by Monika Roessiger | Jan 15, 2025 | Germany, Market, News
To strengthen its “role in the global hydrogen economy,” Enertrag, a developer and producer of renewable energies, opened its Hamburg office in fall 2024. At the new branch, Enertrag wants to contribute to the decarbonization of the logistics and shipping industry. And: “We want to supply not only the shipping industry, but also numerous other industries with green hydrogen,” announced CEO Gunar Hering in front of more than 80 invited guests at the official opening of the new premises. These occupy the top floor of the historic Laeiszhof, a magnificent, richly decorated clinker brick building in the center of the Hanseatic city.
As the center of wind energy in Germany, Hamburg will also be an important location for the hydrogen industry in the future. This is demonstrated by the construction work underway since last year for the 100-megawatt electrolyzer in Moorburg and for the Hanseatic city’s H2 industrial network (see H2-international, May 2024). The port therefore offers “ideal conditions to act as a hub for the import and export of hydrogen and its derivatives,” continued CEO Hering. In close cooperation with the shipping company F. Laeisz, the H2Global Foundation and other neighbors in the Laeiszhof, Enertrag wants to advance the infrastructure for the trade and use of green hydrogen.
Nikolaus Schües, CEO of the F. Laeisz Group, which operates its own ships for the transportation of ammonia, emphasized the importance of maritime logistics for the energy transition. The development of a sustainable and competitive energy supply can only succeed through cross-sector cooperation, he said, adding that “Shipping is an important link in this, not only as a transporter, but also as a user of hydrogen-based energy sources.” The traditional shipping company, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in spring 2024 and used to transport saltpeter, bananas and wheat, among other things, is focusing on green methanol and green ammonia for the future. And is planning to convert parts of its fleet to these energy sources.
CEO Gunar Hering with Finance Senator Andreas Dressel and ship owner Nikolaus W. Schües (from left)
Enertrag, in turn, takes care of the production and availability of hydrogen derivatives. The CEO of the company, which has more than 1,100 employees on four continents, refers to the many years of experience in the production of green hydrogen, for example at the Uckermark combined-cycle power plant, which Enertrag has been operating since 2011.
Hamburg’s Finance Senator Andreas Dressel was delighted by the arrival of the business in the city. In a greeting to the future neighbors, who reside just a short walk away from City Hall, he said: ”Our city offers good framework conditions and investment opportunities, especially in the area of large-scale hydrogen projects.” In this respect, he continued, Enertrag is an asset for Hamburg in terms of advancing the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy here and in Germany.
by Monika Roessiger | Dec 13, 2024 | Development, Germany, hydrogen development, Market, News
Patented process as a cost-effective alternative to electrolysis
The course to success of Siqens began with special methanol fuel cells. Then came the electrochemical hydrogen separation (EHS) in addition, based on the self-developed HT-PEM-FC stacks. With their help, hydrogen can be separated from natural gas or waste gases from industry and waste incineration with a high degree of purity. The manufacturer also sees EHS in combination with its own fuel cells as a solution to the last mile problem.
Whether in the South American jungle or at an altitude of 3,000 meters in the Swiss mountains, in a research station in the Antarctic or at a border post in northern Scandinavia – in all these places HT-PEM fuel cells from Siquens are in use, which supply electricity for radio and measuring stations or cameras, as Thomas Klaue, managing director of the company founded as a startup in Munich in 2012, states.
The special methanol fuel cells are also, however, in less exotic places: For example, they serve in the lighting of German highway construction sites or aviation obstruction lighting of wind parks. The “Ecoport” FC systems consist of fuel cell stacks with a high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (HT-PEM) and a reformer. “In the reformer, pure hydrogen is obtained from methanol,” according to engineer and doctor of business administration Klaue. “This hydrogen then passes through the HT-PEM fuel cell. Our system works with industrial methanol, however, at a fraction of the cost compared to high-purity methanol.”
