Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and for many years has promised to play a significant role in clean energy solutions. Its sheer abundance alongside its clean combustion products would suggest hydrogen is an ideal candidate to liberate us from our fossil fuel dependency. It is, however, important to consider the entire hydrogen value chain when assessing its viability as a clean energy source. The value chain can be broadly segmented into three key fields: production, storage and distribution, and end use application. The European Patent Office (EPO) and International Energy Agency (IEA) recently issued a report analysing the global trends of innovation along hydrogen value chains. The existing and emerging technologies corresponding to each stage of the value chain can be seen in the figure below, which comes from the EPO/IEA report.
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Today, approximately 95 % of hydrogen is produced from fossil fuel sources through processes such as natural gas reforming. This process is not only still dependent on fossil fuels for raw materials, but requires significant energy input, which is also commonly derived from fossil fuels.
Production
Electrolysis is an alternative means of hydrogen production, which does not require fossil fuels as a raw material, but currently accounts for an exceedingly small proportion of global production (around 0.04 % in 2021). This process involves the use of electricity to decompose water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Whilst electrolysis appears promising, the process is currently only around 75 % efficient and more than 99 % of the total hydrogen production by electrolysis is produced using energy from non-renewable sources.
The EPO/IEA global trend analysis found that hydrogen production technologies accounted for the largest number of hydrogen related patents in the 2011 to 2020 period. Technologies motivated by climate concerns generated nearly 90 % of International Patent Families (IPFs) related to hydrogen production in 2020. With a strong focus on decarbonising hydrogen production, there has been a rapid increase in electrolysis related patents and a substantial decrease in patent applications for hydrogen production from fossil fuels. These trends are visible in the figure below from the EPO/IEA global trend analysis report.
With high natural gas prices, the economic climate has shifted in favour of low-emission hydrogen from electrolysis, attracting further investment. It is clear that further innovation is necessary to enable renewable, low carbon hydrogen production and while several families of electrolysers of vastly differing technical maturity are under concurrent development, there is still no consensus on a preferred solution.
Storage and Distribution
Pure hydrogen is currently transported in pipelines and tube trailers as a gas or in cryogenic tanks in its liquefied form. To fully exploit the potential of hydrogen as a fuel, efficient, standardised, and cost-effective means of storage and transport is imperative.
Current hydrogen storage and transport remains the subject of many challenges, such as the substantial weight and volume of storage systems, energy losses associated with compression and liquefication, and durability of storage systems. Patent trends across hydrogen transport and storage can be seen in the figure below from the EPO/IEA report, which shows a strong focus on infrastructure to support hydrogen uptake.
Unlike hydrogen production technologies, universities and research organisations account for very few of the patent applications for the storage and transport of hydrogen. This suggests this portion of the hydrogen value chain is predominantly based on mature technologies with a focus on incremental innovation. However, some emerging technologies, such as the use of liquid organic hydrogen carriers or synthetic methane, have shown promise for future large-scale deployment.
Application
Whilst this article has focused heavily on hydrogen as an alternative fuel, hydrogen demand is primarily driven by the chemical industry, of which around 75 % was directed to ammonia production and around 25 % for methanol production. Innovation in the hydrogen sector, accelerated by an appetite for clean energy, will likely result in greater efficiency of the existing hydrogen supply chain and thus decrease the carbon footprint of the entire industry.
Emerging hydrogen applications and patenting trends are focused heavily on transport, with more IPFs for automotive applications of hydrogen since 2001 than for all other emerging uses of hydrogen combined. Fuel cells appear to be the most mature technology for hydrogen powered transport, with some market uptake already. Alternatives such as hydrogen internal combustion engines are of demonstrable capacity and lag slightly behind the maturity of fuel cell technology. Hydrogen powered solutions for road and rail are significantly more refined than their air transport counterparts, with scalability and the mass of hydrogen storage posing significant challenges in aviation. Patent trends across hydrogen applications can be seen in the figure below from the EPO/IEA report, which shows a strong focus on the automotive sector.
