In recent years, many compressor manufacturers have intensified their engagement in the hydrogen sector. Several medium-sized companies entered into new partnerships, and there have been several corporate takeovers. And individually dealing with compressors is no longer a separate ordeal for many, but is now offered in package with other services that are also needed for the development of a hydrogen infrastructure. But what distinguishes the different manufacturers and various products from each other? H2-international asked manufacturers about technologies, trends and special features, and has gathered the results here – with no claim of completeness.
Without compressors, hydrogen technology could not go anywhere. In order for H2 gas to be stored and transported, it is necessary to press as many of these little molecules as possible into gas cylinders, cavities or car tanks, to produce the highest possible energy density. This is more difficult with hydrogen than with other gases, since the tiny molecules can escape through the smallest crevice. At the same time, sealing materials can be potential sources of contamination of the hydrogen.
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Compressors differ in both their compression and drive technology. The driver could be, for example, compressed air, hydraulics or an electric motor. Which compression method is right depends, among other things, on the required throughput, the pressure level and the purity needed.
An essential aspect is the initial pressure, so the inlet pressure, for the compressor. If the hydrogen is taken, for example, from a gas container in which the pressure is low or only atmospheric, much more compression work is required than, for example, when already pre-compressed up to 100 bar from an upstream electrolyzer. Since the energy required to compress gases is very high, it may be more economic to apply 30 bar to the feed water at the input side of the electrolyzer than to compress the hydrogen downstream.
Market overview
H2-international has asked manufacturers of compressors for hydrogen fueling stations about their products, innovations and trends. We did not create a tabular market overview, like that for the electrolyzers in the February 2022 issue of H2-international, as the technical specifications given for different compressors are already too different in nature and there are no uniform standardized conditions for measuring inlet and discharge pressure. But the main features are summarized in this article. If the manufacturer has given us specifications about their product, this information is featured in a profile and sorted under the appropriate parameters. Included were H2 compressors for fueling stations at which the output pressures generally amounted to 350 or 700 bar.
Reciprocating compressors
Piston compressors are the classics known from engine technology They are robust and can deliver high pressures and medium to high throughputs (starting from about 4 tonnes per day). Gasoline and diesel engines of common vehicles are lubricated with oil. Even with oil scraping rings, there is always a thin film of oil remaining on the walls of the combustion chambers, which is desirable to reduce friction. In piston compressors of hydrogen vehicles, this is not desirable, as this oil contaminates the medium to be compressed. A downstream fuel cell in which this gas is destined for use would be contaminated and fail after a short time. For this reason, oil-lubricated piston compressors can only be used in hydrogen systems in combination with subsequent purification of the gas.
Such cleaning can be done with scrubbers based on activated carbon. One of the providers of this technology is Bauer Kompressoren GmbH. The Bavarians started 15 years ago with a, by today’s standards, small H2 project in Spain. The production rate was 35 m3 per hour with up to 350 bar. In addition to activated carbon, the Munich-based company used a molecular sieve, which allowed it to provide hydrogen in 3.7 to 5.0 purity grade (≥99.97% to ≥99.999%). Bauer has been active in the high-pressure sector for 77 years, for example with diving cylinders.
With its H450 compressor, Borsig GmbH manufactures piston compressors for truck fueling stations. A special feature, according to the manufacturer, is the gas seal in the last compression stage. In addition, this compressor can be operated safely even under tough environmental conditions, it was said.
Manufacturer
Borsig GmbH
Name of compressor
H450
Compressor type
Reciprocating (without fueling station)
Pressure classes
350 bar
H2 capacity
275 kg/h
Input power (el)
375 kW
Dimensions (L x W x H)
3.4 x 1.3 x 0.8 m
Energy requirement
1.3 kWh/kgH2 (40 bar input pressure, 450 bar output pressure)
Sauer Compressors as well is positioned in the medium power range and offers oil-lubricated piston compressors with downstream treatment. The family-run compressor manufacturer headquartered in Kiel, Germany touts robustness as the foremost advantage of this technology. The piston compressors can handle variation of the load as well as fluctuating temperatures. This makes these compressors interesting for use in microgrids and other applications that require a high degree of self-dependence. In addition, according to information by the manufacturer, they are easy to repair. One unique thing about Sauer is that the customers are trained so that they can maintain and repair the compressors themselves – and may do so without voiding the warranty.
