- Email: [email protected]
Integrated wind and hydrogen production facility in Minnesota
NEWS of precious metals used in the catalyst, helping to cut production costs by 40% over the past five years. This will enable the company to release an economically viable, large-scale PEM electrolyser in 2014. Its MW-scale electrolyser will convert excess energy created by renewable sources into hydrogen gas via water electrolysis. The gas is then stored and used as a fuel or for other energy needs, leveraging natural resources and clean production technologies. Proton OnSite, Wallingford, Connecticut, USA. Tel: +1 203 678 2000, www.protononsite.com
Integrated wind and hydrogen production facility in Minnesota
I
n the US, Emerald H2 and Norfolk Wind Energy have signed an agreement to locate Emerald H2’s first Renewable Wind and Hydrogen Production Center in Renville County, Minnesota. The planned project will be the first utility-scale initiative in the region to use energy from wind turbines to produce hydrogen, generating 10 MW of wind energy and 500 tonnes of hydrogen per annum. The utilisation of a 1 MW fuel cell – although no supplier has been named as yet – will allow the project to offer one of the first on-demand renewable peaking resources, by incorporating the sale of wind energy on the grid to a local utility during peak hours only. Once constructed, it will be the largest hydrogen production facility powered by wind energy in the US. Emerald H2 is a joint venture between National Renewable Solutions (NRS), a Minneapolis-based wind development company, and Millennium Reign Energy (MRE), a hydrogen production and development company in Dayton, Ohio. The companies have collaborated to develop and commercialise utility-scale projects utilising wind power to produce renewable hydrogen. MRE will provide its proprietary hydrogen electrolysis technology for the project. ‘I have been looking for a process that mitigates the variability of wind energy,’ explains Patrick Pelstring, co-founder of Emerald H2 and CEO of NRS. ‘The Emerald H2 project has great potential to make our wind energy much more cost-effective and targeted. By converting the ‘lower value’ night-time renewable energy to hydrogen, we have the ability to keep the process 100% renewable while maintaining reasonably priced hydrogen production.’
May 2013
Similar projects have been constructed in Europe [FCB, January 2013, p6 or May 2012, p14], the US, and even in Africa [FCB, October 2012, p8], but all are on a much smaller scale than the proposed Emerald H2 project. In 2009, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Xcel Energy launched a wind-to-hydrogen demonstration facility in Golden, Colorado using 10 and 100 kW turbines and producing hydrogen compressed to high pressure to fill a vehicle’s 1.8 kg storage tank [FCB, February 2007, p10]. Emerald H2 will be located within the footprint of the Norfolk Wind Energy project in Renville County, Minnesota, a community wind farm currently under development. The Emerald H2 project represents Norfolk’s first 10 MW phase of between five and seven wind turbines. Emerald H2 expects to sell the electricity and most of the hydrogen on longterm agreements with utility and hydrogen buyers such as regional manufacturing and refining operations. Millennium Reign Energy: www.mreh2.com National Renewable Solutions: www.natrs.com Norfolk Wind Energy: www.norfolkwindenergy.com
grid instability, and improve overall utility performance. In addition, the hydrogen produced can be stored in large quantities over long periods of time within the country’s natural gas infrastructure.’ Construction of the plant, backed by a consortium of German companies and scientific organisations, is expected to begin during the second quarter of 2013. Funding has been provided by Germany’s National Innovation Program (NIP) for hydrogen and fuel cell technology, under the auspices of its federal ministry of transport, buildings and urban affairs (BMVBS) in coordination with the National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH). Hydrogenics is also part of a European industrial consortium that recently established the North Sea Power to Gas Platform, to further develop the concept of Power-to-Gas (P2G), through converting renewable electrical power into a gaseous energy carrier like hydrogen or methane [see page 8]. Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com Hydrogenics Europe – Electrolysers, Oevel, Belgium. Tel: +32 14 462110. E.ON: www.eon.com
Hydrogenics PEM energy storage system for E.ON in Germany
C
anadian-based Hydrogenics has won an order for a 1 MW hydrogen energy storage system to be deployed in the German city of Hamburg. Hydrogenics’ energy storage application will employ advanced proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser technology to produce hydrogen, using excess power generated from renewable energy in the region, primarily wind. This Power-to-Gas facility will be run by E.ON, a global provider of energy services and an existing customer of Hydrogenics [FCB, January 2013, p7]. The core of the system will be the world’s largest single PEM electrolyser stack, which will serve as the building block for future multi-MW applications. ‘Sites such as this E.ON facility will allow Germany to more efficiently use the large amount of renewable energy generated from wind and solar power, which can fluctuate dramatically due to environmental conditions,’ explains Daryl Wilson, president and CEO of Hydrogenics. ‘Hydrogen-based energy storage systems can absorb surplus energy as needed, return power when required, alleviate
NOW GmbH: www.now-gmbh.de/en
COMMERCIALISATION
Oorja, Berkeley Lab to push manufacturing tech on liquid, DMFCs
I
n California, Oorja Protonics has executed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which calls for technology cooperation between Berkeley Lab and Oorja with a focus on membraneelectrode assembly development for improved direct methanol fuel cell and liquid-fed fuel cell systems. The MOU aims to achieve superior material performance compared to the current state-ofthe-art with regard with regard to key parameters such as durability, power density, material cost, and manufacturability. The development of advanced manufacturing processes having a direct impact on these key parameters will form a critical part of the collaboration. The partners anticipate that these technological innovations would lead to faster commercialisation of liquid fuel cells in several large applications such as range-extenders for various electric vehicle platforms, as well as for large stationary power applications.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