Challenges still persist with on-board vehicle storage of hydrogen as well as how to convert the chemical energy from hydrogen into motive force. Within the automotive and aviation sectors, patent applications for means of propulsion dominate. In particular, hydrogen fuel cells account for a significant portion of innovation in the last decade. For aviation, it is expected that fuel cells may be viable for shorter haul journeys. For longer haul flight, it is expected that the higher power of turbines and energy density of hydrogen-based fuels will offer greater performance than the combination of a fuel cell and motor.
Where Next?
It is apparent from the EPO/IEA global trend analysis that hydrogen remains a focus for innovation across the world. To fully exploit hydrogen as the clean energy source of the future, innovation is necessary throughout the value chain to ensure efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable practice from production through to end-use application.
We all rely on innovators to provide us with the technology to progress towards a hydrogen-powered future. Investment in new technologies is key to further commercial success and more than 80 % of late-stage investment in hydrogen start-ups in 2011 to 2020 went to companies that had filed a patent application in areas such as electrolysis, fuel cells, or low-emissions methods for producing hydrogen from gas.
Forresters specialises in providing clear direction to innovators as they seek crucial legal protection for their IP and enable the implementation and commercialisation of their ideas. We look forward to contributing to a sustainable future by supporting innovators with practical and valuable IP advice.
Author: Elliot Farrell, Forresters, Liverpool, United Kingdom, lcroft@forresters-ip.com
Austria’s first and leading hydrogen research center HyCentA began life in 2005. Now promoted to become part of the COMET funding program (Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies), it is continuing its research on the campus of Graz University of Technology as a K1 center of excellence.
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The Hydrogen Research Center Austria located at Graz University of Technology, better known as HyCentA, is Austria’s top research center for hydrogen technologies. Since it was founded in 2005, HyCentA has specialized in developing novel technological solutions for electrolysis, hydrogen storage and fuel cells, delivering innovations in cooperation with partners and supporting technologies as they progress from initial idea to market maturity.
Alexander Trattner, scientific director of HyCentA, explains: “We want to push the sustainable hydrogen society much further because we’re convinced that green hydrogen has to be part of the solution for a net-zero energy system. Approval as a COMET K1 center allows us to carry out extensive research into hydrogen technologies that are especially relevant for the future: electrolyzers, storage systems and fuel cells. We’re also able to concentrate more on a holistic view of hydrogen within the areas of electricity, heat supply, transport and industry. The COMET K1 program enables long-term research to take place at HyCentA, underpinned by decades of experience in research and development as well as hundreds of successfully completed projects.”
COMET network
COMET’s mission is to build bridges between science and industry for a sustainable future. As Austria’s flagship science and industry program, it is intended to support pioneering research. The network funds the setup of technological centers of excellence referred to as COMET centers.
The work conducted by the 80-member team at HyCentA is divided into four areas. The goal is to lower the cost of technologies, reduce degradation and raise the efficiency of electrochemical cells. In addition, the intention is to identify the ideal combination of key technologies and optimization potential by coupling the energy, industry and mobility sectors. Ultimately, it is hoped that this will enable a higher degree of self-sufficiency in renewables, increase the resilience of the energy system and safeguard international competitiveness through in-country value creation. A total of around 40 leading national and international businesses and academic partners are contributing to the research alongside HyCentA as part of the COMET program’s work on hydrogen technologies.
Area 1: Electrolysis and Power-to-X
Area 1 covers all technologies that support the sustainable and emission-free production of hydrogen and chemicals for storing hydrogen. The main technologies for electrolytic hydrogen production are the more developed techniques of alkaline and proton exchange membrane electrolysis (AEL and PEMEL) as well as applications with mid-levels of technology readiness (anion exchange membrane and solid oxide electrolysis: AEMEL and SOEL) and promising methods with a low degree of readiness (proton-conducting ceramic electrolysis: PCCEL). Other research focuses on approaches for splitting water by means of solar energy (photoelectrolysis) and the electrochemical manufacturing of chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide and ammonia.