To Sauer also belongs the St. Gallen, Switzerland-based company Haug Sauer Kompressoren AG, which manufactures smaller, oil-free compressors. The dry-running units from Haug can deliver up to 1,000 m3 per hour. The model HAUG.Mercure 22E presented at H2Expo, for example, compresses 7 to 13 m3H2/h from up to 24 bar to a maximum of 350 bar.
Dry-running compressors use, for example, PTFE piston rings as an alternative to oil lubrication in the cylinder. The rings are offered by, among others, ElringKlinger and are quite low-wear, but leave traces of abraded material in the compressed medium, which must then be removed with particle filters. Some of these compressors use an oil pan at the bottom of the crankcase for lubrication. However, in these cases, this area is separated from the compression space by a three-stage sealing system so that no impurities emerge there. Oil-free piston compressors can typically be used for pressures from 150 to 450 bar; some at higher pressures as well.
In 2022, together with Bosch Rexroth, Maximator HydrogenGmbH presented the new compressing unit MAX Compression 2.0 (see H2-international August 2022). This has up to five times the throughput of its predecessor, within the same construction volume. The energy requirement was also minimized by the providers, according to the press release. The highlight is that although compression still takes place in two stages, the hydrogen no longer needs to be stored between these stages. In the 75-kW class, the throughput should increase by 20 percent at the same driving power, which should decrease costs accordingly. The power classes additionally range from 75 to 250 kW. This allows the capacity of a hydrogen fueling station to be increased if necessary without major reconstruction.
A special feature is the automatic changing out of the seals (automatic seal exchange, ASX). The bar loader used for this purpose can hold up to 20 interchangeable seals. Per seal, it takes about 15 seconds for the exchange, so seal replacement for the whole system should be complete within three minutes.
In November 2022, the company from Nordhausen reported reception of a major order from Sweden. From autumn 2023 to the end of 2025, Maximator is to provide compressors for the in total 24 hydrogen fueling stations that are to arise in the course of the project REH2. These are to supply primarily heavy trucks, and 23 of the 24 are planned to be installed at highway rest stations. REH2 wants to supply exclusively green hydrogen that is produced primarily with local energy sources such as wind and water. Majority owner of the project is the investment company Qarlbo AB.
The FSS High Capacity Station from the company Resato is a modular system. The number of compressors and dispensers can be varied to suit demand. Thus, a high production capacity is possible by joining the standardized components, which are available in the modular sizes for 1,000 or for 2,000 kgH2/day. The hydrogen can be supplied by tube trailers or multiple element gas containers (MEGCs) coming directly from an electrolyzer or from the pipeline. The available hydrogen quantity, according to Resato, sets the limit for the capacity of the fueling station.
According to Resato, the fueling stations are user-friendly, reliable and have a favorable marginal cost. In addition, the supplier has a Europe-wide network for after-sales support.
Manufacturer
Resato
Name of compressor
FSS – High Capacity Station
Compressor type
Electrohydraulic piston compressor and fueling station system
Pressure classes
350 bar, 700 bar
H2 capacity
>1,000 kg/day, >2,000 kg/day
Input power (el)
185 kW
Base area
10 m x 12 m (without hydrogen provision)
Diaphragm compressors
Membrane compressors are suited for higher pressures up to 1,000 bar. They too essentially use a piston to compress gas. However, this does not act directly on the gas, but on an oil, which in turn moves a membrane. The gas to be compressed is enclosed by this membrane (diaphragm). This way, neither hydrogen gets out nor contaminants get in. Membrane compressors are therefore free of contamination and have no loss from leakage. They are suitable for frequent or continuous operation. However, they are technically limited to H2 throughputs on the order of 1 to 2 tonnes per day. This makes them less of interest for hydrogen truck fueling stations, for example.
