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Air Liquide and Hyundai ink partnership to scale hydrogen economy

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Air Liquide and Hyundai agreed to expand hydrogen refuelling networks, storage capacity and more at a meeting in Seoul last week. Photo courtesy Air Liquide.

Air Liquide, which maintains its U.S. headquarters in Houston, and South Korea-based Hyundai Motor Group are expanding their strategic partnership to accelerate the growth of the global hydrogen ecosystem.

The renewal of the companies’ Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was announced at the Hydrogen Council CEO Summit in Seoul last week. Together, the companies will work to scale hydrogen production, storage, transportation and utilization across Europe, Korea and the United States with a concentration on heavy-duty transport, logistics and public transportation.

Hyundai hopes Air Liquide's technical expertise will help contribute to more sustainable energy and carbon neutrality.

The companies plan to develop hydrogen refueling networks and storage capacity that can meet growing demands. They also plan to commercialize fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) for diverse applications like public transportation, logistics fleets and ports.

"We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Hyundai Motor Group,” Armelle Levieux, vice president of innovation, electronics and hydrogen at Air Liquide, said in a news release. “Collaborations like this between leaders across the value chain are essential to building the hydrogen economy.”

The partnership has already shown strong progress in South Korea, according to the companies, with Hyundai rolling out more than 2,000 hydrogen buses and 37,000 passenger fuel cell vehicles, with more expected by 2026. Additionally, Air Liquide has boosted supply capabilities in the region with the new state-of-the-art high-pressure hydrogen filling center, Lotte-Air Liquide Ener’Hy, in Daesan, an industrial hub near Seoul.

Air Liquide and Hyundai previously signed an MoU in 2018, along with other major South Korean players, agreeing to grow the hydrogen economy.

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LG Chem’s Tennessee cathode plant, which began construction in December 2023, is designed for an annual production capacity of 60,000 tons and provides strategic geographic access for customer deliveries and raw material imports. Rendering via ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil names new partner to bolster US lithium supply chain with offtake agreement

ev supplies en route

Spring-headquartered ExxonMobil Corp. has announced a new MOU for an offtake agreement for up to 100,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate.

The agreement is with LG Chem, which is building its cathode plant in Tennessee and expects it to be the largest of its kind in the country. The project broke ground a year ago and expects an annual production capacity of 60,000 tons. The lithium will be supplied by ExxonMobil.

“America needs secure domestic supply of critical minerals like lithium,” Dan Ammann, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions, says in a news release. “ExxonMobil is proud to lead the way in establishing domestic lithium production, creating jobs, driving economic growth, and enhancing energy security here in the United States.”

The industry currently has a lithium supply shortage due to the material's use in electric vehicle batteries and the fact that most of production happens overseas.

“Building a lithium supply chain with ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest energy companies, holds great significance,” Shin Hak-cheol, CEO of LG Chem, adds. “We will continue to strengthen LG Chem’s competitiveness in the global supply chain for critical minerals.”

Per the release, the final investment decision is still pending.

Earlier this year, Exxon entered into another energy transition partnership, teaming up with Japan’s Mitsubishi to potentially produce low-carbon ammonia and nearly carbon-free hydrogen at ExxonMobil’s facility in Baytown.

Last month, the company announced it had signed the biggest offshore carbon dioxide storage lease in the U.S. ExxonMobil says the more than 271,000-acre site, being leased from the Texas General Land Office, complements the onshore CO2 storage portfolio that it’s assembling.

The two entities will collaborate on work focused on "fields of energy and climate; quantum computing and artificial intelligence; global health and medicine; and urban futures." Photo via Rice University

Houston university inks partnership with giant French research institution

team work

Rice University and Université Paris Sciences & Lettres signed a strategic partnership agreement last week that states that the two institutions will work together on research on some of today's most pressing subject matters.

According to an announcement made on May 13 in Paris, the two schools and research hubs will collaborate on work focused on "fields of energy and climate; quantum computing and artificial intelligence; global health and medicine; and urban futures."

The partnership allows Rice to expand its presence in France, after launching its Rice Global Paris Center about two years ago.

Université PSL consists of 11 top research institutes in France and 2,900 world-class researchers and 140 research laboratories.