The aim is to further develop the technologies, starting with the materials and progressing through the cell and stack and continuing all the way to system level. Although the general goals of increasing longevity and efficiency and lowering cost apply to all technologies, the specific research approaches vary. When it comes to raising efficiency, it is the design and operational strategies that need to be optimized. For extending the life of electrolyzers, on the other hand, the focus is on accelerated aging tests. Meanwhile, for improvements in production processes, the research sets its sights on increasing the automation of manufacturing and assembly processes.
Area 2: Green Energy and Industry
Area 2 concentrates on key technologies that are essential for hydrogen applications in the energy and industry sectors. Under consideration are stationary and mobile storage technologies based on compressed gas storage as well as metal hydride and liquid storage. Synergies from bringing together stationary and on-board applications are exploited by developing an intelligent combination of distribution and logistics systems with stationary forms of infrastructure. Investigations are carried out into areas including electrochemical compression and purification in addition to power conversion using stationary fuel cells. Alongside the efficiency of the technologies examined, the reliability and safety of systems are also a key research priority.
Area 3: Green Mobility
The focus of Area 3 is on fuel cell and hydrogen storage systems, particularly for mobility applications. These comprise PEM and AEM cells, stacks and systems as well as optimized forms of existing and alternative storage systems. The research work aims to generate a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of fuel cells and storage systems so the problems of performance, degradation, cost and industrialization can be better appreciated and solved using suitable countermeasures.
Relevant results for the interface definition at the level of vehicle integration and refueling infrastructure are used to create the best possible basis for future developments. Key knowledge is used to improve production and manufacturing so that market readiness and viability can be rapidly achieved.
Area 4: Circularity and System Optimization
Area 4 develops seamless tool chains in order to examine and optimize resilient, cross-sector energy systems based on renewable primary energy and hydrogen. These simulation tools allow operational strategies for power-to-X plants to be devised and business cases created.
Innovative testing and measuring instruments for fuel cells and electrolysis as well as underlying measuring and diagnostic methods are developed for the purposes of gaining knowledge about degradation, state of health and predictive maintenance. Efficient and cost-effective measuring tools and systems are deployed for applications across the entire hydrogen value chain, and extensive knowledge is acquired about the suitability and compatibility of materials in conjunction with hydrogen applications.
Analyses and concept developments are translated broadly into systemic and economic market models and recycling options for the purposes of creating a circular economy. The future potential of recycling processes and technologies is also assessed and evaluated on a representative small scale. An environmental performance model is being developed for recycling scenarios which methodically compares and contrasts new and recycled materials.
Hydrogen, fuel cell & electrolyzer test center
Testing is an integral part of the HyCentA research portfolio. The center’s facilities are used to test and inspect performance, safety, degradation behavior and reliability in real hydrogen operations. This work is undertaken by numerous labs and testing areas which meet the unique and stringent demands of established testing and inspection routines as well as specialist customer requirements.
The various tests which can be conducted in these facilities include quality assessments, calibration services, performance and efficiency tests, safety tests, service life tests and examinations under real environmental conditions. Among the amenities at the 1,200-square-meter (12,900-square-foot) test center are two single-cell electrolysis test stations, two short-stack electrolysis test stations, a high-pressure test station up to 1,000 bar with climatic chamber, two multifunctional test stations, a fuel cell cathode subsystem test station, a fuel cell system test station up to 160 kilowatts with climatic chamber, a gas analysis lab, an analytical and electrochemical lab, an electrochemical compression test station, a 350-bar and 700-bar hydrogen refueling station, a test cell for hydrogen permeation and an autoclave for hydrogen material compatibility analysis of samples.