Andreas Hofer Hochdrucktechnik GmbH, which belongs to Neuman & Esser (NEA Group), according to its own statement, can guarantee pressures of 5,000 bar with diaphragm compressors and up to 3,000 bar for dry-running, hydraulically driven piston compressors.
The MD10-L membrane compressor from Burckhardt Compression is available as a standardized mobile container-installed solution or as a bare unit. It can also be supplied with noise reduction and a closed cooling water system, if needed. The size is adapted to a 2.5-MW electrolysis unit. The membrane compressor ensures high hydrogen purity and gas tightness. For higher throughputs, Burckhardt Compression recommends its own 3CS oil-free piston compressor. According to the company, it supplied its first hydrogen compressor as early as 1972. The manufacturer has a service network that reaches around the world and offers a comprehensive after-sales service.
Manufacturer
Burckhardt Compression
Name of compressor
MD10-L
Compressor type
Diaphragm compressor
Pressure classes
350 bar
H2 capacity
45 kg/h
Input power (el)
81 kW (rated power at specifications given below)
Energy requirement
Approx. 1.8 kWh/kgH2 (30 bar input pressure, 550 bar output pressure, 45 kg H2/hour)
Dimensions (L x W x H)
6.1 m x 2.44 m x 2.59 m
Centrifugal and screw rotary compressors
For lower pressure levels, centrifugal (turbo) compressors and screw compressors are the go-tos. Their typical pressure range lies at about 1 to 20 bar, and the throughput at up to 50,000 m3H2 per hour. For hydrogen fueling stations, they can therefore only serve in the pre-compression stage, to build up the ingoing pressure required for the other compressor types. The operating principle of a screw compressor is two interthreading screw rotors rotating inwards of each other (see Fig. 1).
In this way, the volume to be acted on is increasingly reduced. Similarly to the case with piston compressors, a pulsation accordingly arises in dependence on the rotational speed of the screw, which could be 1,500 to 2,000 rpm for large units and up to 5,000 rpm for small units. In general, screw compressors have a higher leakage rate compared to other compressor types and thus higher efficiency losses. To reduce friction and improve tightness, oil is used similarly to the use for piston compressors.
One manufacturer of screw compressors is Aerzener Maschinenfabrik GmbH. A new innovation by the engineering company is the substitution of oil with water. The water film seals similarly well to oil, prevents contamination and, at the same time, leads to a thoroughly desired humidification of the H2 gas. This method, however, is still in the testing phase.
In addition to this, there are ionic compressors, such as those manufactured by Linde.
Manufacturers, business models and trends
Some of the companies listed here are primarily focused on the manufacture of compressors. Others, on the other hand, see their area of business as turnkey hydrogen fueling stations. Especially amongst the makers specializing in compressors are family-owned companies steeped in the technological tradition of the German-speaking area. A prime example and, by its own statement, the world market leader for reciprocating compressors is Burckhardt Compression AG from Winterthur, Switzerland, with now 2,700 employees.
According to the company, Burckhardt Compression works on membrane as well as piston compressors that can deliver pressures of over 900 bar and additionally are suitable for high throughput volumes. The company, which has been listed on the stock exchange since 2006, shows – not only in the H2 sector – a clear willingness to grow globally, as evidenced by recent acquisitions: Industrie- und Kompressorenservice GmbH from Bremen (2016); CSM Compressor Supplies & Machine Work Ltd from Canada (2017); Arkos Field Services from the USA (2019); The Japan Steel Works Ltd from the USA (2020); Shenyang Yuanda Compressor Manufacturing Co, Ltd from China (2021).
In the hydrogen sector, the company founded in 1844 is engaged not only in H2 station and trailer refueling solutions, but also power-to-gas projects and offshore H2 production. In spring 2022, Burckhardt Compression began construction of its very own H2 testing facility at its headquarters in Winterthur. There, the company intends to further develop sealing technologies for heavy hydrogen commercial vehicle fueling stations that would allow oil-free compression up to 900 bar (as booster). The goal is to get in business with Shell New Energies. Burckhardt Compression says it’s one of the finalists in the race for the energy giant’s fueling station business. The testing facility is to go into operation in early 2023, and the tests should be completed by the end of the year.
