- Email: [email protected]
Japanese companies partner to boost nationwide rollout of hydrogen stations
NEWS solutions. The new functional demonstrator comes with two portable Jenny fuel cells and SFC’s innovative Power Management. Depending on their individual power demands, users can choose between the Jenny 1200 and Jenny 600S fuel cells. The MKEV 100 is housed in a weatherproof case, and can also be used underground in undercover missions. Different fuel cartridge sizes can be used with an additional external cartridge connector, which ensures autonomous power availability for several weeks in a wide variety of mission scenarios. Users can monitor and control their energy source using a further improved data interface. ‘This new development order builds on the MKEV 25 system’s positive track record in use at the Federal Army, and has further developed a first MKEV 100 prototype,’ says Dr Peter Podesser, CEO of SFC Energy. ‘The growing interest in our mobile energy supply solutions proves the benefits of our direct methanol fuel cell technology in mobile, stationary and vehicle-based defence applications’ [see the SFC Energy feature in FCB, January 2013]. ‘From many years of cooperation with defence organisations and from interaction with their energy experts, we know exactly what they need in the field,’ continues Podesser. ‘Building on that expertise, we are consistently increasing the performance and user flexibility of our systems as reliable off-grid power sources for new applications, higher-power requirements, and longer missions.’ SFC is very active in the defence market. Earlier this year it delivered an order for its direct methanol Next-Generation Fuel Cell (NGFC) systems to an unnamed international defence force [February 2017, p4], and its manportable SFC Energy Network is being used by the Belgian Special Forces [December 2016, p9]. The company also recently announced a defence industry sales partnership with ZeroAlpha Solutions in the UK, following successful demonstrations of SFC’s military products in extensive field trials by the UK Ministry of Defence [May 2017, p7]. SFC Energy, Brunnthal/Munich, Germany. Tel: +49 89 673 5920, www.sfc.com or www.sfc-defense.com
FUELING
CEP adds to German network with stations in Mülheim, Rostock
T
he Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) in Germany recently inaugurated two additional hydrogen refueling 8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
stations, with one opening in Mülheim an der Ruhr – the fifth station in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) – and another in Rostock, the first public hydrogen station in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The ‘star’ brand station in Mülheim an der Ruhr – midway between Duisburg and Essen – was built by Air Liquide in cooperation with Orlen Deutschland, the German subsidiary of the Polish oil & petrochemicals group. The partners plan to build another station shortly; Air Liquide expects to commission further stations in Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), NRW and Rhineland-Palatinate in the coming months. The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) provided more than E800 000 (US$890 000) to support construction and operation of the station, under the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP). This is the fifth hydrogen station in NRW, joining sites in Düsseldorf, Kamen [FCB, February 2017, p5], Münster-Amelsbüren [January 2017, p9], and Wuppertal [July 2016, p7]. The station is located at a retail park on Humboldtring, close to the A40 and A52 motorways. The station has a capacity of 200 kg/day of hydrogen, enough to refuel up to 40 fuel cell electric vehicles. The station in Rostock is the 10th to be deployed by Total Deutschland, but is the first public hydrogen station in MecklenburgVorpommern, and the first through a partnership between Total and the H2 Mobility consortium. The multi-energy station, on Tessiner Strasse, also offers conventional fuels as well as charging for electric vehicles. The federal government subsidised construction with a E700 000 ($780 000) grant. Total currently operates hydrogen stations in Berlin (four), Hamburg, Munich, Ulm, Stuttgart-Fellbach, and Geiselwind. Additional stations in Cologne and Karlsruhe are under construction, and projects in Hamburg, Neuruppin, Leipzig and Ingolstadt are in preparation. The hydrogen station technology was supplied by Denmark-based Nel Hydrogen Solutions, which installed a next-generation H2Station® [February 2017, p6]. The Rostock station is the first to achieve CEP approval in accordance with the latest (2016) version of the SAE J2601 international standard. Nel is currently manufacturing two further stations for H2 Mobility, with delivery expected later this year. In future the hydrogen station will be supplied with renewably generated electricity, using a battery buffer storage unit built by partner WIND-projekt GmbH, directly connected to a wind park in nearby
Dummerstorf. The approval procedures for the wind park, equipped with new Nordex wind turbines, are close to conclusion. The CEP demonstration project has laid the groundwork for the expansion of the hydrogen refueling station network in Germany [see the CEP feature in June 2011]. Now the H2 Mobility consortium – comprising Air Liquide, Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell and Total plus associate partners [November 2015, p6] – aims to build on this to establish a network of 100 stations in seven German metropolitan areas (Hamburg, Berlin, Rhine-Ruhr, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich) and along major highways by 2018/19, and reaching 400 stations by 2023 to ensure nationwide coverage [October 2013, p6]. Clean Energy Partnership: www.cleanenergypartnership.de/en Air Liquide, Hydrogen Energy: http://tinyurl.com/hydrogen-energy-airliquide Orlen Deutschland GmbH: www.orlen-deutschland.de/EN Total Deutschland, Emission-free mobility: http://tinyurl.com/total-de-h2-mobility H2 Mobility Deutschland: www.h2-mobility.de/en NOW GmbH: www.now-gmbh.de Nel Hydrogen Solutions: www.nelhydrogen.com