These systems therefore differ significantly from direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), in which a liquid methanol-water mixture is passed through the FC. For that, the methanol has to be as pure as for medical purposes, which is correspondingly expensive, explains Klaue, who has been CEO of Siqens since the end of 2019. The efficiency and power range of DMFCs are comparatively low, and they do not tolerate low temperatures well. Other indirect methanol fuel cells with PEM and reformer are available in both the low and high temperature range, but these would require manufacturer-specific methanol-water mixtures with lower energy density, according to Klaue. With a consumption of 0.6 liters per kilowatt-hour of electricity, Siqens is the market leader in efficiency. The Ecoports, according to Klaue “our bread and butter business,” have a peak electrical output of 800 or 1,500 watts (continuous operation: 500 or 1,000 watts).
FC as a replacement for diesel generators
Methanol, which has long been used in industry, like other liquid fuels, can be transported and stored cost-effectively. Because of this, (methanol) fuel cells are particularly suitable for areas without a connection to an electricity grid and where an uninterruptible power supply must be guaranteed, for example in the emergency power supply for critical infrastructure. Up to now, this function has mostly been performed by diesel generators, but these will little by little be replaced by fuel cells in the future – and not only because of their significantly lower CO2 emissions: They also work more quietly and are free of particulate matter and nitrogen oxides.
Ecoport 800
Demand for the patented systems, with which the southern German company has been on the market since 2019, is rising. For example, agencies, companies and operators of telecommunications systems are interested in the methanol fuel cells from Siqens, which according to Klaue are robust and reliable and can also be used far away from civilization. This applies to all climate zones, from minus 20 to plus 50 degrees Celsius. What’s more, the operating costs are around 75 percent lower than those of diesel generators. This year, the Munich-based company, which employs around 30 people, expects to sell several hundred of its HT-PEM fuel cell systems.
That the need to use hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for reasons of climate protection is increasing is beyond question today. The Siqens CEO stressed however: “We are convinced that the hydrogen economy will only be a success with price-competitive solutions, especially when it comes to last-mile distribution.”
FC as a replacement for diesel generators
In addition to fuel cells, the company has been offering a very special technical solution for producing pure hydrogen since 2022: electrochemical hydrogen separation (EHS). In this patented process, the feed gas flows through an HT-PEM stack, which is also used in the Ecoport, states Klaue. “The stack with the MEAs is comparable to a sieve that, under tension, is only permeable to the hydrogen molecules that have been reduced to protons on the anode side. On the cathode side, the protons get the electrons back. The product is highly pure hydrogen.” With this method, hydrogen can be separated, purified and processed from very different media. This can be natural gas or exhaust gas that is produced in industrial processes or from waste incineration. The hydrogen can also be obtained from natural reservoirs such as natural gas deposits.
And because methanol is a good hydrogen carrier, the EHS system can also avoid the last mile problem: From the methanol transported via the natural gas network, hydrogen is produced directly on site at the consumer’s premises CO2-free. “In 10 liters of methanol, approximately one kilogram of hydrogen is chemically bound,” calculates Thomas Klaue. This is more than in a standard 70-kilogram compressed gas cylinder that contains 50 liters of hydrogen compressed to 200 bar. The yield with that is only 0.8 kilograms. Instead of transporting hydrogen in bundles of heavy steel bottles or in pressure tanks by trailer, as was previously the case, a lot of money can be saved through the employment of methanol fuel cells.
Transport and storage costs currently make up the largest percentage of the hydrogen price. “This is even more true if the deployment location can only be reached by helicopter,” added Klaue. “The ratio of transport weight to useful H2 weight is for methanol ten to one versus one hundred to one for compressed gas cylinders.”
1 kg hydrogen for less than two euros
During EHS, likewise to water electrolysis, electricity is used. However, the energy requirement is significantly lower: Per kilogram of hydrogen, only three to five kilowatt hours of electricity would be needed; so around ten percent of the electricity required for electrolysis. “This produces hydrogen in fuel cell quality at a price of less than two euros per kilogram,” states Klaue. The technology is flexible, scalable and can be adapted to a wide range of gases. Such a system, which only takes up an area of one to two square meters depending on its capacity, can be connected directly to the gas network.