In 2022, Burckhardt Compression entered into a partnership with the H2 fueling station developer HRS (formerly TSM). This involves the delivery of several membrane compressors within the next two years for the fueling stations of HRS, the capacity of each of which is to be between one and two tonnes per day. The target group for these fueling stations is heavy transport (buses, trucks, port vehicles) and light commercial vehicles, like taxi fleets. With the partnership, the two companies want to equip other areas of hydrogen mobility already as well, such as ships, trains and planes.
The Neuman & Esser Group (NEA) as well is a heavyweight in the compressor sector. The family business from Übach-Palenberg, with its 1,200 employees, is making a name for itself through, among other things, the two managing partners, as Stefanie and Alexander Peters are both strongly engaged in lobby associations as well as on the political administration level. Stefanie Peters is active in the German hydrogen council (Nationaler Wasserstoffrat, NWR), among other things, while her brother is director of the compressor and vacuum division within the German association for mechanical engineers (Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau, VDMA). In addition, at the beginning of December 2022, he was voted to become an executive director of the German hydrogen and fuel cell association (Deutscher Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellen-Verband, DWV).
PDC Machines from Pennsylvania is, by its own statement, the world’s leading manufacturer of diaphragm compressors for hydrogen. H2 applications are the second mainstay of the US company alongside classic industrial compressors. In addition to the compressors, the portfolio includes a complete mini refueling unit named SimpleFuel as well as turnkey hydrogen refueling stations.
In 2022, PDC Machines announced a cooperation with US supplier Gilbarco Veeder-Root. The company plans to establish an end-to-end infrastructure for refueling that in addition to the compressors from PDC machines and the dispensing stations, also encompasses the necessary software for operation. This is to occur via the wholly owned subsidiary ANGI Energy Systems, which is responsible for Gilbarco’s compressed gas business and has already been developing complete solutions for its customers for 30 years.
PDC Machines is currently benefiting, like many US companies, from the US Inflation Reduction Act. Among other things, this provides for a ten-year tax bonus for clean hydrogen and H2 storage systems. In addition, there are to be tax advantages for fuel cell vehicles and better tax credits for “clean fueling stations.”
Hiperbaric, headquartered in Burgos, Spain, has been active in H2 compression since 2021. The company started in 1999 with solutions for the food industry. In the hydrogen sector, Hiperbaric has devoted itself to compressor units preinstalled in portable packages for use at filling stations and research facilities or for gas storage. In addition to the high-pressure piston compressors themselves, the containerized solutions contain the controls, cooling, ventilation and the pneumatic and hydraulic systems. The compression takes place in two stages.
The compressor unit is available in options for up to 500 or up to 950 bar. The 500-bar unit has a throughput of up to 26 kg of hydrogen per hour, and the 950-bar unit up to 15 kg per hour. With a second compressor installed in the container, the rate can be doubled. The offer includes a complete service, with maintenance. The remote monitoring and diagnostics service should ensure that errors are detected before a failure in the system occurs.
Compressor trends
The question of how to offer more and larger compression and refueling station solutions for hydrogen as easily as possible is on the minds of all manufacturers. Borsig names standardization and scaling as the keys to reducing costs. Resato sees itself well prepared for capacity expansions with the modular approach. The company wants to think less in terms of individual projects in the future and instead turn hydrogen fueling stations into a “business tool.” Instead of a single fueling station optimized for low investment and operating costs, customers should receive a complete product with business model included. The decisive optimization variables here are reliability and the question of what it costs to put one kilogram of hydrogen into the tank of a vehicle.
The German hydrogen and fuel cell association DWV elected a new executive committee in early December, thus continuing its rejuvenation. From the original committee lineup there now only remains Oliver Weinmann who will lead the association’s executive body for another two years. Silke Frank was reconfirmed as vice president. Uwe Ringel resumes the role of second vice, representing the interests of the German gas and water industries association DVGW within the DWV. Christopher Hebling from Fraunhofer ISE will no longer serve as deputy but stays on the committee as the last remaining representative from a research facility.
