Typically the arguments against the use of hydrogen and for a mono-technical use of batteries have centered on efficiency.

Cheaper and low or zero carbon production changes the equation however.

No one chooses a car solely on the grounds of lowest energy use, or a house for that matter.

As against a decade ago, the fall in cost of renewables mean that absolute efficiency is less important against other metrics.

Over the next decade, falling electrolyser costs will do the same for green hydrogen.

Carbon capture is part of the deal.
So long as it works, that's fine.
If not then electrolysis of solar etc from Australia's massive resources is an option.

Falling electrolyer prices as well as renewables mean that what is too expensive at the moment is likely to be a different proposition by 2030.

The transport supply chain would remain the same, so developing it works in either case.

Making the perfect the enemy of more possible improvement is rarely good policy.

Cheers gryf.

Here are a couple of links on the Kemper fiasco:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/02/clean-coal-america-kemper-power-plant

https://mspolicy.org/two-years-since-kemper-clean-coal-project-ended/

It was so poorly set up, funded and managed that it is difficult to draw conclusions as to the underlying practicality of the use of lignite resources and carbon capture.

Presumably the engineers at HySTRA at least learnt something about what won't work from it.

I find my assumptions were in error.
I assumed that the project would try to capture and store the carbon, but there is no mention of that.
Nor is there in the HySTRA project:

http://www.hystra.or.jp/en/project/

Oxygen-blown gasification of Illinois #6 coal and petcoke was successfully carried out for years at the Wabash River Repowering Project.  Kemper was obviously undertaken without getting as much of that expertise on-board as possible.

I've got the Australian end of the project. It is in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria:

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2021/03/add96570ad4c-brown-coal-to-hydrogen-project-between-australia-japan-begins.html

And:

https://www.ft.com/content/408cfa46-3e06-11e8-b7e0-52972418fec4

'
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https://www.ft.com/content/408cfa46-3e06-11e8-b7e0-52972418fec4

In February the Victoria state government began offshore seismic surveys to determine if dried up oil wells in the Gippsland Basin previously used by ExxonMobil would be suitable to store CO2 created by the coal to hydrogen conversion project. But energy analysts caution that there are still very few commercially viable carbon capture and storage facilities worldwide.

Kawasaki Heavy has hedged its bets on whether converting coal to hydrogen is the best way to achieve Japan’s dream of a hydrogen-powered “green energy” future. The company has backed a rival project in Norway, which uses renewable energy to create hydrogen from water — a cleaner but possibly costlier way to produce the fuel.'

Can't figure why Toyota is so taken with H2; They must have investments in the processes.
Anyway, here is a link without comment:
https://www.rechargenews.com/energy-transition/hydrogen-for-heating-and-road-transport-is-not-efficient-and-does-not-make-economic-sense/2-1-1069478

You're comparing apples and watermelons, Davemart.

I'm arguing against those who try to claim that apples are the one and only thing we should eat, and watermelons should be banned.

I am not sure how battolysers fit into the system of absolutes some favor.

I am perfectly happy to use batteries where their performance and cost envelopes match the application.

Sorry if that falls short of the standards of the One True Faith.

Unless and until we get a high-performing sodium ion battery, we're best off reserving batteries for the high-value uses like electronics and transport.  Grid electric storage is way down the list.

Stationary energy storage can be handled by methods such as solar-salt heat storage.  The Natrium project is showing how that will work.  Compared to batteries, nitrate salts are extremely long-lived and cheap.  Horses for courses.

Race driver Morizo AKA Toyota Akio Toyoda has gone completely crazy.
Just read: "Toyota CEO: Going All-EV Could Cost Japan Millions Of Jobs", https://insideevs.com/news/534262/all-ev-plans-threaten-japan/
In this article, he states that he "believes the road map should take into account the reality that Japan’s economic lifeblood stems from manufacturing."
Manufacturing is religion in Japan (remember foreign a samurai blade was a sacred art done by Shinto priests).
This is completely stupid! Since manufacturing BEV cars is almost exactly like making ICE cars. So unless you let China, Korea, and Honda build all the BEV then Toyota could lose some exports. Tyoda needs to hire a new Marketing team and stop driving Hydrogen Corollas.

Make the hydrogen where you put it in the vehicle