TU Graz and HyCentA
The HyCentA research center aims to benefit the community as a whole. Researchers work in close cooperation with Graz University of Technology, also known as TU Graz, particularly when it comes to industrial research into electrolysis, fuel cells and hydrogen infrastructure. HyCentA shareholders are TU Graz, which owns a 50 percent stake, Magna, OMV and the combustion and thermodynamics research organization FVT. The COMET center of excellence is financed by the Austrian government – specifically the climate action ministry and the economy ministry – and the states of Steiermark, Upper Austria, Tyrol and Vienna. The Austrian research promotion agency FFG has been in charge of program management for more than 20 years.
TU Graz is Austria’s most tradition-rich technical and scientific institution for research and education. The university has been successfully researching electrochemistry and hydrogen for more than 50 years. Today, the TU Graz campus is home to a 160-member team working in hydrogen research and across its unique lab and research facilities, making it one of Europe’s leading establishments. The university covers the entire value chain for the renewable hydrogen industry, from production via storage and distribution to deployment, and is a one-stop shop for hydrogen technology research –from the fundamentals through applied technologies and systems.
Zero-emission power system for a river and coastal vessel
Shipping is responsible for roughly 3 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions around the globe. The International Maritime Organization or IMO therefore set itself the goal of at least halving this figure by the year 2050, relative to a 2008 baseline. Due to the high power requirements and the large distances traveled by ships, fully electric solutions are only possible in isolated cases. Hydrogen and its derivatives are therefore attracting increasing interest from the maritime industry because of their potential to greatly reduce ship emissions. The challenge in this sector is, firstly, how to store the hydrogen on board safely in a minimal amount of space and, secondly, how to engineer the overall energy system to meet various requirements while optimizing its control.
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The Hitzler Werft shipyard in Lauenburg, Germany, is currently building the Coriolis research vessel for the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon research center in Geesthacht. The ship will be fitted with a diesel electric power system in addition to batteries and a hydrogen system. The latter was designed by Hereon together with the DLR Institute of Maritime Energy Systems and the engineering consultancy Technolog in Hamburg.
Hydrogen system lab on board
The hydrogen system lab – H2SL – is designed to be a hydrogen system that is spread across the vessel. The main components are a metal hydride tank, which was developed by Hereon, and a low-temperature proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Accompanying these are various pieces of peripheral equipment, such as a bunker station for hydrogen, a tank connection space at the metal hydride tank and two vent masts.
For a comparably small vessel such as the Coriolis, whose length is just under 30 meters (100 feet), extremely careful consideration is needed when arranging the components. One of the reasons for this is because there are no binding regulations yet that govern the use of hydrogen on board.
The definition of hazardous zones and the distances that need to be maintained between ventilation facilities come from the IGF Code, which regulates the handling of low-flashpoint fuels in shipping and has been primarily used for liquefied natural gas up until now. The code does not yet take into account the special properties of hydrogen, for instance its much higher volatility compared with LNG. Among other things, this evident in the size and shape of the hazardous zones (see the spherical hazardous zones around the vents and air inlets). Work on the IGF Code is currently ongoing to extend its scope to include the use of hydrogen.
The tank system, consisting of an actual metal hydride tank and the mandatory inertable tank connection space, will be built on a 5-foot container base plate and have around half the height. In addition to the weight of the metal hydride itself, the overall weight is made up of the steel tank shells, pipework and, in particular, the pressure vessel of the tank connection space. The overall system volume of around 4 cubic meters (140 cubic feet) and an overall system weight of 5 metric tons mean that the tank system stores approximately 30 kilograms of hydrogen.
This allows the fuel cell to supply the ship with roughly 500 kilowatt-hours of green energy. That said, this can only happen if the bunkering of green hydrogen is actually possible and permitted – a challenge in itself, as initial exploratory talks with port authorities and hydrogen producers have shown.
Prior to the shipyard tender, the energy requirement for craft propulsion was ascertained at SVA Potsdam using a model test and subsequently scaled up. The shape of the Coriolis is optimized for operation at low speed as this matches the primary operating profile of inshore journeys (see fig. 3).