The EHS process could produce a good 100 kilograms of hydrogen per day with three stacks, which is enough for an H2 refueling station, according to Thomas Klaue. The modular design also allows several tonnes per day to meet the needs of an industrial company. “Electrochemical hydrogen separation is definitely an attractive alternative to other H2 technologies, as it consumes comparatively little energy and has a high selectivity for hydrogen,” according to the CEO.
Following an initial pilot project in Australia, there is now a second one in Germany: In the Unterfranken city of Haßfurt, hydrogen is being obtained from the natural gas grid using EHS. The municipal utilities of the city are known as pioneers, because they have been relying on renewable energies since the 1990s: photovoltaics, wind power and biogas from farmers in the region. Since 2016, they have had an electrolyzer to generate hydrogen from surplus wind power.
Now, with the help of EHS technology from Siqens, they are tapping into the municipal gas grid as a source of hydrogen. This is done in cooperation with the Helmholtz-Institut Erlangen-Nürnberg and the Institut für Energietechnik of the university Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Amberg-Weiden. The hydrogen separated from the natural gas is compressed and stored and, as needed, converted into electricity via a fuel cell.
As many gas network operators want to add green hydrogen to their natural gas in the future, such solutions for separating and processing climate-neutral gas could soon become more significant. “By separating the gases using EHS at the point of consumption, the end customer can be supplied directly with high-purity ‘green’ hydrogen,” says Thomas Klaue. In other words, hydrogen of the quality required for industrial processes or fuel cell vehicles. For this reason, Klaue also argues vehemently in favor of maintaining the gas grids.
In February of this year, he publicly appealed to the German economy ministry to reconsider the dismantling plans; for cost reasons alone. “In addition, the planned H2 core grid will not be able to supply the entire country with green energy for a long time without great effort,” he says. However, because the nationwide gas network is largely suitable for hydrogen, the infrastructure should be used for the future transportation of green hydrogen, to supply industry and communities with climate-friendly energy.
by Monika Roessiger | Nov 11, 2024 | Energy storage
Salt domes as H2 storage sites
A successful ramp-up of the hydrogen market would be impossible without a means of hydrogen storage, and salt caverns are ideally suited to the task. These artificial cavities, more than 1,000 meters (3,200 feet) deep in salt rock, can be primarily found in northwestern Germany. While previously they have contained fossil fuels such as crude oil and natural gas, in the future they are set to hold hydrogen.
Visitors to Harsefeld, a small community near Stade in Niedersachsen, will find themselves surrounded by fields and meadows lined with hedge banks known as “Knicks.” This is the scenery surrounding Storengy Deutschland’s natural gas storage facility which has been in operation since 1992. It is here that the subsidiary of French network operator Engie intends to create one of the first hydrogen storage reservoirs in Germany.
Underground salt caverns have long proved themselves safe places to store large quantities of gas, explains Gunnar Assmann, project manager for hydrogen storage at Storengy. “Storage caverns are cavities engineered in salt rock, which forms a tight, natural barrier.” Consequently, the company plans to create two salt caverns as part of its SaltHy project. The caverns would store hydrogen that can be produced regionally using green electricity generated by onshore or offshore wind turbines, thus emitting zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Northern Germany lends itself to the creation of hydrogen storage infrastructure for several reasons: Firstly, due to the proximity of onshore and offshore wind farms as well as future centers of industrial hydrogen use. In addition, the region holds 80 percent of Europe’s salt cavern storage capacity. And there are already a large number of long-distance gas pipelines that can be repurposed to convey hydrogen. This also explains why the installation of the European Hydrogen Backbone, the EU’s planned long-distance hydrogen pipeline, will kick off in northwestern Germany. The first cavern in SaltHy, which stands for Storage Alignment with Load and Transport of Hydrogen, is due to be linked to this network by a connecting pipeline.
Hydrogen for the steel and chemicals industries
In Harsefeld, the first cavern is expected to be up and running between 2030 and 2032. The decision about the construction of the second cavern will be taken by the company in 2028 and will depend on how the H2 market has developed by that point. The second facility could then become operational in 2034. Each cavern is designed to contain up to 7,500 metric tons of hydrogen. “That would, for example, cover the needs of a regional steel plant that requires 140 metric tons of hydrogen a day for approximately two months,” explains Assmann.
