Power-to-Gas

Microbial biomethane on the way to industrial maturity

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© M. Thema
© M. Thema

ORBIT field test successfully completed

In December, the test operation of the ORBIT biomethanisation plant in Ibbenbüren ended and with it a research project for the further development of power-to-gas technology, which is becoming more and more important. ORBIT stands for “Optimierung eines Rieselbett-Bioreaktors für die dynamische mikrobielle Biosynthese von Methan mit Archaeen in Power-to-Gas-Anlagen” or “Optimisation of a trickle bed bioreactor for the dynamic microbial biosynthesis of methane with archaea in power-to-gas plants” in English. The research project had been running since July 2017 and was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) with 1.14 million euros. Within a short time, it was possible to set up a functioning system. This is now to be expanded into a complete system for industrial use in further development steps.

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The future role of grid operators and gas suppliers

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Element 1
Element 1 planning proposal, © Tennet

Hybridge and Element Eins, two German flagship power-to-gas projects, have been put on hold. Managed by transmission system operators, the projects failed to secure government approval. Stakeholders now hope regulations will relax once Germany has introduced its national hydrogen strategy. Opponents warn that such a move would distort market competition.

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Positive influence of CO2 pricing

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H2 production costs as a function of production quantity and investment total.
H2 production costs as a function of production quantity and investment total.

Synthetic gases will play an important role in the full supply of renewable energies for Germany’s energy requirements. The meta-analysis of [1] shows that, according to several studies, an electrolysis capacity of more than 100 GW is required in the future energy system in Germany. If such an electrolysis capacity is to be installed in the course of the next few decades, it will be necessary to ramp up the market in good time so that market-driven, reliable and inexpensive plants can be made available.

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Power-to-Gas in Augsburg Residential Development

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Energy cycle
Energy cycle of a multifamily building, © Exytron

A small, decentralized power-to-gas system was started up in a residential development in Augsburg, Germany, at the beginning of this year. Exytron, the Rostock-based manufacturer of the installation, said it was the first of its kind around the globe to store surplus renewable electricity in synthetic natural gas and extract power when needed. With the help of the company’s SmartEnergyTechnology, “the system reduces emissions by 70 percent to 100 percent,” said the business’s sales director, Klaus Schirmer.

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ZSW Gets New Building

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ZSW, the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, has seen the addition of a new building in the state capital of Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart, Germany. It was officially inaugurated on July 5 in the presence of the state’s economy minister, Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, and the mayor of Stuttgart, Fritz Kuhn. The expansion is said to house … Read more

Power-to-Gas – Microbes to Cut Costs

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Methanos_web
Micro-organisms, © Schmack Biogas

Micro-organisms provide more flexibility than common catalysts, and the methane produced by them is relatively pure. Additionally, the investment costs for Power-to-Gas systems can be lowered by using transformers and power as well as gas network connections of already existing biogas and wastewater treatment plants. This field of study, however, still requires more research to be done, even for

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Power-to-Gas for Cheaper Electricity

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Greenpeace-wind-gasGreenpeace Energy presented a new study in August of 2015 according to which “wind gas” (gas produced with the help of excess power from renewable energy – hydrogen or methane) could contribute to strengthening the transformation of the energy sector. The 97-page comparison of future power supply with and without

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Power-to-gas is now en vogue in Europe

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ITM-Power-ibbenbuehren
ITM-system in Ibbenbueren (Source: ITM-Power)

The political statements are now being trotted out on an almost weekly basis. This should come as no surprise, since more power-to-gas projects are now starting than ever before. We repeatedly hear things like “PtG technology has the potential to lead the energy transition to success.” Such statements were to be heard most recently, for example, at the commissioning of the facility in Ibbenbüren and in Mainz, and also at the initialization of the project in Solothurn, Switzerland.

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Brussels has decided on H2 fuel

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Weinmann-Oliver
Oliver Weinmann requested at least a triple offsetting.

While the further development of the H2 and FC technology is diligently perfected in the laboratories and workshops using new catalyst materials or production processes, elsewhere – just as diligently – discussions are taking place about the political framework conditions. In spring 2015, it was decided in Brussels that in the future, during the refining of fuels, hydrogen which is produced from renewable energies will gain a multiple offsetting against the biofuel quota, but “only” by a factor of two and not – as requested by many – by a factor of four.

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Hydrogenics electrolyzer achieves technological milestone

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hydrogenics-container
Electrolyzer container (Source: Hydrogenics)

Hydrogenics (HYGS, US$9.50) already has that which Ballard is planning with Chinese firm CSR in the bag: the company is providing Alstom with FC technology for use in trains. Order value: minimum of US$50m. over a time frame of ten years.

In early May 2015, the company was also able to report a technological breakthrough with the presentation of the most powerful

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