Due to the low power requirement for creep speed, the fuel cell, which will have a rated electrical power of around 100 kilowatts, can be used in combination with the battery for numerous monitoring activities and in the other operating states of the Coriolis e.g., during layovers, without having to switch on a diesel engine. As well as the propulsion system, the electrical consumers on board also need to be supplied, although these only require a fraction of the power needed for propulsion.
Metal hydride tanks
From Hereon’s perspective, the following properties make metal hydride or MH tanks attractive for a range of maritime applications:
Moderate loading pressures of well under 100 bar at operating temperatures below 100 °C
Cold start of a MH tank possible in principle even at temperatures below 0 °C (Hereon EP 3 843 190)
By the very nature of MH tanks, the hydrogen is chemically bound meaning the tanks cannot suddenly release large quantities of hydrogen, which is a significant on-board safety advantage.
The low loading pressures allow a flexible structural form which makes it easy to adapt to the shape of the ship à saves space. Today’s pressurized hydrogen tanks take up a lot of room, especially on small vessels, which reduces valuable cargo space.
The high weight can even be advantageous in certain applications, e.g., for sailing ships where it can be used instead of the obligatory “deadweight” ballast for stability.
Research in the H2SL
Hereon and DLR are working together to investigate which types of ship are best suited to the combination of a low-temperature fuel cell and a metal hydride tank for the propulsion system. The goal of the two research institutes is to create a guiding principle that enables the Coriolis energy system concept to be adapted and integrated easily into other ships and types of craft.
The H2SL offers many more opportunities to pursue innovative research approaches in addition to facilitating zero-emission operation. Hereon and DLR are planning an intensive program of research using the power system and are expecting to gain valuable knowledge and real-time data on relevant research issues. This will be made possible by running the H2SL in a real maritime environment with the option to access operating data remotely online and immediately adjust the control parameters. The effects of these changes will then be the subject of further study.
DLR will develop a digital twin of the hydrogen energy system based on the operating data in order to produce a continuous record of the system status, optimize the system control and derive feedback for the operation.
What’s more, the information should allow operational strategies to be developed for the Coriolis’ hybrid energy system. The variation in energy sources, i.e., battery, fuel cell and combustion engine, creates a high degree of flexibility with regard to operation in a wide range of energy consumption scenarios. The goal is to achieve an optimal balance in relation to fuel consumption and operating costs through intelligent load sharing for a wide variety of traveling and loading states.
A benefit of carrying out this kind of investigative work on a research vessel is that strategies developed from theoretical principles can be transferred directly to the energy management system, allowing them to be swiftly validated during operation.
Hybrid energy systems are being built into ships with increasing frequency. The knowledge gained from sailing the Coriolis will supply valuable information in future that can also be transferred to other types of craft and thus contribute toward reducing emissions in the maritime sector.
Authors: Klaus Taube, Hereon, Geesthacht, Volker Dzaak, Markus Mühmer
Initial concrete plans have emerged for the future of the PCK refinery in Schwedt, eastern Germany. On May 8, 2023, Enertrag and PCK Raffinerie GmbH presented a feasibility study that throws light on what will happen at the refinery site in the run-up to 2045. According to the report, extensive hydrogen infrastructure could be built at the location which would involve an investment of EUR 15 billion.
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The CEOs of both companies as well as the local Brandenburg economy minister Jörg Steinbach traveled especially to the town – a planned settlement whose appearance still bears the hallmarks of the socialist era. Together they presented their proposals for how the site could be made fit for the future while also allowing oil and gas operations to continue. The task of elaborating the plans prior to this announcement had fallen to a 15-member project team which had grappled with six different work packages over the course of eight months.
PCK chairman Ralf Schairer explained how it would be possible “to create added value in the region,” with the Schwedt refinery potentially obtaining hydrogen from the surrounding area by pipeline at a later date. However, the intention is also for significant quantities of hydrogen to be produced on site which are then either sold or processed further to make synthetic fuels or high-value chemical products. Looking ahead, more than 30,000 metric tons of hydrogen could be manufactured each year by the end of 2027.
