has a volumetric hydrogen density about 45% higher than that of liquid hydrogen. It also has the advantage of being easy and safe to store. It is ammonia, and the remarkable technological breakthroughs being made by companies like AmmPower (AMMP; AMMPF), that may hold the key to the hydrogen revolution.
AmmPower along with a handful of smaller organizations such as Iceland-based Atmonia and Colorado-based Starfire Energy, may have a clear first-mover advantage as the only companies on the planet developing innovative ways to revolutionize the entire ammonia production process and produce carbon-free ammonia.
The company aims to spearhead catalytic research for optimal ammonia production as well as develop stable and reliable production processes.
Diversification is Everything
AmmPower Corp. (AMMP; AMMPF) says it is building modular, scalable, stackable green ammonia-producing units that are flexible enough to fit a wide array of customers from individual organizations, large marine ports, and distribution hubs. Further, AmmPower reports that it's in the process of securing a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Michigan to develop optimal catalytic reactions that produce green ammonia.
The company that can figure out how to produce economical, carbon-free, and scalable ammonia may have three massive markets to sell to. That's exactly what Ammpower is planning. It's focused on a process that can break water down into hydrogen and oxygen and then add nitrogen from the atmosphere to create ammonia. It's also committed to using carbon-free energy sources.
AmmPower (AMMP; AMMPF) will aim to sell products it develops to these three huge markets: the fertilizer Industry, the fuel industry, and the transport sector. In less than 18 MONTHS from now, the company aims to deliver its first production units and ramp production to facility capacity.
Hydrogen may end up taking over heavy industries. Green ammonia may enable it to do that, and so much more. This could be far bigger than lithium. That means AmmPower is developing technology in a sector on the verge of a massive opportunity. The technology it's developing uses ammonia to safely store and ship hydrogen. And over 120 ports around the world have already built or are in the process of building scalable ammonia handling facilities.
The company is aiming to become a world leader in scalable proprietary production of Green Ammonia, and there couldn't be a better time to harness the potential of this space.
The Hydrogen Boom Is Just Beginning
Ballard Power Systems (BLPD) is a company that manufactures fuel cell systems. The company has been in operation for over 50 years and employs more than 1,000 people globally. Ballard's most recent success was the rollout of their FCveloCity™ product line which utilizes an advanced proton exchange membrane (PEM) technology to provide renewable energy solutions for commercial customers.
Ballard's products are used in multiple industries including transportation, heavy-duty power generation, off-grid telecom towers, and emergency backup power at remote locations where grid connection is not possible or cost-prohibitive. With global demand for clean energy on the rise due to environmental concerns and government mandates, Ballard Power Systems projects continued growth
Amazon (AMZN) is investing big on the transportation of tomorrow too – leading a $700 million investment round in EV startup Rivian before acquiring robo-taxi startup Zoox for over $1 billion. It's also carved out a major investment in an electric airplane startup, Beta, and a hydrogen-powered airline startup ZeroAvia.
All of Amazon's electric and hydrogen investments go hand-in-hand with its lofty renewable energy goals. From powering data centers with green energy to rethinking its entire supply chain, Amazon has proven that it is committed to going green in a big way. And it makes sense. It's what investors want. And as we've seen with Amazon in the past, it truly values shareholder input.
Another giant, Microsoft (MSFT) is also getting into the green energy game. Particularly with a big bet on hydrogen. The company is going all-in on research and development in this new industry, under the hypothesis that green hydrogen could completely change electrical systems that power data centers. And that could be huge news for the company's thriving cloud-computing business.
Mark Monroe, the principal engineer at Microsoft's Datacenter Advanced Development Group, explaining the company's research into hydrogen fuel cells, noted, "Our goal was to scare our engineering group as little as possible by saying that this is just a drop-in diesel generator replacement, so we don't have to change any of the electrical design."
Apple (AAPL) has always been a green energy pioneer in the tech world. And that's largely thanks to Ex-CEO Steve Jobs. He paved the way to a renewable future for the company and the industry as a whole. From the products themselves to the packages they come in, and even the data centers powering them, Jobs went above and beyond to cut the environmental impact of his company.
And now, the $2 trillion tech giant is looking into hydrogen, as well. Apple is already locking down patents and fueling new speculation left and right, from laptop applications to rumors of a partnership with Hyundai. One thing that remains clear, however, is its commitment to a greener tomorrow.
Apple isn't the first to look into hydrogen fuel cells to solve power problems, however. Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) is a veteran in the game. Way back in 2017, it had already been hypothesizing and testing new and exciting ways to utilize hydrogen fuel cells to create carbon-free data centers in a way that wouldn't disrupt current electrical grids.
In a post on its website from 2018, the company wrote, "Hydrogen fuel cells lie at the heart of this strategy. These devices create energy through the electrochemical reaction between air and hydrogen. The electricity produced can be stored in batteries or used to drive an electric motor that powers a vehicle. Daimler and other automotive manufacturers, for example, have been successfully testing fuel cells in cars for many years."