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Hydrogen

The Top Hydrogen Stocks to Buy for the Renewable Energy Era

November 7, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

In this Article:

  • Technological advancements and falling renewable energy costs have led to a new era of scalable “Green Hydrogen” production.
  • Thanks to its unmatched energy density, hydrogen outplays battery electricity when it comes to range, recharging times and emissions.
  • Hypergrowth investors should take a good hard look at these emerging hydrogen stocks.

Today, electric vehicles are all the rage. They’re at the epicenter of the world’s shift to cut carbon emissions dramatically and rapidly for a cleaner future. But EVs weren’t always at the forefront of the Clean Energy Revolution. Indeed, back in 2003, it was all about hydrogen.

In his 2003 State of the Union address, then-President George W. Bush said, “the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen and [be] pollution-free.”

He was half-right. There are a lot of pollution-free cars out there today. And many children born back in 2003 are driving them. But for the most part, they’re powered by electric batteries, not hydrogen fuel cells.

Where did it go wrong?

In the words of Matthew Blieske, Shell’s (SHEL) global hydrogen product manager, “… there was always something missing.”

The History of Hydrogen

In the early 2000s, hydrogen fuel cells were hyped up for their ability to reduce energy dependence. That was at a time when crude oil prices were north of $50 and rising. But falling oil prices in the late 2000s and early 2010s sapped some of this hype. And it dramatically slowed the Clean Energy Revolution.

Then the world started getting serious about decarbonization again in the back half of the 2010s. And hydrogen was but one of many zero-emission energy sources out there, alongside solar, wind, and electric batteries.

And relative to those other energy sources, hydrogen has proven to be less efficient and more expensive.

That’s because hydrogen, while the most abundant element in the universe, doesn’t exist in its pure form on Earth. So, producing it requires a complex, multi-step process. And that results in significant electricity loss and requires tons of added infrastructure – and dollars.

Not to mention, to offset these extra costs, most companies have turned to producing hydrogen from cheap natural gas. That means that most isn’t zero-emissions at all.

Net-net, hydrogen has gone from being the epicenter of the Clean Energy Revolution to just a niche afterthought.

But that’s all about to change.

The Hydrogen Economy is on the cusp of an enormous tipping point.

For the first time in its choppy history, the time has come for this clean energy source to reign.

[Whitney Tilson: Gold 2.0 Tap Into the Most Lucrative Vein of the SWaB Revolution]

The Drivers Have Arrived

As every country works toward a net-zero emissions target, the global political stage is set for mass decarbonization.

Economies of scale have led to the cost of hydrogen fuel cells dropping 60% over the past decade. Deloitte expects those costs to drop below electric battery and combustion engine costs within just a few years…

Technological advancements and falling renewable energy costs have led to a new era of scalable “Green Hydrogen” production. And now it can be cost-effectively produced from renewable energy sources, like solar and wind.

In other words, all the drivers have finally shown up to the party at the same time.

In the words of Blieske: “[In the past] there was a policy missing, or the technology wasn’t quite ready, or people were not so serious about decarbonization. We don’t see those barriers anymore.”

With those barriers removed, the Hydrogen Economy will tip into its long overdue renaissance in the 2020s. And that will create what Morgan Stanley (MS) sees as an $11 trillion market in the coming decades.

Source: investorplace.com

Where will all this hypergrowth come from?

We’ll see it in high-usage and long-range energy and transportation markets. That’s where hydrogen’s advantages over electric batteries shine brightest.

[Nomi Prins: 10x Gains on a Small Firm Disrupting a Critical American Industry]

The Final Word on Hydrogen Stocks

You see, when it comes to cost, efficiency, safety, and public roads infrastructure, battery electricity wins out. To that extent, battery electricity will likely be the dominant clean energy source for passenger cars and last-mile delivery vans.

But thanks to its unmatched energy density, hydrogen outplays battery electricity when it comes to range, recharging times, and emissions. So, in heavy-usage and long-range situations, hydrogen is best in class. Therefore, those fuel cells will likely be the dominant clean energy source for industry, stationary and cross-country haul.

Think forklifts in warehouses, trucks that travel across the country, and ships that sail across oceans. And what about data centers that have to be “always on”?

Indeed, hydrogen fuel cells are on the cusp of disrupting those industries over the next decade.

Who is at the forefront of this multi-trillion-dollar disruption?