“Here we envisage a center for green transformation.”
Gunar Hering, Enertrag chairman
To make this happen, 32 megawatts of electrolyzer capacity from Siemens Energy are to be installed initially (see H2-international, May 2023). Capacity is then expected to be increased by 2027 to between 300 and 400 megawatts. By 2030, hydrogen production could be expanded to 160,000 metric tons a year, which would equate to around 20 percent (roughly 1 gigawatt) of the electrolyzer capacity envisioned in Germany’s national hydrogen strategy. This would allow for the annual production of 2 million metric tons of aviation fuel, methanol and high-value chemicals and 1 million metric tons of biofuels in addition to providing green heating to the town of Schwedt. The level of investment funneled into the area could run to approximately EUR 15 billion.
One key issue, though, according to Schairer, is that the total amount of liquid fuels processed is likely to be reduced from 11 million to 3 million metric tons per year. At first this caused him much concern. He explained, however: “Of the 11 million tons, only 20 percent of the value is generated in Schwedt. At 3 million tons, 100 percent of the value is created here. So the euros stay in the region.”
Directing his comments to the around 1,200 PCK employees, Ralf Schairer reassured them by saying: “We will be refining crude oil for many years to come. We are talking about an adjustment taking place over two decades.”
CEO of PCK Harry Gnorski added: “We are the largest producer of hydrogen in the region, but it’s still gray.” In order for gray to become green he hopes that industrial companies will establish themselves in the area. The size of the growth potential in northeastern Germany is illustrated by the rise of Enertrag, which currently employs 900 members of staff, a figure it says is set to grow to 2,000 by 2028. Speaking via video, Michael Kellner, parliamentary state secretary to the German economy minister, emphasized the point: “PCK and Enertrag are the two most important companies in Uckermark.”
Less water needed
When asked by H2-international about the water requirement in the region, project coordinator Tobias Bischof-Niemz responded: “This will reduce significantly.” It was stated that, up until now, PCK has held water rights for 20 million metric tons a year. Around 1 million tons of water would be needed annually per gigawatt of installed electrolyzer capacity. If 5 gigawatts of capacity is installed in the area, the quantity of water called for would be 5 million tons – in other words a quarter of the amount previously required.
ECK not PCK
Following the joint press conference, the gentlemen met with Schwedt’s mayor, Annekathrin Hoppe, and local residents to discuss the feasibility study as part of the “Zukunft Jetzt!” (Future Now!) talk-show series. Teasingly, Steinbach appealed for a campaign to be launched to change PCK’s name to ECK, thus symbolizing that Schwedt is no longer primarily focused on petrochemicals, instead becoming a base for manufacturing e-fuels and e-chemicals as part of a renewables, chemicals and fuel alliance.
In the heart of Thüringen – around Erfurt and the northern part of Thüringer Becken – is where TH2ECO is situating the regional hydrogen market currently in establishment. A partnership consortium of regional specialists has been developing this project since 2021. The partners from different renewable energy fields are grid operators as well as energy and power suppliers who are driving forward the building and expansion of a sustainable H2 infrastructure and the establishment of the new energy carrier hydrogen. With it from the start has been Kilian Fromm, project manager at Green Wind Innovation, to whom German economy minister Robert Habeck handed the H2Eco Award for this project during this year’s Hannover Messe.
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TH2ECO aims to create a regional hydrogen market that demonstrates how the complex system of a market with various economic, technical and regulatory requirements over the complete value chain –from green H2 production to its use – can work for the region and how the local value creation can be integrated in a supraregional market in the long term.
TH2ECO is committed to three core objectives: decarbonization, regionality and sustainability. Through ramp up of a low-carbon economy, CO2 emissions in Thüringen will be significantly reduced. With a grid-serving integration into existing grids, already existing structures in the region will be integrated.