Bowing out from the executive body are Birgit Scheppat from RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Johannes Töpler from Esslingen University, DWV founder member Reinhold Wurster from the company Ludwig-Bölkow-Systemtechnik and Alexander Dyck from the German Aerospace Center, although all of them had stood as candidates. The stepping out of Scheppat and Töpler marks the departure of two colleagues from the association’s leadership who played a significant role in shaping the hydrogen education agenda over past decades. Which post will tackle education issues as part of the association’s remit in future is uncertain.
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Candidates from large corporations in particular were elected by a clear margin – evidence of the association’s increasing engagement in industry matters as well as lobbying work. This resulted in several new representatives from the business community joining the ranks, for example Jürgen Guldner from BMW, Dirk Graszt from Clean Logistics and Heinrich Gärtner from GP. Despite the admission of Manuela Heise from Deutsche Kreditbank, the proportion of women on the DWV executive committee is still low at 14 percent.
The collaboration between the DWV and the DVGW, however, is drawing to a close. The word from membership circles is that the DVGW ended its cooperation by submitting a written termination notice. In view of the significant sums of money which the DWV has received as part of the alliance and will continue to do so until the end of 2023, a question mark now hangs over how the financial situation will play out going forward given the association’s large and expensive offices in a prime location in central Berlin and much higher numbers of staff.
The idea of hydrogen valleys – regions in which the development of hydrogen technology is specifically promoted – is not new in Poland. There are already a number of projects of this kind, which are not infrequently accompanied by economic development funding for former coal-mining regions. Now, the sixth hydrogen support region throughout northwestern Poland is to appear.
The decision for a hydrogen valley in Usedom and Wolin is, in comparison to the other valleys, a special case in Polish hydrogen policy. The area is relatively small, the maritime economy is the main focus and the gas pipeline, in contrast to the other support regions, plays a central role here.
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The Usedom-Wolin hydrogen valley wants to take full advantage of the natural features and infrastructure of the region. The import and production of hydrogen is therefore aimed at supplying the ships on the islands of Usedom and Wolin with this raw material.
The MoU for founding the Usedom-Wolinski Hydrogen Valley (Polish name) was signed on June 3rd, 2022. “The memorandum of understanding is an expression of a common understanding of the necessity to take measures for achieving climate neutrality and for establishing a local low-carbon economy with sustainable development, where focus shall lie on the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier in zero-emission and low-emission land and maritime transport, including its storage and the construction of hydrogen-powered ships,” according to a publication about it from the city administration.
With political backing
The hydrogen support region specially created around the city of Świnoujście (German: Swinemünde) and its direct neighbors has had the full support of the respective municipal politicians right from the start. As Janusz Żmurkiewicz, mayor of the independent city of Świnoujście stated, “Our local government has a partnership role in this. From the beginning, we have supported the activities for the realization of the project. One of these was the signing of a memorandum of understanding. Because of its location, Świnoujście is predestined for the realization of this type of project. We have buildable land where this kind of activity could find its place. In the immediate vicinity of these sites is a liquefied natural gas terminal, which could be a hydrogen source, so we can expect – as soon as the project is realized –higher revenues and a larger city budget.”
As part of the financial safeguards for the support region, a cooperation agreement with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) was signed. BGK is implementing on behalf of the Polish government the so-called 3W strategy: woda–wodór–węgiel (water–hydrogen–carbon). This entails the introduction of innovations in the management of water resources, the use of hydrogen as part of the clean energy transition and the development of modern carbon technologies for the development of innovative materials and technologies.
At the center of the economic implementation and utilization is the company EcoenergyH2, which intends to realize H2 production and storage, export and import of liquid hydrogen, and distribution of hydrogen at this site. The company wants to bundle the synergies of the maritime region for the purpose of a hydrogen economy. This mainly means the optimal combining of the capabilities of the conventional port, the shipyard industry and the LNG terminal infrastructure there.
For Piotr Kosowicz, owner of EcoenergyH2, the location has a special advantage over the other Polish hydrogen regions. Świnoujście lies right on the border with Germany, which according to Kosowicz, is the country where the hydrogen industry is developing fastest.