Plug Power (PLUG) is. The company started out supplying hydrogen fuel cells for forklifts to warehouse operators like Walmart (WMT) and Amazon (AMZN). Now Plug Power is morphing into an all-in-one, vertically integrated powerhouse at the epicenter of the Hydrogen Economy.

Needless to say, Plug Power stock is a long-term winner.

But other names are also piquing interest in this hypergrowth space…

Like Ballard Power (BLDP), who’s making hydrogen fuel cells for buses, trucks, and trains. And Bloom Energy (BE) is creating energy “boxes” powered by green hydrogen to help replace grid power.

With these hypergrowth stocks, you have three of the highest-quality plays on the multi-trillion-dollar Hydrogen Revolution. And they’re three stocks that could easily rise several hundred percent in the 2020s.

Hypergrowth investors should take a good hard look at these emerging hydrogen stocks.

On the date of publication, Luke Lango did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

[Whitney Tilson: Gold 2.0 Tap Into the Most Lucrative Vein of the SWaB Revolution]

Read more from Luke Lango at InvestorPlace.com

Filed Under: Hydrogen Tagged With: amazon, Ballard Power, Batteries, Bloom Energy, electric vehicle, energy storage, green hydrogen, hydrogen stocks, Luke Lango, Plug Power, renewable energy, Shell, Walmart

The Hydrogen Economy is on the Cusp of an Enormous Tipping Point

July 11, 2022 By admin Leave a Comment

In this Article

  • Technological advancements and falling renewable energy costs have led to a new era of scalable “Green Hydrogen” production.
  • Thanks to its unmatched energy density, hydrogen outplays battery electricity when it comes to range, recharging times and emissions.
  • Hypergrowth investors should take a good hard look at these emerging hydrogen stocks

Today, electric vehicles are all the rage. They’re at the epicenter of the world’s shift to cut carbon emissions dramatically and rapidly for a cleaner future. But EVs weren’t always at the forefront of the Clean Energy Revolution. Indeed, back in 2003, it was all about hydrogen.

In his 2003 State of the Union address, then-President George W. Bush said, “the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen and [be] pollution-free.”

He was half-right. There are a lot of pollution-free cars out there today. And many children born back in 2003 are driving them. But for the most part, they’re powered by electric batteries, not hydrogen fuel cells.

Where did it go wrong?

In the words of Matthew Blieske, Shell’s (NYSE:SHEL) global hydrogen product manager, “… there was always something missing.”

The History of Hydrogen

In the early 2000s, hydrogen fuel cells were hyped up for their ability to reduce energy dependence. That was at a time when crude oil prices were north of $50 and rising. But falling oil prices in the late 2000s and early 2010s sapped some of this hype. And it dramatically slowed the Clean Energy Revolution.

Then the world started getting serious about decarbonization again in the back half of the 2010s. And hydrogen was but one of many zero-emission energy sources out there, alongside solar, wind, and electric batteries.

And relative to those other energy sources, hydrogen has proven to be less efficient and more expensive.

That’s because hydrogen, while the most abundant element in the universe, doesn’t exist in its pure form on Earth. So, producing it requires a complex, multi-step process. And that results in significant electricity loss and requires tons of added infrastructure – and dollars.

Not to mention, to offset these extra costs, most companies have turned to producing hydrogen from cheap natural gas. That means that most isn’t zero-emissions at all.

Net net, hydrogen has gone from being the epicenter of the Clean Energy Revolution to just a niche afterthought.

But that’s all about to change.

The Hydrogen Economy is on the cusp of an enormous tipping point.

For the first time in its choppy history, the time has come for this clean energy source to reign.

[New Battery Breakthrough: Could Revolutionize the $2 Trillion Automotive Industry]

The Drivers Have Arrived

As every country works toward a net-zero emissions target, the global political stage is set for mass decarbonization.

Economies of scale have led to the cost of hydrogen fuel cells dropping 60% over the past decade. Deloitte expects those costs to drop below electric battery and combustion engine costs within just a few years…

Technological advancements and falling renewable energy costs have led to a new era of scalable “Green Hydrogen” production. And now it can be cost-effectively produced from renewable energy sources, like solar and wind.

In other words, all the drivers have finally shown up to the party at the same time.

In the words of Blieske: “[In the past] there was a policy missing, or the technology wasn’t quite ready, or people were not so serious about decarbonization. We don’t see those barriers anymore.”