The H2 gas will be treated at the Harsefeld site in an overground facility before being stored below the surface. The storage pressure will be over 200 bar, depending on the quantity. The pressure in the transportation pipeline will, nevertheless, be lower at a maximum of just over 80 bar. The gas will therefore be compressed and cooled in the compressor station prior to storage. When required, the hydrogen can be removed, processed and fed into the grid for onward supply.
A feasibility study carried out by Storengy Deutschland in 2022 came to a positive conclusion, as did a market survey of companies in March this year. “Many of the announced H2 projects for which a connection to a hydrogen storage facility will be relevant are at an advanced stage and are situated in northern Germany,” says the company, which is reassured of the need for new subterranean hydrogen reservoirs in Germany.
Mapping work and preparations for the approvals process are currently underway in Harsefeld. Underground storage facilities are subject to mining law and must be signed off by the relevant regional authorities. The planning, approval, construction and operation of such facilities are a complex matter, explains Assmann, a process engineer who has worked in the energy sector for over 30 years. The cost and effort involved should therefore not be underestimated. Storengy hopes to submit initial documents before the end of this year.
The investment decision on the underground part of the reservoir is expected at the beginning of next year. In view of the long time line for the project, investment will be phased over several stages in order to reduce the risk. If the company goes ahead, it will be spending upfront so it can cover the demand for hydrogen storage that emerged from the market survey.
H2 reservoirs relieve power grid
Construction work could begin in 2026 with the drilling of the first boreholes, says Assmann. The process of debrining a salt cavern, i.e., flushing out the salt with water, takes three to five years depending on its size. Similar to the method used to build natural gas storage reservoirs, here, the intention is to create a roughly cylindrical void that is around 200 meters (650 feet) in height and approximately 60 to 70 meters (195 to 230 feet) in diameter. Thanks to high injection and withdrawal rates, the caverns would also help relieve the strain on the power grid.
Located in the area around Harsefeld and in the Hamburg metropolitan region are large industrial companies that will need considerable amounts of hydrogen in future to defossilize their production processes. This will be the case for both the metalworking industry and the chemicals sector. The Dow factory situated around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Stade is a case in point. As a cooperation partner, the global corporation, which operates one of the biggest production facilities for chlorine chemicals in Europe on the lower reaches of the river Elbe, will process the salt resulting from debrining the cavern.
The port of Stade together with the planned ammonia terminal will make the town a hub for trade, logistics and industrial development and allow hydrogen to be imported in the form of ammonia, for example. This is why the region is being developed as a focal point for green H2.
Politicians should devise demand schedule
Storengy Deutschland, which boasts a market share of 8 percent in Germany thanks to its six natural gas storage sites, is planning more hydrogen storage facilities besides those in Harsefeld. From a geological standpoint, the sites in Lesum and Peckensen in northern Germany would be suitable, according to Assmann. What is still lacking on the political side, in his opinion, is a schedule for at least the next 10 years which sets out the yearly requirement for converting storage reservoirs to hydrogen and the construction of new hydrogen storage facilities. Details of how much H2 storage capacity should be available – and by when – are yet to be determined, he says. Similarly, questions remain about how the storage facilities will be funded and how access to them will be regulated.
In France, where the parent company has also been managing natural gas storage reservoirs for decades, Storengy is developing a large-scale demonstrator for green hydrogen alongside industrial partners. According to company information, a salt cavern in Étrez in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region with a storage capacity of 44 metric tons of hydrogen is being set up in conjunction with an electrolyzer and applications in the chemicals industry and heavy-duty mobility in order to support the development of the area’s Zero Emission Valley.
Since it isn’t possible to relinquish use of fossil-based forms of energy entirely in the short term, it will not be possible to repurpose the necessary storage reservoirs immediately. “We will have to continue to safeguard supply with natural gas via existing storage facilities,” says Assmann, explaining that this is why it’s necessary to build new storage reservoirs for the emerging hydrogen market. Only when natural gas storage facilities are no longer needed can these be converted for the storage of green gases where required.
by Monika Roessiger | Nov 4, 2024 | Electric transportation, Germany, News
Still produces in new factory in Hamburg
The intralogistics industry, too, must reduce its CO2 emissions while continuing to operate profitably. As far as drive systems are concerned, hydrogen technology alongside purely battery-electric vehicles is increasingly coming into focus. Thanks to its high performance, it scores particularly well in multi-shift operation.
