- FN Media Group Presents Oilprice.com Market Commentary
The worldwide shift toward cleaner, greener energy sources once again appears to be picking up speed. While the world’s focus on climate change understandably took a backseat to the Covid-19 pandemic for most of the past 18 months, that focus on climate change has started to return in a powerful way.
Mentioned in today’s commentary includes Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE: HMC), General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CHPT), Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK).
In fact, our transition into a post-pandemic environment is triggering a number of significant opportunities in the green energy space. Much of the early attention of the clean energy movement was focused on lithium thanks to the heavy attention paid to the electric vehicle markets.
But a stark reality has emerged for lithium in that it has become increasingly obvious that lithium may not be able to provide enough power to support a full transition of heavier industries to clean and sustainable energy sources.
Many of these “heavy” industries – including the maritime and shipping industries – have already begun to search for alternatives that can help power a sustainable future. One of those alternative energy sources – which appears to have the potential to provide a tremendous amount of industrial power – may be something you had never considered: ammonia.
Ammonia Could Be a key “Fuel of the Future”
The experts at Chemical & Engineering News have called ammonia a fuel of the future that may be “a perfect commodity for a future hydrogen economy.” And one company could emerge as a leader in the rapidly-growing Green Ammonia space.
Offering early exposure and a possible first-mover advantage for investors. That company is AmmPower (AMMP; AMMPF).
AmmPower is a Canadian company aiming to provide large and medium-sized ammonia-producing units for industry, manufacturing, heavy equipment operators, maritime, and shipping.
In other words, AmmPower is looking to positioning itself as an early leader in supplying Green Ammonia to those industries that need it most. And make no mistake – the global ammonia industry is at this very moment in the early stages of a potentially massive growth phase thanks to ammonia’s extraordinary potential as a clean energy alternative.
Ammonia May Hold 9 Times the Energy of Lithium-Ion Batteries
Before diving into what we think are AmmPower’s (AMMP; AMMPF) bold steps forward in this rapidly-growing industry, let’s take a step back to examine ammonia’s potential as an energy source.
Ammonia, of course, is a compound made of nitrogen and hydrogen – with a chemical formula of NH3. It is produced naturally in the human body and in nature – in water, soil, and air…even in tiny bacteria molecules. Of course, ammonia’s main use – at least at the present time – is in fertilizer. But it may be rapidly emerging as a potentially game-changing source of clean energy.
Chemical & Engineering News reports that, “ammonia could come to the (climate change) rescue by capturing, storing, and shipping hydrogen for use in emission-free fuel cells and turbines. Efforts are also underway to combust ammonia directly in power plants and ship engines.”[i]
The potential for ammonia to play a significant role in the global transition to cleaner energy sources appears to be gaining recognition on a wider scale. The industry analysts at Fior Markets project that the global ammonia market is expected to continue its growth, reaching a potential USD $81.42 billion by 2025.
In addition, a joint venture in oil-rich Saudi Arabia has announced plans to invest $5 billion into a hydrogen-based ammonia facility powered by renewable energy…And an Oman-India JV has announced plans for a $2.5 billion green ammonia project in the Duqm SEZ.
Ammonia’s Potential in the Marine Industry
The global marine industry is a large, readily available market that has already begun turning to ammonia to help meet its energy needs. Shipowners and industry analysts alike say they expect ammonia may play a pivotal role in the de-carbonization of cargo ships, which aim to reduce emissions by 50% from 2008 levels by 2050.
The future of energy for the global shipping industry looks clear – and it could be heavily dependent upon ammonia. With a commitment to a significant reduction in carbon emissions, that means the clock is ticking.
Ammonia’s potential as both a fuel source and as a way to transport hydrogen means that investors could see significant opportunities in those companies who establish early leadership positions in the ammonia space. And that’s precisely what AmmPower (AMMP; AMMPF) is aiming to do.
Developing Effective, Efficient Production of Green Ammonia
So, what steps are they taking that could help establish the company as an early mover in the rapidly-growing ammonia market? AmmPower is working on the development of a potentially proprietary technology to produce “green ammonia,” a potential carbon-free energy source. The company’s research and development team has already begun its important work toward the development of a proprietary production process for green ammonia.