Pyrolysis instead of electrolysis
In the business model of EcoenergyH2, electrolysis will not have a part in the hydrogen production for the time being, since Kosowicz wants to first concentrate on pyrolysis of natural gas. For this, Usedom and Wolin offer good preconditions. Via the liquefied gas terminal on site, natural gas can be imported, but hydrogen can also be exported. Another possible scenario in the future is that hydrogen is transported into Poland through this terminal. The storage facilities sitting on the island of Wolin will likely serve as supply reservoirs for the hydrogen project. The transport of hydrogen is to be possible with tank trucks on road or rail and through gas lines. The connections of the transmission grid of the LNG terminal to the national transmission grid could be used to feed hydrogen directly into the natural gas grid. In addition, hydrogen refueling stations for trucks and ships will also be built.
On-site hydrogen fueling stations are to be provided for direct refueling of cars and trucks: “Our end user is an everyday user of energy systems. Therefore, it is important that in the implementation of this project, production of hydrogen from renewable energy sources at a marketable price is front and center,” stated Kosowicz.
The business plan of EcoEnergyH2 and thus the prospects of success for the entire Baltic Hydrogen Valley, however, depend to a large extent on the price and availability of natural gas. This raw material could be imported in this case, since the infrastructure of gas ports allows it. The production of a limited amount of gas on site, on the island of Usedom, should also not be completely ruled out. Up until August 2022, the Polish petroleum and natural gas company PGNiG still had not been given approval for fuel gas production at this site, yet the French company Engie applied for approval for production on the German side of the island. The local community, however, passed on this opportunity. According to the estimations of Engie, the gas field is located north of the beach of Heringsdorf at a depth of 2,600 meters, which means that part of the field could already be on the Polish side of the border. In an interview with the online hydrogen academy Wasserstoff-Akademie, Piotr Kosowicz ruled out gas production on the island of Usedom, however, as he feels that the reserves are too small.
Author: Aleksandra Fedorska
Image: Alumare shipyard – EcoEnergyH2 headquarters in the port of Świnoujście
The German environmental foundation DBU published a short study in mid-December 2022 which investigated the use of hydrogen for process heat. The organization, working in partnership with the Gelsenkirchen net-zero port initiative, the Wuppertal Institute and Fraunhofer UMSICHT, analyzed the best way for the heating and industrial sector to become climate neutral.
The authors found that: “In addition to electrification with green power, the shift to green hydrogen is shown to be a valid option in many cases. From the initiative’s viewpoint, power grid expansion is therefore equal in priority to the construction of hydrogen infrastructure, which not only supplies major industrial corporations but at the same time enables the early connection of process heat clusters that primarily comprise midsize companies.”
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Lars Baumgürtel, spokesman for the Gelsenkirchen project, said: “Up until now, the electrification of process heat has been the preferred way forward. The study cracks this approach wide open and demonstrates that hydrogen is an equally legitimate alternative. For Germany’s energy transition, it therefore makes sense for many businesses to develop redundant, hybrid systems in parallel.”
Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU), Dekarbonisierung der Prozesswärme im Klimahafen Gelsenkirchen, December 2022
Green hydrogen is to be used in particular where electrification by other means is not possible or only possible with great difficulty – for example in maritime applications. One of the greatest problems facing the shipping industry, however, is that there are only a few manufacturers who optimize their drive concepts for use on the water or design them specifically for this purpose, because the quantities demanded in this economic segment are generally not very large. How this dilemma could be solved is being discussed in, among other projects, e4ships and e4ports.
Hydrogen and fuel cell technology has now arrived in almost all divisions of technology. Accordingly, the two were presented and discussed during the SMM, the largest ship and maritime technology fair, that took place in Hamburg from Sep. 3rd to 6th. During the accompanying e4ships conference, for example, Achim Wehrmann, director for ship transport at the German transport ministry (BMDV), stated, “(The NIP project) e4ships has been running since 2009 and has shown that fuel cells are extremely important for maritime applications.” At the same time, he stressed, “The emissions in this sector need to be significantly reduced. And we need to be quicker about it.”