The Hamburg-based company Still is the first supplier of industrial trucks in Europe to have its own production facility for fuel cell systems. These are optionally integrated into the storage technology devices at the customer’s request. Up to 5,000 units per year will initially roll off the production line in the Hanseatic city, where the production capacities are designed for further growth.
The intralogistics specialist, which offers forklift trucks, warehouse technology and networked systems, for example, has been producing 24-volt fuel cell systems at its main factory in Hamburg since November 2023. “This is a closed unit, which makes it possible to switch from battery to fuel cell at a later date,” stated Jan Lemke, production manager, at the mechatronics center during a factory tour at the headquarters in Hamburg. The factory founded in 1920 by Hans Still today employs around 9,000 people in 22 countries and is part of the listed Kion Group. The fuel cell system was also developed there.
For companies with large fleets – so more than 50 vehicles and over 1,500 operating hours per year – hydrogen, according to the company’s information, is suitable as an alternative to battery-powered vehicles. And in areas such as the food and pharmaceutical industries, where hygiene is particularly important, this applies all the more due to the clean FC technology.
Eight to nine hours at full power
Because of their performance capability, fuel cells are particularly required when processes such as lifting or acceleration are involved, states Lemke. With 0.8 kilograms of hydrogen in the steel tank, the FC systems, which feed into a lithium-ion battery as required, enable a continuous shift of eight to nine hours without any drop in performance. The subsequent “refueling” with the gas compressed to 350 bar takes only 30 to 120 seconds, assures Lemke. To do this, the vehicle is connected to a dispenser that acts as a fuel pump. Because it requires very little space, such a dispenser can either be positioned flexibly in the warehouse or integrated along the route, depending on requirements.
Such FC systems are used for example by customers with large fleets of intralogistics devices such as baggage tugs at airports or train stations. Regardless of the size of the fleet, FC systems are particularly suitable for those customers who already or in the future will have a hydrogen production facility or pipeline in their vicinity or produce the green gas themselves via electrolysis using renewable energy sources – for example, for industrial operations or heavy goods transport.
Complete package for trial operation
To enable customers with small fleets to get started with hydrogen technology, Still offers a package of FC vehicles, mobile refueling system, permits and installation to rent for about one month. This allows these customers to test the fuel cell vehicles themselves in real-life operation. “For selected vehicles, Still offers the ‘Fuel Cell Ready’ option, so that customers can switch to FC technology as required,” says Lemke. The system development was funded with over 1.9 million euros as part of the federal innovation program NIP (Nationales Innovationsprogramm Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellentechnologie).
Stress test in the factory
The production in Hamburg includes the manufacture of individual components such as printed circuit boards in the mechatronics center. Of this Still is especially proud. There are “only a few competitors on the market for power electronics,” says Lemke. Another unique feature is the quality testing in a specially designed test cabin: “No system leaves the factory without being tested. We stress the system at one and a half times the pressure to see if hydrogen escapes anywhere.”
To do this, the fuel cell is refueled with hydrogen and the tightness of all lines and components is tested under high pressure using special measuring devices. The safety standard also includes the immediate and complete extraction of any escaping hydrogen in the event of an untight line. The glass test cabin, which is computer-controlled and fully automatic, was also developed there – together with a partner company.
Jan Lemke (left) during the stress test in front of the test cabin in the Still production hall in Hamburg
“Ready for use at any time,” thinks Lemke why FC technology is superior to the purely battery-electric drive. Still has been offering battery drives for its industrial trucks for some time now. But “battery changes, the extra space required for batteries and charging windows are now a thing of the past,” according to Lemke. The FC service life is around 10,000 operating hours.