“We are honored and excited to partner with Paris Sciences and Lettres University and join forces to advance bold innovation and find solutions to the biggest global challenges of our time,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches said in a statement. “The unique strengths and ambitions of our faculty, students, scholarship and research are what brings us together, and our passion and hope to build a better future for all is what will drive our partnership agenda. Representing two distinct geographic, economic and cultural regions known for ingenuity and excellence, Rice and PSL’s efforts will know no bounds.”

Rice and Université PSL plan to host conferences around the four research priorities of the partnership. The first took place last week at the Rice Global Paris Center. The universities will also biannually select joint research projects to support financially.

“This is a global and cross-disciplinary partnership that will benefit from both a bottom-up, research-driven dynamic and a top-down commitment at the highest level,” PSL President Alain Fuchs said in a statement. “The quality and complementarity of the researchers from PSL and Rice who mobilized for this event give us reason to believe that this partnership will get off to a rapid and productive start. It will offer a strong framework to all the PSL schools for developing collaborations within their areas of strength and their natural partners at Rice.”

Rice launched its Rice Global Paris Center in June 2022 in a historic 16th-century building in Le Marais. At the time it, the university shared that it was intended to support Rice-organized student programs, independent researchers, and international conferences, as well as a satellite and hub for other European research activity.

"Rice University's new home in the Marais has gone from an idea to a mature relative with a robust program of faculty research summits, student opportunities, cultural events and community engagement activities," Caroline Levander, Rice's global Vice President, said at the announcement of the partnership last week.

Click here to learn more about the Global Paris Center.

Last month, University of Houston also signed a memorandum of understanding with Heriot-Watt University in Scotland to focus on hydrogen energy solutions.

UH President Renu Khator (right) and Principal, Vice-Chancellor and Professor of HWU Richard A. Williams signed the memorandum earlier this month. Photo via UH.edu

UH inks international partnership for hydrogen solutions

mou for hou

The University of Houston and Heriot-Watt University in Scotland signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this month that celebrates an official partnership between the schools in education, research and innovation for the energy transition.

The universities will particularly focus on hydrogen energy solutions, according to a statement from UH.

"I am thrilled to witness the official celebration of our shared commitment to advancing transformative energy solutions,” Ramanan Krishnamoorti, vice president for energy and innovation at UH, says in a statement. “Through this partnership, we aim to harness our collective expertise to address pressing energy challenges and drive sustainable innovation on a global scale."

UH President Renu Khator and Principal, Vice-Chancellor and Professor of HWU Richard A. Williams signed the memorandum on April 11. Faculty members from UH and HWU then held a two-day technology workshop in Houston where the teams discussed areas of collaboration and future projects.

Through the partnership, the schools aim to offer more opportunities for students and faculty via interdisciplinary research, student exchange programs, joint degree offerings and industry partnerships around the world. HWU, for instance, has five campuses throughout Scotland, the UAE and Malaysia.

“This agreement represents a pivotal milestone in the international development of our global research institutes, forging a new partnership to address the most pressing societal challenges that lie ahead,” Gillian Murray, deputy principal of business and enterprise at HWU who attended the signing, adds in the statement.

Houston has been a hub for notable partnerships focused on the energy transition in recent months.

The Greater Houston Partnership and the Houston Energy Transition Initiative announced last month during CERAWeek that they had signed a memorandum of understanding with Argonne National Laboratory, a federally-funded research and development facility in Illinois owned by the United States Department of Energy and run by UChicago Argonne LLC of the University of Chicago.

The partnership aims to spur the development of commercial-scale energy transition solutions.

The GHP and HETI announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Argonne National Laboratory, a a federally-funded research and development facility in Illinois. Photo via Getty Images

HETI to partner with national research organization to promote energy transition innovation in Houston

team work

A new partnership between the Greater Houston Partnership and Argonne National Laboratory has been established to spur development of commercial-scale energy transition solutions.

The GHP and the Houston Energy Transition Initiative, or HETI, announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Argonne National Laboratory, a federally-funded research and development facility in Illinois. The lab is owned by the United States Department of Energy and run by UChicago Argonne LLC of the University of Chicago.

“The U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories have long been the backbone of research, development, and demonstration for the energy sector," Bobby Tudor, CEO of Artemis Energy Partners and Chair of HETI, says in a news release. "The Partnership and HETI, working with our industry members, business community and top research and academic institutions, in collaboration with Argonne, will work across our energy innovation ecosystem to drive this critical effort for our region.”