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The search for the fuel of tomorrow
The main question in the industry at the moment is which fuel will be the fuel of the future? It is clear that the move away from fossil fuels such as heavy oil must be implemented as quickly as possible – but what should follow? Dr. Ralf Sören Marquardt, managing director of the German association for shipbuilding and maritime technology (Verband für Schiffbau und Meerestechnik eV, VSM), made clear that the current state of the industry is literally gloomy, as at present dirty clouds of exhaust gas still were obscuring the sun.
The ship companies and builders had been set on using LNG as the alternative, but ammonia, methanol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), low-flashpoint diesel (LF diesel) and hydrogen are now being seriously considered. LPG, likewise to LF diesel, can in principle be renewably generated, but not yet however. Hermann-Josef Mammes from the shipyard Meyer Werft stated, “We need more and a diversity of different fuels.” He pled for more demonstration projects in this context so that the corresponding technologies could be better tested. Stated Mammes, “The sobering conclusion is that we are nowhere near the market ramp-up stage in this sector.”
Christian Allgeier from the BMDV replied that “safety comes first, before speed.” In his opinion, the current pace of development is not okay, which is why work is being done to accelerate it. At the same time, however, he said, “We don’t want anyone to be left behind.”
Much at this time still depends on the regulations that the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in which 175 nations are a part of, will set in the ship transport sector. Kurt-Christoph von Knobelsdorff, managing director of the German administrative agency for hydrogen and fuel cell technology (Nationale Organisation Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellentechnologie, NOW), stated, “Many regulations are undergoing revision at this time, including those for hydrogen.” Although they are striving for speed in this, it will take years before anything gets done. Dr. Christopher Stanik, NOW team leader for maritime applications, declared, “The strategy (of the IMO) is not fast enough, is not in line with the Paris Goals.”
Even more direct was VSM chief managing director Dr. Reinhard Lüken: “We must – especially on the regulatory side – be much faster. We are far behind.” Specifically, he criticized that it took “ten years to introduce the IGF code for a fuel that we had been using for years.” He also called for a change in the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities so that e-fuels could become viable in the maritime sector.
Marquardt said regarding the IMO, “The goal is correct, but the measures are not ambitious enough. We need more trust and less resistance.” Here, there is a “long list of unresolved problems.” As long as this framework is not established, there will be the challenge of having to build ships without having solid regulations, which could then always change case. VSM managing director Lüken stated: “If we continue to address tasks one after the other, we will not get things done fast enough. We need to accelerate. We need to achieve all this in less than ten years – and all in parallel. Money may not be the problem right now, but that we need better coordination.”
Bingbing Song from the International Maritime Organization stated that while the IMO does not tarry, the fact that the institution is working with so many different countries and other actors inevitably means that the coordination processes are extremely lengthy.
Zero-emission at the wharf
Subject of discussion are ports in addition to ships. In order to, for example, make shore power more sustainable, the network e4ports has been running since 2021, which among other things concerns itself with ideas and designs for the energy supply at ports as well as the implementation of EU guidelines. This should help ports become sustainable transport hubs. Since they are not only points of exchange, but also always energy sinks, they are ideal sites for energy renovation.
At the focus is how energy supply, particularly of large ships, is to occur at ports. As the running of diesel engines has been subject to heavy fines for several years due to emissions reduction laws, the supply of power for moored ships must be guaranteed by the shore side. For this, there are several approaches.
When the energy requirement is over 1.5 MW, mobile shore power solutions are generally not practical, since the cost can add up to around 50 cents per kWh. Therefore, stationary solutions are therefore more suitable for this high power segment. Mobile solutions, such as battery systems or trailers with alternative fuels, are more suitable “for smaller marinas or for areas of ports with lower utilization rates” – most import factor being a “highest possible capacity utilization of the systems, in order to be able to use them economically.” This was the conclusion of the study “Technologische Möglichkeiten und Voraussetzungen mobiler Landstromversorgung” (technological possibilities and preconditions for mobile shore power), which was presented during the e4ports conference.
Containerized fueling solutions of this kind are already widely established in the event sector, but in maritime use, they are still quite new. There aren’t any hydrogen solutions yet, however, with the exception of one example from GP Joule, who tried out an H2 Container at the rock festival Wacken.