H2 increasingly important in intralogistics
While purely battery-electric drives are completely sufficient for some logistics users, it may be more favorable for others to use FC vehicles. For example, if an industrial customer draws more than 100,000 kWh per year, explains Gesa Kaatz, energy specialist at Still. Then, in addition to energy consumption, load peaks also have a significant impact on electricity costs. In addition to the energy price, customers are charged a demand-based service fee. And depending on the regional grid fee, this could be up to €200/kW per year.
“If, for example, three lithium ion vehicles are each charged unregulated with 33 kW, this generates an additional load of nearly 100 kW. In the worst-case scenario, our customers could incur additional costs of up to EUR 20,000 per year,” states Kaatz. To avoid expensive load peaking, charging devices from Still are regulated via a load management system. “If, however, the flexibility in the charging time windows is severely restricted due to long use times, our fuel cell system is better suited for our customers. Because hydrogen-powered industrial trucks do not incur this additional electricity load,” he says.
In addition to economic advantages, the employment of hydrogen also has benefits for society: It conserves valuable raw materials such as rare earths because, in combination with the fuel cell, it only requires a small buffer battery. To be precise, it is a hybrid system consisting of fuel cells and a 3‑kWh lithium-ion battery as energy storage. And because hydrogen is neither toxic nor corrosive and also burns without leaving any residue, releasing only water vapor, its use not only serves to protect the environment and the climate but is also considered harmless in the workplace when used correctly.
Recycling of lithium
A circular economy is one of the corporate goals of Still. Therefore, many components of the fuel cell system can be used in a circular way. There recycling of batteries, too, is important. In cooperation with the Canadian company Li-Cycle, Still recycles the lithium from its batteries at its site in Magdeburg and is able to reuse the raw materials. By 2030, around 15,000 large forklift batteries are to be recycled at Kion, which would correspond to about 5,000 tonnes of lithium.
“In the Kion Group, there are also plans to develop fuel cells in higher volt classes,” states Florian Heydenreich, Excecutive Vice President Sales & Service at Still EMEA. They are likewise to be manufactured at the Hamburg Still factory, which has around 2,500 employees. The company is also planning to expand its production capacities in the coming years. “The existing production line is already designed for it,” continues Heydenreich. “We are constantly expanding our H2 expertise here in Hamburg; together with our partners such as the engineering firm Hydrogentle as well as Wolftank and JAG, who support us professionally with refueling solutions,” he states.
The currently still high prices for green hydrogen remain a challenge in the competition for the time being, but the company is optimistic that the situation will improve in the foreseeable future. “We have massive overcapacities of electricity from renewable energies,” says Florian Heydenreich. “Once these can be used to produce hydrogen on a large scale, the price of green hydrogen will also fall,” he asserts.
by Monika Roessiger | Sep 10, 2024 | Development, Europe, hydrogen development, Market, News
H2 generation on floating offshore wind power plants
How to ramp up the production of green hydrogen in just a few years and distribute it quickly across the country independently of the development of the H2 core network explained Jens Cruse, shipbuilding engineer, at the end of January this year before an expert audience in Hamburg.
Self-sufficient, floating wind power plants, placed in European waters, are to produce the molecule required primarily in industry for defossilization, directly on the platform by electrolysis from desalinated seawater, and to bind it to the LOHC (liquid organic hydrogen carrier – see also p. 23). Shuttle tankers, which have long been common in the oil industry, could then transport the valuable cargo to land or to the nearest port on a monthly basis, for example.
Jens Cruse, who after years of research set up his own company, lists the advantages of direct H2 production on the high seas: “Such a model can save up to 50 percent of investment costs because neither electricity nor gas pipes have to be laid.” The expensive grid connection is also eliminated, which speeds up the entire process because you don’t have to wait for lengthy approval procedures. Operating costs are also reduced if you are not tied to a pipe system. The so-termed offshore H2 generators are intended to be used where there is a lot of wind, almost around the clock.
“You don’t have to travel to Patagonia, Namibia or Australia,” says the founder and managing director of Cruse Offshore GmbH. “We have this right on our doorstep in Europe, particularly off the coasts of Norway, Ireland and Scotland,” he says. The electrolysis systems that are still relatively expensive today could run the whole year there, with a maximum of free to harvest wind energy.
