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China Sets Green Hydrogen Target for 2025, Eyes Widespread Use

A Chinese flag flutters outside the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing, China February 24, 2022. (Reuters)
A Chinese flag flutters outside the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing, China February 24, 2022. (Reuters)
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China Sets Green Hydrogen Target for 2025, Eyes Widespread Use

A Chinese flag flutters outside the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing, China February 24, 2022. (Reuters)
A Chinese flag flutters outside the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing, China February 24, 2022. (Reuters)

China's top economic planner announced a target on Wednesday to produce up to 200,000 tons per year of green hydrogen, a zero-carbon fuel generated from renewable energy sources, by 2025, but envisions a more widespread industry over the long term.

The country aims to produce 100,000 tons to 200,000 tons of green hydrogen a year and have about 50,000 hydrogen-fueled vehicles by 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said in a statement.

China, the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has been striving to balance energy security and achieve its climate change goals, and is focusing on hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions from its transportation and industrial sectors.

Green hydrogen is gas produced from breaking down water in electrolysis using renewable energy sources, reducing the amount of carbon emissions released during the process compared to hydrogen created from natural gas or coal.

"Development of hydrogen is an important move for energy transition and a great support for China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals," said Wang Xiang, the deputy director of the High Technology Department at the NDRC, at a press briefing.

China currently produces 33 million tons of hydrogen a year, with about 80% of hydrogen coming from coal and natural gas, and the rest mainly a by-product from industrial sectors, according to the government.

Data from the China Hydrogen Alliance, an industrial association, shows the country produced 500,000 tons of hydrogen from water electrolysis in 2019.

Wang said that even though most of China's hydrogen is produced from fossil fuels, the potential of green hydrogen is huge since the country has the world's largest renewable power capacity.

The NDRC statement said that China aims to establish a complete hydrogen industry covering transportation, energy storage and industrial sectors, and "significantly improve" the portion of green hydrogen in China's energy consumption by 2035.

The China Hydrogen Alliance has estimated China's hydrogen demand will reach 35 million tons per year by 2030, from 20 million tons now, and reach 60 million tons by 2050.

Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells and in internal combustion engines.

High production costs are one of the major obstacles impeding hydrogen development. Analysts estimate that hydrogen prices would need to halve in order to compete with gasoline and diesel.

The NDRC called for a rational layout of hydrogen projects based on resources and market demand to avoid disorderly competition.

"Local government will be strictly forbidden to blindly follow the trend of hydrogen project construction and will be prevented from building low-end projects in order to avoid the waste of resources," said Wang.

Almost all provinces and regions in China have included hydrogen into their development plans.

Some major Chinese companies in the energy, auto and metallurgy sectors, such as Sinopec, Baosteel and GCL, have also expanded their businesses to include hydrogen production, using natural gas and renewable energy, building hydrogen filling stations and using hydrogen in steelmaking and transportation.

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Caffeinated Beverages May Help Protect the Brain, Study Says

A cup of coffee and a cappuccino are seen at a Juan Valdez store in Bogota, Colombia June 5, 2019. (Reuters)
A cup of coffee and a cappuccino are seen at a Juan Valdez store in Bogota, Colombia June 5, 2019. (Reuters)
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Caffeinated Beverages May Help Protect the Brain, Study Says

A cup of coffee and a cappuccino are seen at a Juan Valdez store in Bogota, Colombia June 5, 2019. (Reuters)
A cup of coffee and a cappuccino are seen at a Juan Valdez store in Bogota, Colombia June 5, 2019. (Reuters)

Drinking a few cups of caffeinated coffee or tea every day may help in a small way to preserve brain power and prevent dementia, researchers reported on Monday.

People with the highest daily intake of caffeinated coffee had an 18% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those with the lowest such intake, according to a study based on responses to questionnaires by 132,000 U.S. adults spanning four decades.

The study, published in JAMA, also found that the people with the highest intake had a lower rate - by nearly 2 percentage points - of ‌self-perceived memory ‌or thinking problems compared to those with ‌the ⁠lowest intake.

Results were ‌similar with caffeinated tea, but not with decaffeinated beverages, the researchers said.

While the findings are encouraging, the study does not prove caffeine helps protect the brain, they said.

The magnitude of caffeine's effect, if any, was small, and there are other better-documented ways to protect cognitive function as people age, study leader Dr. Daniel Wang ⁠of Harvard Medical School said in a statement.