With those barriers removed, the Hydrogen Economy will tip into its long overdue renaissance in the 2020s. And that will create what Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) sees as an $11 trillion market in the coming decades.

Source: InvestorPlace

[Exclusive: Company Pioneering this New Battery could be the Investment of a Lifetime]

Where will all this hypergrowth come from?

We’ll see it in high-usage and long-range energy and transportation markets. That’s where hydrogen’s advantages over electric batteries shine brightest.

You see, when it comes to cost, efficiency, safety, and public roads infrastructure, battery electricity wins out. To that extent, battery electricity will likely be the dominant clean energy source for passenger cars and last-mile delivery vans.

But thanks to its unmatched energy density, hydrogen outplays battery electricity when it comes to range, recharging times, and emissions. So, in heavy-usage and long-range situations, hydrogen is best in class. Therefore, those fuel cells will likely be the dominant clean energy source for industry, stationary and cross-country haul.

Think forklifts in warehouses, trucks that travel across the country, and ships that sail across oceans. And what about data centers that have to be “always on”?

Indeed, hydrogen fuel cells are on the cusp of disrupting those industries over the next decade.

Who is at the forefront of this multi-trillion-dollar disruption?

Plug Power (Nasdaq:PLUG) is. The company started out supplying hydrogen fuel cells for forklifts to warehouse operators like Walmart (NYSE:WMT) and Amazon (Nasdaq:AMZN). Now Plug Power is morphing into an all-in-one, vertically integrated powerhouse at the epicenter of the Hydrogen Economy.

Needless to say, Plug Power stock is a long-term winner.

But other names are also piquing interest in this hypergrowth space…

Like Ballard Power (Nasdaq:BLDP), who’s making hydrogen fuel cells for buses, trucks, and trains. And Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE) is creating energy “boxes” powered by green hydrogen to help replace grid power.

With these hypergrowth stocks, you have three of the highest-quality plays on the multi-trillion-dollar Hydrogen Revolution. And they’re three stocks that could easily rise several hundred percent in the 2020s.

Hypergrowth investors should take a good hard look at these emerging hydrogen stocks.

[Exclusive: Andy Snyder – “The New EV Stock Set to Overtake Tesla”]

On the date of publication, Luke Lango did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.

Read more from Luke Lango at InvestorPlace.com

Filed Under: Hydrogen Tagged With: amazon, Ballard Power, Batteries, Bloom Energy, clean energy, electric vehicle, Hydrogen, Luke Lango, Morgan Stanley, Plug Power, Solar, Walmart, wind power, Zero-Emissions

Is The World’s Most Controversial Pipeline About To Pivot To Hydrogen?

April 7, 2021 By admin Leave a Comment

Keeping the position of key energy supplier to the Old Continent comes at a price. And it looks like it’s a price Russia is ready to pay it. Moscow is silently investing in the production of hydrogen, potentially aiming to make it flow through its new Nord Stream 2 pipeline. While the future of the controversial project still fuels debates and uncertainties, Russia decided to adapt to its neighbor's needs for cleaner energy sources, and in particular for hydrogen, which the European Commission put at the forefront of its recovery agenda. 

A dialog between Berlin and Moscow is currently underway to produce green hydrogen on a large scale. That information was revealed during a conference held at the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce on February 16th. But as surprising as it may appear, this narrative is not new. Firstly mentioned in 2018, the hydrogen option for Nord Stream 2 was then put on the table by Uniper who, in March 2020, envisioned the ability of the pipeline to transport up to 80% hydrogen. 

“One of the key arguments against Nord Stream 2 is that adding natural gas contradicts the decarbonization objectives of Europe. Here, Russia's counter-argument is that Nord Stream 2 also has a hydrogen potential, and can fulfill those decarbonization objectives”, according to Luca Franza, a researcher on EU-Russia gas relations. 

The choice of hydrogen investment by Russia can be interpreted as a tactic to make the project more appealing and to change Western countries’ stance on Nord Stream 2 sanctions. But beyond the geopolitical aspect, it raises several questions on its actual feasibility. 

Firstly, will this hydrogen be blue (produced from fossil fuel sources) or green (carbon neutral)? The question is difficult to answer since the EU is not adopting a “color-blind” approach to hydrogen anymore. According to Luca Franza, “Russia has a better comparative advantage along the blue hydrogen value chain: it is, therefore, better positioned to send blue hydrogen rather than green, for which costs are still very high”. 

