GKN Powder Metallurgy launched a dedicated green hydrogen unit, GKN Hydrogen, on May 11 with a virtual market launch event. GKN Hydrogen is pioneering emission-free, safe and compact all-in-one renewable-energy storage solutions to drive global energy transition. The company’s secure systems generate green hydrogen from fluctuating renewable energy sources, storing it compactly and safely in metal hydride over long periods of time. When needed, the green hydrogen can be used directly or converted back into electricity and heat for a range of applications. The scalable system design allows for maximum versatility, from emergency power backup and off-grid energy supply to maritime transport and large-scale industry.

The Timken Company announced more than $75 million in capital investments through early 2022 to increase the company's renewable-energy capabilities across its global footprint. The company has developed an extensive network of engineering and innovation centers and manufacturing facilities located throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. Timken will use the $75 million investment to: expand its LEED-certified manufacturing facility in Xiangtan, China, where it makes engineered bearings for wind turbines; continue to scale-up its production capacity at sites in Wuxi, China, and Ploiesti, Romania, where Timken manufactures engineered bearings for wind turbines; and consolidate multiple sites into a new, larger campus in Jiangyin, China, to increase production capacity and improve productivity for precision drives used in the solar energy market.

In March, this column discussed the types of fuels used worldwide for electricity generation and where new gas and oil pipelines will be built. In August 2019, we talked about the need for better waste-to-energy (WTE) furnaces, especially those burning municipal trash.