Lifestyle factors linked with lower risks of ‌dementia include physical exercise, a healthy diet ‍and adequate sleep, according to previous ‍research.

"Our study suggests that caffeinated coffee or tea consumption can ‍be one piece of that puzzle," Wang said.

The findings were most pronounced in participants who consumed two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of caffeinated tea daily, the researchers reported.

Those who drank caffeinated coffee also showed better performance on some objective tests of cognitive function, according to the ⁠study funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Further research is needed to validate the factors and mechanisms responsible for the findings, the researchers said.

They noted that bioactive ingredients in coffee and tea such as caffeine and polyphenols have emerged as possible factors that reduce nerve cell inflammation and damage while protecting against cognitive decline.

"We also compared people with different genetic predispositions to developing dementia and saw the same results - meaning coffee or caffeine is likely equally beneficial for people with high and low genetic risk of developing ‌dementia," study coauthor Dr. Yu Zhang of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said in a statement.

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AlUla Announces Exceptional Ramadan Experiences

These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience - SPA
These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience - SPA
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AlUla Announces Exceptional Ramadan Experiences

These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience - SPA
These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience - SPA

AlUla Governorate is welcoming the holy month of Ramadan this year with a wide range of diverse tourism experiences that reflect the area’s distinctive character and rich cultural heritage, reinforcing its position as one of the Kingdom’s most prominent destinations to visit during the holy month.

During Ramadan, AlUla offers an integrated experience catering to different visitor preferences, including guided stargazing experiences, cultural events, and night markets, in addition to traditional dining experiences for Iftar and Suhoor, embodying the depth of AlUla’s cultural heritage and local identity.

The Ramadan programs in AlUla include a variety of standout events, such as Ramadan experiences at Maraya Hall, a cultural market, and live performances in the atmosphere of Ashar Valley, alongside heritage tours in AlUla Old Town that narrate stories of AlUla and its Ramadan customs, including the award-winning Incense Road Experience, SPA reported.

The programs also feature seasonal art exhibitions hosted across multiple cultural venues, including Design Space AlUla, the fourth edition of Desert X AlUla, and the Arduna exhibition at AlUla Oasis, in addition to experiences combining art, nature, and stargazing at Daimumah Oasis in collaboration with AlUla Manara.

Visitors are also offered tours to prominent archaeological sites, including Hegra, Dadan, and Jabal Ikmah, to explore ancient sites dating back centuries BCE and view unique rock inscriptions, as well as adventure experiences ranging from dinner and stargazing in Sharaan, hot-air balloon rides, mountain hiking trails, and safari tours.

These programs come as part of efforts to enhance AlUla’s tourism experience during the holy month of Ramadan and provide diverse options that meet visitor expectations, contributing to the growth of tourism activity and showcasing the governorate’s natural and cultural assets.

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NCW Releases over 10,000 Animals under Reintroduction Programs

The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species - SPA
The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species - SPA
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NCW Releases over 10,000 Animals under Reintroduction Programs

The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species - SPA
The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species - SPA

The National Center for Wildlife (NCW) announced that the total number of wildlife animals released under its breeding and reintroduction programs for locally threatened species has exceeded 10,000 animals, an achievement reflecting the scale of the center’s sustained efforts to develop wildlife, restore ecosystems, and enhance biodiversity across various regions of the Kingdom.

The releases carried out by the center over the past years included more than 80 priority wildlife species, including reem gazelles (sand gazelles), Arabian oryx, Idmi gazelles, mountain ibex, houbara bustards, ostriches, and sandgrouse, as part of efforts aimed at supporting the recovery of natural populations of these species and enhancing their sustainability within their environmental and historical ranges, SPA reported.

CEO of NCW Dr. Mohammad Qurban noted that release operations are among the key tools for restoring ecosystems and reducing ecological imbalance, as the return of wildlife to their natural habitats contributes to protecting biodiversity and improving environmental quality, which in turn supports habitat integrity, the continuity of plant and animal components, and the enhancement of ecosystem functions over the long term.

NCW continues to implement its strategic plans to develop wildlife, protect endangered species, and enhance the efficiency of natural habitat management through expanding breeding programs, enhancing applied scientific research, building national capacities, and applying the best international practices in biodiversity management, in addition to raising environmental awareness, engaging local communities, and supporting eco-tourism, thereby contributing to achieving the objectives of the Saudi Green Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030, and the National Environment Strategy, toward thriving and sustainable wildlife, biodiversity, and ecosystems.