[Alert: New “Tesla Killer” is The Real Deal and Underlying Stock Only Costs a Few Bucks]

Stephan Weil, prime minister of Lower Saxony State, remains hopeful about Russia’s renewable energy potential for green hydrogen. “Russia can offer giant land potential as a basis to build up solar and wind power, and huge water resources for hydropower,” he commented, quoted by Reuters. However, looking at Russia's current energy mix, the country still relies for more than 60% on coal and natural gas and is far from being a role-model in renewable energy production. 

Moving to a 100% green hydrogen economy implies using blue hydrogen as a transition fuel until at least 2045 when costs are expected to begin to converge. The cooperation framework set between Russia and Germany seems to ignore these considerations and is determined to pursue green hydrogen production. 

The second major question then: how will this hydrogen be transported? 

The first option, and the least realistic one, would be the transportation of just hydrogen through the pipeline. Another solution consists of blending hydrogen with natural gas, but this method has several drawbacks. Regulations on allowed proportions of blending vary per EU member state and can range from 1% in the Netherlands to 8% in Germany under certain conditions. Recently, several MEPs have called for the harmonization of these blending standards, but the goal is far from being achieved. 

Finally, the compatibility between the pipeline materials and the transport of hydrogen is also not that obvious. Research is being carried out on the need to add polypropylene to the pipeline to avoid corrosion. Addressing the leakage issue of hydrogen also becomes a necessity. 

Although technical modalities of the Nord Stream repurposing seem blurry, Russia is not starting entirely ex nihilo in the hydrogen field. In the long run, its ambitions are much larger than the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Guided by the 2024 Hydrogen Roadmap, Russian companies started ramping up investment in clean hydrogen.

Russian energy giant Gazprom started developing the pyrolysis technology, which converts natural gas into hydrogen after heating it up. This technology is less energy-intensive than the electrolysis process, and less polluting than methane reforming, this method has the potential to kill two birds with one stone. The only issue is that it has not been commercially produced on a large scale yet. 

[Don't Wait: Bloomberg Projects New “Tesla Killer” to Crack the Sky “1,000 Times Over”]

Russia's hydrogen production would be divided into two clusters: the North-Western one will transport hydrogen towards Europe, whereas the Eastern one will have Pacific-Asia as a final export destination. In parallel, Rosatom has been tasked with the mission of testing a hydrogen-fueled train in the industrial Sakhalin region. The nuclear company is also looking at the production of hydrogen from nuclear power – an option that is gaining popularity nowadays. It has already received funds from the Russian government for this research. 

However, nothing is less certain than the fact that Russia will be Europe’s most competitive supplier. Moscow does not yet possess sufficient hydrogen production capacity to become price-competitive. Thus, it will not be likely to meet European demand, estimated to reach 700TWh in the “business-as-usual” scenario (or 8% of total energy demand) by 2050 according to the EU Hydrogen Roadmap.

Projections are even more difficult to make in a market that does not yet exist and will be created only based on political will. “We tend to live in the future concerning hydrogen: Europe has ambitious projections concerning hydrogen demand, but we act like we are already there”, says Luca Franza. 

It is also unclear why Europe would prefer importing hydrogen from Russia instead of installing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) capacity for blue hydrogen produced domestically. 

In the end, although this green rebranding of Nord Stream 2 adds another element to the equation between energy security and environmental impact, it will not change the opinion of its traditional opponents, and even less to impact the sanctions imposed on it. 

Tatiana Serova

[Learn More: Brand New “Tesla Killer” Charges in Minutes Instead of Hours, Silences Doubters]

Read more by Tatiana Serova at Oilprice.com

Filed Under: Hydrogen Tagged With: clean energy, natural gas, Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, renewable energy

Plug Power Stock’s Recent Slide Is Based Solely on Short-Sighted Speculation

April 7, 2021 By admin Leave a Comment

PLUG stock is down following a short-seller report on the viability of the hydrogen economy

Shares in hydrogen fuel system company Plug Power (NASDAQ:PLUG) have been a big mover in 2021. However, for the past two months, they’ve been going in the wrong direction. PLUG stock gained 950% in 2020, then started off 2021 with a 127% surge in the first three weeks. It’s been downhill since then, though. PLUG shares are now in a slump. After dropping to the $33 level, they are close to being back to where they were to start the year.