Definitely more cost-effective
Producing hydrogen at sea by integrating the electrolyzer into the wind power station would cost even less than producing hydrogen in an offshore wind farm that is connected to the water splitting system via a power cable. Another advantage of the integrated solution is that the low-voltage direct current from the wind power station can be used directly by the electrolyzer. This saves on the conversion of electricity and the associated losses. Transporting hydrogen via pipeline is known to be more cost-effective than transmitting the electricity via lines. By connecting the electrolyzer directly to the wind power station, the basic costs are also eliminated that would otherwise have to be taken into account for a platform at sea or a land area for parking the container with the electrolysis plant.
In the model, the floating system withstood the heaviest loads, states Professor Moustafa Abdel-Maksoud, director of the Institute of Fluid Dynamics and Ship Theory at the Technical University of Hamburg (TUHH), who, together with his team, carried out simulations to optimize the system for extreme weather conditions at sea and tests in the TUHH’s wind and wave tunnel. Not even a simulated wave more than 16 meters high impaired the functioning of the system. “The system works perfectly, and it’ll pay off,” says Abdel-Maksoud. “We are technically and scientifically capable of realizing this,” he says. The innovative technology also avoids competition for space with conventional offshore wind farms and is not dependent on surplus electricity for H2 production.
Technically and economically feasible
After years of preparatory work and scientific tests, Cruse with a consortium is now planning to build a 5‑MW plant that combines wind power, seawater desalination, electrolysis and H2 storage in LOHCs. This is being done as part of the three-year research project ProHyGen, which is receiving support from the German economy ministry (BMWK) [1]. This is a joint project with, besides Cruse Offshore GmbH and the TUHH, also the university Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the machine and gearbox manufacturer Renk and the company specializing in the processing of crude oil derivatives H&R.
That the production of green hydrogen on floating plants is economically and technically feasible is also demonstrated by another BMWK-funded project, by research institute Fraunhofer ISE [2]. Its concept also envisions the climate-neutral gas being transported by ship, but not bound to LOHCs, instead stored in pressurized tanks in which the hydrogen is compressed to 500 bar.
The 5‑MW prototype from ProHyGen is to be deployed in the German exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The foundation of the planned H2 offshore generator will consist of four “floaters” that are connected under water and filled with ballast water. The material used is the sheet steel in shipbuilding. One of the floaters carries the wind power station; another houses a plant for desalinating seawater as well as an electrolyzer and a component for storing the hydrogen in an LOHC. Below this is a rotating buoy and the anchor cables used to attach the H2 offshore generator to the seabed. Two further floaters consist of double-walled tanks in which the LOHC carrier fluid is stored. These are normal oil tanks. The existing oil infrastructure can also be used in other ways with this process, stresses Cruse, indicating the railways and waterways that already connect industrial ports with industrial sites today. Hamburg, for example, offers the best conditions for this, because heavy metal production companies located in the port are already potential customers for hydrogen. In addition, the tanks with the hydrogen bound to the carrier oil can be distributed deep into the country by train or barge, as is currently still the case with fossil fuels. This long-established transport network extends to neighboring European countries. A functioning infrastructure is also an important criterion for a rapid market ramp-up of the hydrogen economy.
This sketch shows where the necessary systems are located
Investors wanted
“After testing of the prototype, the system will be scaled up to 15 MW and in the course of 2025 produced in series,” explains Jens Cruse, who has registered a patent for the process and is responsible for the industrial utilization of the concept. A further goal of the joint project ProHyGen is the planning of offshore H2 parks in the gigawatt range. If all goes well, installation of the first 3‑GW park producing green hydrogen could begin in the second half of 2027, according to Cruse. “To do this, however, we need financially strong partners who want to support these future-oriented innovations,” he says.
The green hydrogen bound in an LOHC can be transported to land by ship
References:
[1] https://www.tuhh.de/fds/research/current/modular-ship-assist-1
[2] https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/de/presse-und-medien/presseinformationen/2023/wasserstofferzeugung-auf-dem-meer-fraunhofer-ise-entwickelt-konzept-fuer-wasserstofferzeugung-auf-einer-offshore-plattform.html
