Germany has been granted approval to implement a $1.1 billion program to subsidize the manufacturing of green hydrogen abroad before being imported and sold in the European Union.

The European Commission said it has approved Germany’s ‘H2Global’ program, which is designed to support investments in the production of renewable hydrogen in non-EU countries for import into the EU.

The scheme aims at meeting the EU demand for renewable hydrogen, which is expected to significantly increase in the coming years.

In approving the initiative, the European Commission concluded that H2Global is in line with EU’s State aid rules because it supports projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).

“This German scheme will support projects leading to substantial reductions in greenhouse emissions in line with the EU’s environmental and climate objectives,” said Margrethe Vestager, EU Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy.

She added that the scheme will contribute to addressing the increasing demand for renewable hydrogen by supporting the development of the clean energy parts of the world where it is currently not exploited.

“The design of the scheme will enable only the most cost-effective projects to be supported, reducing costs for taxpayers and minimizing possible distortions of competition,” she noted.

Germany intends to support the ramp-up of clean energy projects across the world, supporting up to 500 MW of electrolyzers to produce some 40,000 tons of green hydrogen per year.

The green hydrogen import initiative expects physical delivery of the first cargo into Germany by the end of 2024 and is expected to run for 10 years starting from the award of the first contract.

The wreck of the last known transatlantic slave ship in the United States is surprisingly intact, despite more than 160 years underwater, according to the archaeologists charged with its preservation.

In 1860, decades after the U.S. banned the transatlantic slave trade, the schooner Clotilda took aboard 110 individuals in West Africa and set sail for Mobile, Alabama.

On arrival, the charterers illegally sold about two dozen of the individuals on board, gave five to eight more to the vessel’s master as payment for his services, and divided the ownership of those who remained.

After the captives were transferred to a steamboat for further transport, the ship was burned in shallow water outside of the port.

Though the crime was quickly discovered and investigated, the outbreak of the Civil War ended any enforcement effort and the perpetrators paid no penalties.

In April 2018, a local reporter found remains of a vessel matching Clotilda’s description outside Mobile.

Archaeologists confirmed that the wreck’s dimensions and general design matched with only one vessel in archival survey records from the period – the Clotilda – and that signs of burnt wreckage at the site matched Clotilda’s fate.

According to the Alabama Historical Commission, the wreck is a uniquely valuable piece of evidence from a difficult period in American history.

Not only is the Clotilda the last known vessel to deliver foreign nationals into slavery in the South – she is also “the only archaeological example of an American slave-trading vessel lost in the context of the transatlantic slave trade.”

The vessel is “substantially intact,” preserved by the soft mud of the Mobile River.

The lower hull, interior bulkheads and compartments are largely still in place, and as much as two-thirds of the original structure is believed to be in good condition.

Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation has announced several new initiatives designed to further support the adoption of ammonia for maritime and other industries.

The company plans to launch an ammonia-fueled dry bulk vessel within the next four years.

They also plan to accelerate development efforts in Singapore through a partnership with Keppel FELS, a subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine.

Sumitomo notes that it has been exploring the opportunities for ammonia to support decarbonization worldwide. Earlier this year the company launched several initiatives supported by an in-house, cross-divisional project team.

In an agreement with Oshima Shipbuilding, they plan to develop their first ammonia-fueled dry bulk carrier to enter service in 2025.

The two companies have been building dry bulk carriers since 1973. The new vessel is projected to be 751 feet long and 106 feet wide with a deadweight of approximately 80,000 tons.

No details were provided on the propulsion system, only noting that the vessel is projected to have a speed of 14.3 knots.

After the completion of the bulk carrier, Sumitomo Corporation says it will own and operate the vessel.

They said it would be available for charter helping users of the ship’s transportation service to reduce their GHG emissions across their supply chains.

Since March 2021, Sumitomo report it has also been exploring the launch of an ammonia supply business to fuel ships in Singapore.

The company has been in discussions with the Singapore government for the development of operating guidelines and the necessary regulations.

The marine applications for ammonia are part of Sumitomo’s broader programs.

They are also exploring hydrogen, ammonia, storage batteries, forest resource and woodchip, and biomass businesses, and other next-generation energy-related businesses.