From production to use
Cooperating in the partnership and in coordinated project direction are, at this time, three energy providers (Green Wind Innovation, Boreas Energie, TEAG Thüringer Energie AG), three gas network operators (Ferngas Netzgesellschaft, SWE Netz, TEN Thüringer Energienetze) and a gas storage operator (TEP Thüringer Energie Speichergesellschaft) as well as several customers. The main areas for use of the H2 are transportation, the centralized heat generation as part of the district heat supply for Erfurt (SWE Energie) and in the industrial sector:
Transport: At freight village Güterverkehrszentrum (GVZ) Erfurt Ost with a refueling station for commercial vehicles from Jet H2 Energy as well as intralogistics applications and use in rail transport
Industry: businesses in industrial park Erfurter Kreuz
Heating: GuD-Heizkraftwerk of Stadtwerke Erfurt (SWE) for heat and power generation; blending in the natural gas distribution networks
Phase 1: Gas pipeline already under conversion
TH2ECO is divided into three phases, which illustrate the building stages of the emerging hydrogen market. In the initial phase up to 2025, it is planned that three electrolysis plants with a combined capacity of 25 MW go into operation in Thüringer Becken. The H2 transport is primarily being carried out via the existing 42-km natural gas pipeline currently under repurposing for 100 percent green hydrogen. In the city of Erfurt, SWE Netz is providing further supply via H2 lines.
GuD-Heizkraftwerk in Erfurt, the industrial park in Erfurter Kreuz and the local natural gas grid of municipality Kirchheilingen will consequently be connected via this pipeline. The natural gas rock reservoirs in Kirchheilingen will be unidirectionally integrated, which has already been investigated for H2 use and the feasibility was confirmed. Also the GVZ in Erfurt will already be supplied in the initial phase by the second quarter of 2025, where since the new gas grid connection is yet to be built, delivery is initially to take place via high-pressure trailers.
Phase 2: Expansion to 40 MW generation capacity
In the second phase, to expand the regional H2 market that has emerged, an expansion of generation capacities to 40 MW is envisaged during ramp up of the German hydrogen market. The H2 supply network is to be expanded, for which the gas distribution network of provider TEN Thüringer Energienetze will be connected and the H2 storage used bidirectionally. On the consumption side, Erfurter Gasnetz will be linked in and line connection to the GVZ will occur. Use of H2 in the GuD-Heizkraftwerk will be heightened and rail transport structures incorporated.
Phase 3: Supraregional integration
Subsequently, the project TH2ECO will be scaled further through the uptake of additional regional H2 generation and H2 importing from other regions. The network will be integrated into the supraregional H2 backbone, so supply to large industrial operations is guaranteed and each of the municipal utilities can achieve climate neutrality.
Exemplary for Germany
A high degree of innovation has been shown with TH2ECO already in the initial phase: Due to the potent network across the generation and consumption sides, market structures are emerging on both sides of the value chain that differentiate TH2ECO from other projects.
With three H2 producers and various consumers in different industries, a variety of new questions arise, which are approached in an exemplary manner in the TH2ECO project, thus constituting a blueprint for the German H2 market:
How will practical contract structures between H2 producers and consumers establish? Are there bilateral contract structures or are there central H2 vendors that bundle capacities on the generation side and distribute them among the customers?
How will energy surpluses be handled in the market? Who is responsible for curtailing and balancing energy quantities?
High H2 purities (5.0, or ≥999%) at withdrawal cannot be guaranteed in a converted pipeline. How can an efficient mechanism be found here?
In the heating or industrial sector, there are different regulatory frameworks than in transportation (THG-Quote credit systems). How can the different incentives be reconciled in one market?
Modularly constructed electrolysis units
Through joint planning and close coordination in the consortium, reliable and functioning structures will be created that reduce the risk for all project undertakers and enables a simultaneous ramp up of H2 supply and demand.
The H2 producer ensures economic H2 production in the initial phase through the intelligent combination of energy from their own wind and PV ground-mounted systems that supply the electrolyzers with CO2-free energy. Having their own RE plants guarantees that the H2 producers have available a long-term, plannable supply of electricity with fixed prices.