The partnership, announced at HETI House at CERAWeek by S&P Global, is intended to provide resources and collaboration opportunities between Houston's energy innovation ecosystem — from corporates to startups — to "accelerate the translation, evaluation and pre-commercialization of breakthrough carbon reduction technologies," per the news release.

“A decarbonization center of excellence in Houston is the missing link in the region’s coordinated approach to advancing critical energy transition technologies needed to mitigate the risks associated with climate change, while also promoting economic growth and job creation for the region,” Tudor continues.

Established in 1946, Argonne works with universities, industry, and other national laboratories on large, collaborative projects that are expected to make a big impact on the energy transition.

“Partnerships are essential to realizing net zero goals,” Argonne Director Paul Kearns adds. “We are pleased to extend DOE national laboratory expertise and work with HETI to focus the region’s considerable energy and industrial assets, infrastructure, and talent on broad commercial deployment of needed technologies.”

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Houston geothermal companies secure more than $45M in DOE funding

geothermal boost

Three Houston-based companies—Fervo Energy, Quaise Energy and XGS Energy—have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to advance geothermal technologies and field tests.

Combined, the companies will receive more than $45 million in funding from the DOE's Next-Generation Geothermal Field Tests and Geothermal Resource Characterization and Confirmation initiative. The projects were among 21 selected from around the country to receive a total of $99 million.

Fervo was selected to conduct two projects under the initiative for approximately $20 million in funding. For the first project, the geothermal unicorn, which achieved first power at its flagship geothermal plant last week, will drill and complete enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) wells in Elmore County, Idaho, and will deploy high-temperature seismic monitoring technology at record-high temperatures at or above 200°C.

For the second project, the company will conduct an appraisal drilling campaign at a "high-priority" site in Humboldt County, Nevada, to confirm if the reservoir is suitable for EGS development.

“We are grateful to the Department of Energy for funding these grants. We believe this is a clear indication from the federal government that expanding geothermal energy to new states is a national priority,” Jack Norbeck, CTO and co-founder of Fervo Energy, said in a news release. “We expect this funding to accelerate Fervo’s pipeline and advance the cutting edge of geothermal technologies.”

Fresh off a $180 million Series B, Quaise Energy also received $25 million in DOE funding through the initiative to support its Project Obsidian super hot geothermal plant in Central Oregon. The funding will go toward the analysis of the drilling, stimulation and flow results of the first two wells at the Project Obsidian site, which will help the company optimize its third well on site.

“This DOE support is a recognition of what we are building at Quaise and the progress we are making in the field, including the confirmation well currently being drilled at Project Obsidian,” Carlos Araque, CEO and president of Quaise, said in a release. “Our ambition has always been to make superhot geothermal a commercial reality, and Project Obsidian is where we first deliver on that promise.”

XGS Energy, which recently relocated its headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Houston, was also selected for an exploration drilling project. The company will drill a deep vertical appraisal well in Socorro County, New Mexico, to determine if the site is a viable source of geothermal energy. XGS had not disclosed a funding estimate at press time.

The full value of the proposed DOE funding is subject to completion of award negotiations, according to Quaise.

Data from these projects will be shared through DOE’s Geothermal Data Repository (GDR), providing valuable information to researchers and stakeholders in the geothermal sector.

“This is an excellent example of how public and private entities can partner together to scale critical energy technologies,” Tim Latimer, CEO and co-founder of Fervo, added in a release. “With this funding, the Department of Energy is making important investments to help Americans across the country gain access to clean, affordable geothermal energy.”

Other geothermal companies and institutions from around the country will complete the 17 remaining projects. They include:

  • Denver-based 400C Energy Inc.
  • Salt Lake City-based AlterG Resources
  • Denver-based DAVINCI EP LLC
  • Anchorage-based GeoAlaska LLC
  • Oklahoma City-based GreenFire Energy Inc.
  • Virginia-based Hexagon Energy LLC
  • Virginia-based INTEK Inc.
  • Chicago-based Invenergy Geothermal Development LLC
  • Massachusetts-based LiPower Geothermal LLC
  • Fort Worth-based Oriah Geothermal LLC
  • Reno-based Raser Power Systems LLC
  • Santa Fe-based San Ildefonso Services LLC
  • Salt Lake City-based The University of Utah
  • Reno-based TLS Geothermics Corp.
  • Salt Lake City-based Zanskar Geothermal and Minerals

Read more about the full list of projects here.