Besides the supplying of power to ships in ports, the discussion is about the supply to vehicles on the grounds of the port. One-third of the CO2 savings can be achieved there through electrification and automation alone, and two-thirds through the use of alternative fuels. However, solutions for port vehicles with hydrogen as the alternative will probably not be available for another five or ten years, which is why when new equipment is purchased, conventional technology will still be in play in many cases. Down the line, however, increased electrification and possibly the acquisition of H2 systems awaits.
Question for the world
One question that was discussed but not answered during the e4ships event was whether cruise ships are really necessary. Is it really necessary for floating cities to encroach on what could have been untouched nature, or would a reorientation be desirable here?
H2-powered CTVs
Also at the WindEnergy that took place end of September (see p. 10), also on the Hamburg Messe grounds, was something to be seen from the maritime sector: the Hydrocat 48, the first hydrogen-powered crew transfer vessel (CTV). In May 2022, CMB.TECH, which is a Belgian company that converts special machinery and ships, announced together with Windcat Workboats that the CTV, after the successful tests, was immediately ready for operation. That is, to bring workers to their posts at offshore wind parks.
The Hydrocat 48 uses a dual-fuel engine from MAN that CMB.TECH equipped with an H2 injection system. CMB.TECH had retrofitted its first CTV to operate with hydrogen as early as 2017. The resulting technology from this was then installed in a Windcat MK3.5 workboat without incurring significant loss of performance or reliability, explained Frank Wiebe from FRS Windcat Offshore Logistics GmbH to H2-international.
“This vessel offers the industry a cost-effective solution to significantly reduce emissions from service vessels, which can be applied to any wind farm today. This solution can be seen as a steppingstone to fully hydrogen powered CTVs. By starting with dual fuel combustion engines, we can make hydrogen technology operational in the industry and kick-start further development of the technology, regulation, supply chain, etc.”
Willem van der Wel, managing director of Windcat Workboats
“The suitability of this technology for a CTV is mainly because existing diesel engines can be used. No fundamental changes to the main engine are required, which not only means that maintenance and repair remain simple, but also that the engine can easily be switched back to diesel fuel without any modifications. Even if hydrogen is not available, the vessel can continue to run on traditional fuel, making it a very robust and reliable solution for the offshore wind industry… From the initial dual-fuel technology projects we have seen reductions of CO2 emissions up to 80%.“
Roy Campe, managing director of CMB.TECH
One of the first H2 ships was the Hydroville, which has been shuttling around Antwerp for three years now. In 2021, it was joined by, among others, Hydrobingo. In the meantime, a total of four additional ships have been ordered, according to Wiebe. And since October 2022, Volva Penta, a subsidiary of the Volvo Group specializing in ship propulsion, has also been a cooperation partner.
References:
Ninnemann, Jan, u. a., Mobile Landstromversorgung – Technologische Möglichkeiten und Voraussetzungen, NOW, Sept. 2022
The German association for gas and water standards (Deutscher Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches eV, DVGW) appointed Jörg Höhler as its new president at the end of November. His predecessor, Michael Riechel, gave up this post earlier than originally planned. The DVGW explained to H2-international that Riechel, who is additionally board chairman of Thüga AG, “with view of his retirement from the company in the course of the coming year” had wanted to settle his succession in office at an early stage. The 61-year-old saw that it was time to leave his seat to someone else and that it should not wait until the next general meeting, when the vote for a new president would take place, which is why a special general meeting was called, it was said.
Höhler was previously vice president and has been a member of the executive board since 2015. Since 2009, the 56-year-old engineer has been a board member of the energy provider for Wiesbaden, ESWE Versorgung AG, and he has been board member of the power company Kraftwerke Mainz-Wiesbaden AG since 2017. He stressed that particularly in these difficult times, understanding and communication with each other and a shared sense of unity are important to “mobilize all forces in the association network.” He further stated, “The DVGW has become a key player in hydrogen advancement in recent years.”
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The post of vice president is immediately being assumed by Markus Last, who has been a member of the executive board since 2014.
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