A modular design and the flexible plant structure composed of several containerized MW electrolysis units will make adapting to the physical and legal requirements of hydrogen for different supply strings in the TH2ECO project at an electrolysis site possible. In this way, from the start, filling a high-pressure trailer with 5.0 purity green hydrogen as defined in EU directive REDII and eventually feeding CO2-free green hydrogen at 30 bar into the H2 grid can occur. Synergies of H2 demand and different revenue streams are thus used in a way that enables efficient cash intakes in the different areas of use.
H2Eco Award for TH2ECO
During Hannover Messe, TH2ECO and namely Green Wind Innovation was distinguished with the H2Eco Award – a distinction by the DWV (German hydrogen and fuel cell association) and Deutsche Messe for companies whose projects make an outstanding contribution to the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy. In the project TH2ECO, where it is a consortium member, Green Wind Innovation is responsible for the set-up of a modular 10-MW electrolysis plant. According to the assessment by the jury of notable figures, the project distinguishes itself through a special system technological, national economic contribution to climate protection and CO2 reduction.
TH2ECO MOBILITY is a HyPerformer
In the area of transportation, the planned refueling station in GVZ Erfurt will make higher revenue potentials with hydrogen possible. Recently, the subproject TH2ECO MOBILITY, led by consultancy EurA Innovationsberatung, was named a HyPerformer 2023 by the German transport ministry. To realize the development of an H2 mobility hub in the GVZ, 15 million euros of federal funding has been allocated.
In the area of industry, with a suitably coordinated H2 product, a CO2-free energy source will be created, which can also be used as a chemical starting material. For the centralized heating of Stadtwerke Erfurt, a CO2-free heating product will be available in the market.
Security of supply increasing
With TH2ECO, an H2 ecosystem is being created that uses the potentials of cheap renewable energies from wind and PV plants and incorporates the fluctuation of energy sources through the buffer and storage capabilities of an H2 pipeline. In this way, the constant demand from industry, daily fluctuating demand from transportation, and seasonally fluctuating demand in the heating sector can be brought together with renewable energy from regional sources.
In the combined heat-and-power station of Stadtwerke Erfurt, hydrogen is to be used to generate grid heat. About 40 percent of the residents of Erfurt can proportionately and directly benefit from this. Furthermore, by blending H2 in sections of the existing natural gas grid, households in these microgrids will be supplied with green hydrogen.
In the medium term, one of the largest economic centers of Thüringen, that is industrial park Erfurter Kreuz, as well as the rail transport systems will be incorporated. The planned connection starting 2030 to the German and European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) will support the commercial prospects beyond the borders of Thüringen and Germany in the long term. In this way, the commerce of locations Germany and particularly Thüringen will be strengthened by the TH2ECO project.
Project development of the electrolysis station
Could you illustrate what the project development of the electrolyzers was like?
Fromm: During the realization of the electrolysis plant from Green Wind, the local community was actively involved early on through a presentation for the Bürgermeister in the town hall, in a building committee and in town council meetings. Like with the installation of wind energy in Thüringen, we are convinced that a fair involvement of the community in the projects is necessary. Additionally, consultation with critical stakeholders like regional water providers was done in order to ensure an environmentally considerate water supply.
What advantages are there at the electrolysis location?
Our approach is to use the complete feed-in energy of the electrolysis plant. Therefore, in addition to the generation of green hydrogen, the decoupling of local heat on site at the electrolysis plant is planned. A helpful potential, since its operation generates low-cost waste heat that – when locally used – is a helpful building block in the clean heating transition of the community, for example as part of a low-temperature heating grid.
Are there advantages on site beyond the waste heat?
Yes, definitely: We envisage that there will be an opportunity to visit at the electrolysis site, so it will become a place for knowledge expansion and learning. By being present locally, we want to develop a practical example that can be experienced and that gives the important topics of energy transition and sector coupling the visibility they deserve.
Author: Kilian Fromm, Green Wind Innovation, Berlin
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