9
Integrated wind and hydrogen production facility in Minnesota
I
n the US, Emerald H2 and Norfolk Wind Energy have signed an agreement to locate Emerald H2’s first Renewable Wind and Hydrogen Production Center in Renville County, Minnesota. The planned project will be the first utility-scale initiative in the region to use energy from wind turbines to produce hydrogen, generating 10 MW of wind energy and 500 tonnes of hydrogen per annum. The utilisation of a 1 MW fuel cell – although no supplier has been named as yet – will allow the project to offer one of the first on-demand renewable peaking resources, by incorporating the sale of wind energy on the grid to a local utility during peak hours only. Once constructed, it will be the largest hydrogen production facility powered by wind energy in the US. Emerald H2 is a joint venture between National Renewable Solutions (NRS), a Minneapolis-based wind development company, and Millennium Reign Energy (MRE), a hydrogen production and development company in Dayton, Ohio. The companies have collaborated to develop and commercialise utility-scale projects utilising wind power to produce renewable hydrogen. MRE will provide its proprietary hydrogen electrolysis technology for the project. ‘I have been looking for a process that mitigates the variability of wind energy,’ explains Patrick Pelstring, co-founder of Emerald H2 and CEO of NRS. ‘The Emerald H2 project has great potential to make our wind energy much more cost-effective and targeted. By converting the ‘lower value’ night-time renewable energy to hydrogen, we have the ability to keep the process 100% renewable while maintaining reasonably priced hydrogen production.’
May 2013
Similar projects have been constructed in Europe [FCB, January 2013, p6 or May 2012, p14], the US, and even in Africa [FCB, October 2012, p8], but all are on a much smaller scale than the proposed Emerald H2 project. In 2009, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Xcel Energy launched a wind-to-hydrogen demonstration facility in Golden, Colorado using 10 and 100 kW turbines and producing hydrogen compressed to high pressure to fill a vehicle’s 1.8 kg storage tank [FCB, February 2007, p10]. Emerald H2 will be located within the footprint of the Norfolk Wind Energy project in Renville County, Minnesota, a community wind farm currently under development. The Emerald H2 project represents Norfolk’s first 10 MW phase of between five and seven wind turbines. Emerald H2 expects to sell the electricity and most of the hydrogen on longterm agreements with utility and hydrogen buyers such as regional manufacturing and refining operations. Millennium Reign Energy: www.mreh2.com National Renewable Solutions: www.natrs.com Norfolk Wind Energy: www.norfolkwindenergy.com
grid instability, and improve overall utility performance. In addition, the hydrogen produced can be stored in large quantities over long periods of time within the country’s natural gas infrastructure.’ Construction of the plant, backed by a consortium of German companies and scientific organisations, is expected to begin during the second quarter of 2013. Funding has been provided by Germany’s National Innovation Program (NIP) for hydrogen and fuel cell technology, under the auspices of its federal ministry of transport, buildings and urban affairs (BMVBS) in coordination with the National Organization for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH). Hydrogenics is also part of a European industrial consortium that recently established the North Sea Power to Gas Platform, to further develop the concept of Power-to-Gas (P2G), through converting renewable electrical power into a gaseous energy carrier like hydrogen or methane [see page 8]. Hydrogenics Corporation, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Tel: +1 905 361 3660, www.hydrogenics.com Hydrogenics Europe – Electrolysers, Oevel, Belgium. Tel: +32 14 462110. E.ON: www.eon.com
Hydrogenics PEM energy storage system for E.ON in Germany
C
anadian-based Hydrogenics has won an order for a 1 MW hydrogen energy storage system to be deployed in the German city of Hamburg. Hydrogenics’ energy storage application will employ advanced proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser technology to produce hydrogen, using excess power generated from renewable energy in the region, primarily wind. This Power-to-Gas facility will be run by E.ON, a global provider of energy services and an existing customer of Hydrogenics [FCB, January 2013, p7]. The core of the system will be the world’s largest single PEM electrolyser stack, which will serve as the building block for future multi-MW applications. ‘Sites such as this E.ON facility will allow Germany to more efficiently use the large amount of renewable energy generated from wind and solar power, which can fluctuate dramatically due to environmental conditions,’ explains Daryl Wilson, president and CEO of Hydrogenics. ‘Hydrogen-based energy storage systems can absorb surplus energy as needed, return power when required, alleviate
NOW GmbH: www.now-gmbh.de/en
COMMERCIALISATION
Oorja, Berkeley Lab to push manufacturing tech on liquid, DMFCs
I
n California, Oorja Protonics has executed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which calls for technology cooperation between Berkeley Lab and Oorja with a focus on membraneelectrode assembly development for improved direct methanol fuel cell and liquid-fed fuel cell systems. The MOU aims to achieve superior material performance compared to the current state-ofthe-art with regard with regard to key parameters such as durability, power density, material cost, and manufacturability. The development of advanced manufacturing processes having a direct impact on these key parameters will form a critical part of the collaboration. The partners anticipate that these technological innovations would lead to faster commercialisation of liquid fuel cells in several large applications such as range-extenders for various electric vehicle platforms, as well as for large stationary power applications.
Fuel Cells Bulletin
9