CenterPoint gets $50M DOE grant to improve Houston power grid

grid grant

A $50 million federal grant will help Houston-based CenterPoint Energy strengthen Houston’s power grid.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grant will support power substation upgrades in the Houston area.

“Our mission is to build the most resilient coastal grid in the nation for the 2.9 million customers we proudly serve in the greater Houston area … [The grant] will directly fund industry-leading technology improvements that are expected to strengthen resiliency, reliability, and meet the growing energy needs of our region,” Jason Ryan, CenterPoint Energy’s executive vice president for regulatory services and government affairs, said in a release.

CenterPoint says the project will make it one of the first U.S. utilities to install Siemens Energy’s grid-stabilizing technology.

The project will create more than 500 construction and installation jobs, CenterPoint says.

“Generations of CenterPoint customers and families in the region will benefit from the advanced technology this grant is funding,” said Kathleen Jackson, a member of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. “And any time companies make improvements like this to their systems, the long-term impact is making the entire grid stronger for Texans.”

The $176.7 million substation project is part of CenterPoint’s Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative, which launched in 2024.

So far, the initiative has:

  • Installed nearly 82,400 storm-resilient poles and equipment
  • Trimmed and cleared more than 13,700 miles of trees and vegetation near power lines
  • Added nearly 820 grid automation and intelligence devices
  • Put more than 880 miles of power lines underground

The initiative kicked off three years after Winter Storm Uri. CenterPoint received harsh criticism for what customers complained was the utility’s slow response to the 2021 storm. Uri caused a massive power outage and at least 246 deaths across Texas.

CenterPoint blamed the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the power grid for most Texans, for not supplying the utility with enough electricity during and after the storm.

EnergyTech Cypher names 7 startup winners from Pilotathon pitch event

startup spotlight

Houston Energy and Climate Week was full of fast-paced pitches and inspiring technology, showcased during some of the week's signature events.

EnergyTech Cypher's annual Piloathon and Startup Showcase was one of the places to be, bringing together 16 pilot-ready startups to present their best seven-minute pitches before investors, plus 52 companies that demonstrated their technologies on the showcase floor.

"This year's cohort raised the bar," Nada Ahmed, co-founder of EnergyTech Cypher, shared in a news release. "Working with these founders through the pitch preparation process, we saw firsthand the depth of technology and commercial readiness they brought to the stage. Three ties in four categories says it all."

Seven startups took home top honors in various categories, all under this year's theme of "The NEW Energy Industrial Revolution," with three categories ending in a tie. Judges included leaders from Baker Tilly, NRG Energy, Shell, Aramco Ventures, Baker Hughes, Avatar Innovations, Kanin Energy, NoviDigiTech, aiCTO Services, and the FIFA World Cup Houston Committee.

Here's who won in their respective categories:

Future of Industrial Work: Houston-based BigMachine AI, an AI engineer for industrial projects, and Oslo, Norway-based OTee, an automation machinery manufacturer. Otee was also named one of the 10 most-promising startups at the Rice Alliance Energy Tech Venture Forum during HECW.

Industrial Decarbonization: Berkeley-based Oleo, which is developing a biomanufacturing platform to transform biomass waste into carbon-negative, cost-competitive oil feedstocks for advanced fuels

Grid Infrastructure and Distributed Energy: Edinburgh-based Mocean Energy, which works to deliver renewable ocean energy to power offshore industry, and Tulsa-based RyuGen Energy Solutions Inc., which works to turn underused commercial power into distributed AI infrastructure

Critical Minerals and Resource Security: Houston-based Resollant, which is working to produce battery-grade graphite and ultra-low-cost hydrogen, and Berkeley-based Sunchem, which provides precision separation of critical metals from sources including e-waste, evaporator scrap, solar panels, and mining ores and concentrates.

Last year, the Pilotathon named eight winners from the competition, which focused on the theme of "Energy Access and Resilience." See the winners here.

EnergyTech Cypher rebranded from EnergyTech Nexus earlier this year. The energy transition hub also launched Cephyron, EnergyTech Cypher's new investor relationship management platform, built specifically for energy and climatech founders.

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