AmmPower’s R&D team is led by Dr. V.I. Lucky Lakshmanan Ph.D., FCAE., MIMM., FCIM and has an experienced track record. They are aiming to develop intellectual property and file patents in the areas of Green Ammonia units, retro-fit technology and an optimized chemical production process for green ammonia.
AmmPower (AMMP; AMMPF) is already making major moves in the space. In addition to searching for a manufacturing facility in Michigan…This facility could offer large manufacturing capabilities and large power capacity for onsite ammonia production and experimentation.
In addition, the facility may be able to physically expand into larger manufacturing space as required by customer demand and scientific success. The company’s research and development was further enhanced by the recent announcement of an R&D agreement with Process Research Ortech, Inc.
As part of this partnership, AmmPower will work with Ortech to explore possible techniques to improve the efficiency of ammonia synthesis process by incorporating new additives and catalysts to the production process and testing different methodologies to improve ammonia formation conditions.
In doing so, they hope to develop a cleaner and more economically efficient ammonia production process. With critical research and development work already starting, we think AmmPower is moving quickly to take advantage of the potential for Green Ammonia as a significant clean energy source.
Hydrogen Is Fueling The Future Of Transportation
Major automakers haven’t been able to ignore the green energy revolution, either. Ford (F) especially. Ford’s most exciting venture into alternative transportation has definitely been in its EV investments, including plans to create an electric cargo van and the launch of a plug-in version of their bestseller F-150 pickup truck. While Tesla’s still-to-be-released Cyber Truck boasts higher specs, the announcement of the iconic F-150 electric model has been very well received, and it has been reflected in Ford’s stock price.
That’s not all Ford is doing, however. It’s also on the cusp of innovation on hydrogen, as well. In fact, it has even unveiled the world’s first-ever fuel cell hybrid plugin electric vehicle, the Ford Edge HySeries.
Honda Motors (HMC) is another car company that’s well recognized across the globe. It was founded by Soichiro Honda in 1948. They are an international corporation with their headquarters located in Tokyo, Japan. Honda Motors has been ranked as one of the world’s most valuable automobile manufacturers since 2011 and has produced more than 25 million cars worldwide.
Though Honda doesn’t capture as much of the fuel cell market as Hyundai or Toyota, it’s still worth keeping an eye on. As the third-largest producer of hydrogen vehicles, it stands to win big as even more money flows into this exciting new industry. Especially with President Joe Biden’s up-coming multi-trillion-dollar green energy push.
General Motors (GM) is one of the world’s most well-recognized and popular auto manufacturers, and they are now branching out into manufacturing electric cars. Though General Motors has been around for a long time, this new venture is an exciting step in their company’s history. They are working hard to create cars that are environmentally friendly and will offer drivers a better overall driving experience.
General Motors is set to invest $27 billion in EVs over the next five years. It used the Superbowl for its breakout. Now, it’s mainstreaming them as the all-American car choice. And that’s just the beginning.
At this point, the demand for electric vehicles has been ramping up steadily for years. But as we’re approaching the tipping point, we’ve seen a major problem take shape. And that’s where Chargepoint (CHPT) comes in, one of the largest charging station networks in the country.
This leading EV infrastructure player went public just a few months ago through one of the market’s hottest trends. That made them the first EV charging stock to have gone public via a reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. When it comes to the supercharged Level 2 EV charging stations, ChargePoint is the clear leader in the industry.
The boom in electric vehicle success has also fueled a boom in other EV-related companies. Blink (BLNK), for example, an electric vehicle charging company, has risen by over 300% in just a few months, and the sky is the limit for this up-and-comer. Blink Charging really is a mature company, having been around since 1998. Its unique proposition is that many of the company’s charging stations are found in practical locations, such as airports and hotels, making it convenient for drivers to charge up while waiting on flights or in their rooms.
Blink has also been particularly active inking new deals, including 26 dual-port Level 2 IQ 200 EV charging stations at key Burger King locations across the Northeast; 20 Blink-owned IQ 200 electric vehicle charging services with Illinois’ Blessing Health, and an exclusive seven-year agreement with Lehigh Valley Health Network for the former to own and operate charging stations across the health network’s extensive portfolio of locations.
Source: The Fuel Of The Future That’s 9 Times More Efficient Than Lithium, Rick Sidthorp
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