A short seller has been raising doubts about the viability of the hydrogen economy in general. That has scared off a lot of investors. However, the resulting drop in PLUG stock has created a buying opportunity for those who believe in the long-term potential of hydrogen.

It’s also worth noting that Plug Power is not an opportunistic startup with a collection of prototypes. This is an established hydrogen fuel cell company with a 24-year history, proven products and paying customers.  

Naysayers and Short Sellers Cast Doubt on Hydrogen 

Hydrogen stocks, including PLUG stock, were on fire in the second half of 2020 on the strength of President Joe Biden’s Green New Deal. A focus on zero-emission vehicles is good news for electric vehicles (EVs) at the consumer level. But for commercial application, hydrogen fuel cells — which don’t require hours of charging — have proven more popular. Plug Power has a solid business providing zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell forklifts and fueling solutions for commercial warehouses and distribution centers. 

[Alert: New “Tesla Killer” is The Real Deal and Underlying Stock Only Costs a Few Bucks]

However, there has been some controversy over whether that hydrogen can ever be “green.” That would mean the hydrogen would have to be manufactured using renewable energy. The problem is most hydrogen today is not green. It is produced using coal or natural gas and emits CO2. In other words, the hydrogen fuel cell is zero-emission, but producing the required hydrogen fuel is not.

As Barron’s reports, short-seller Kerrisdale Capital Management released a report in January that casts doubt on whether green hydrogen will ever be commercially viable. It also raises concerns that battery technology could improve to the point where it supplants hydrogen fuel cells for warehouse fleets. Both scenarios would be bad news for Plug Power. That report helped to kick off the current slide in PLUG stock.

The Kerrisdale Capital Management report is speculative, of course. There are also many proponents who feel that green hydrogen will become economically viable in less than a decade. And in the meantime, there is an intermediate stage known as blue hydrogen, which employs carbon capture to minimize the environmental impact of hydrogen production.

Positives in 2021 

But it hasn’t been all bad news in 2021 for Plug Power. Far from it.

[Don't Wait: Bloomberg Projects New “Tesla Killer” to Crack the Sky “1,000 Times Over”]

On Jan. 6, Plug announced a strategic partnership with South Korea’s SK Group. That country expects its hydrogen economy to be worth $40 billion by 2040. SK Group is teaming up with Plug Power to provide hydrogen fuel cell systems, hydrogen fueling stations and electrolyzers in the South Korean and Asian markets. The deal includes a $1.5 billion investment in Plug Power by SK Group. That news naturally helped kick off the PLUG stock surge at the start of January.

In addition, Plug released revised earnings guidance that is nothing but good news for investors. On Jan. 26, the company announced it had exceeded 2020 gross billing targets. In addition, it raised billing guidance modestly for 2021 (from $450 million to $475 million), and dramatically hiked its 2024 gross billings target to $1.7 billion.

Bottom Line on PLUG Stock

The second half of 2020 was a stellar period for Plug Power and its investors. A new president determined to bring in a zero-emission economy — and willing to spend big to do so — was nothing but good news for hydrogen stocks. PLUG stock closed 2020 with a gain of 950% for the year. More good news, including closing that big strategic investment from SK Group, helped shares to surge in early 2021, closing at a nearly 20-year high in January.  

Then came a bit of short-term reality in the form of short-seller action, followed by a Q4 earnings and revenue miss. The combination has scared off a lot of investors and knocked PLUG stock down to near where it started 2021.

That short-sighted thinking on an established company that shows big long-term promise has resulted in a real opportunity. The investment analysts polled by The Wall Street Journal get it. They have PLUG rated as overweight. Their average 12-month price target of $62.49 offers 88% upside.

PLUG stock also rates an “A” in Portfolio Grader. And the company now has $5 billion in cash at its disposal to execute on its global growth strategy. That makes Plug Power a pretty tempting way to add green to your portfolio — with growth, and in support of zero-emission technology. 

Louis Navellier and the InvestorPlace Research Staff

[Learn More: Brand New “Tesla Killer” Charges in Minutes Instead of Hours, Silences Doubters]

Read more by Louis Navellier at InvestorPlace.com

Filed Under: Hydrogen Tagged With: Green New Deal, hydrogen stocks, PLUG

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