Japanese companies partner to boost nationwide rollout of hydrogen stations
E
leven major Japanese companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the large-scale construction of hydrogen refueling stations, possibly with the creation of a new company to support strategic construction through an independent hydrogen station industry and thereby achieve the wider use of fuel cell electric vehicles. The partnership involves Toyota, Nissan, Honda, JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy, Idemitsu Kosan, Iwatani, Tokyo Gas, Toho Gas, Air Liquide Japan, Toyota Tsusho, and the Development Bank of Japan. The MOU aims to accelerate the construction of hydrogen stations in the current early stage of FCEV commercialisation, using an ‘all Japan’ approach centred on collaboration among the partners. It builds on the ‘Strategic Roadmap for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells’ compiled by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2014 (and revised in early 2016) [FCB, July 2014, p9
June 2017
NEWS and March 2016, p8], which targets a total of 160 operational hydrogen stations and 40 000 FCEVs in use by fiscal year 2020. The MOU recognises the challenges facing the hydrogen station industry in the early-stage commercialisation of FCEVs, and is based on the idea that the companies concerned should cooperate and fulfil their respective roles to achieve the strategic development of hydrogen stations. Thus infrastructure companies will focus on the construction and operation of hydrogen stations, automotive OEMs will deploy larger numbers of FCEVs and provide operational support for hydrogen stations, and financial institutions will provide funding support etc. As a specific form of cooperation, the 11 companies will consider establishing a new company in 2017. The new company would aim to achieve steady construction of hydrogen stations by implementing measures to support their construction and operation. It would also target wider use of FCEVs and the independence of the hydrogen station industry through activities to reduce costs, including governmental review of regulations, and activities to improve operational efficiencies. In this way it would contribute to the realisation of a wider hydrogen energy-based society in Japan. Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: www.meti.go.jp/english
H2BER project says intelligent operation reduces mobility costs
T
he H2BER project in Germany has reported that climate-neutral hydrogen for the refueling of vehicles can be produced via electrolysis directly at refueling stations, and that the costs can be significantly reduced by optimising the various processes. The two-year research project was conducted by the Reiner Lemoine Institut (RLI) in Berlin, which found that approximately 20% of the hydrogen production costs could be saved. H2BER analysed and optimised the operation of a hydrogen refueling station at the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) on the basis of various parameters [FCB, May 2014, p1]. The project was supported with funding from the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP), through the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). The NIP is coordinated by the National Organisation
June 2017
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH), also based in Berlin. The refueling station at BER – which will replace Berlin Tegel Airport when it finally opens in 2019 – incorporates an electrolyser that can produce hydrogen directly onsite using electricity from renewable sources. The electricity can be procured from various sources: through participation in the spot and balancing energy market or via direct connection to a renewable energy source, such as a wind park. The project examined each of these procurement options, and applied an intelligent operational strategy to these with the assistance of simulation models. Moreover, the various refueling station components (electrolyser, hydrogen compressor and storage, tank unit with precooling) were dimensioned for various application scenarios to give the lowest possible production costs for the hydrogen. The RLI researchers reported several key findings: • The topology and operation of the hydrogen station was optimised in different scenarios, by developing simulation tools from existing models and validating with collected data. • An intelligent operational strategy with forecasting was simulated, taking into account demand, electricity costs, and the availability of wind energy. • The costs of hydrogen production were reduced by up to 18% by optimising topology and coupling the station with a wind turbine. • The intelligent operational strategy led to reduced costs in each scenario; in particular, connection to a wind farm and participation in the regular electricity market reduced hydrogen production costs. • Onsite electrolysis was shown to be a suitable method for providing the refueling station with hydrogen; it was possible to react to signals relating to electricity pricing and wind forecasts, which allowed costs to be reduced. • A significant portion of hydrogen production costs can be traced back to levies, taxes and duties, which lead to generally high costs of hydrogen production (over E10/ kg) despite optimisation. • An interactive demonstrator, depicting the interaction of all the components, was developed and set up onsite to aid knowledge dissemination. H2BER project, Reiner Lemoine Institut: http://tinyurl.com/h2ber-project National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology: http://tinyurl.com/nip-h2fc-tech
ENERGY STORAGE
Nel signs major French industrial-scale P2G deal with H2V Product
N
orway-based Nel ASA has entered into a framework agreement with H2V Product in France for the design, construction and maintenance of industrial-scale turnkey renewable hydrogen production plants. Nel will supply H2V Product, a subsidiary of the Samfi-Invest Group, as part of its major industrial Power-to-Gas (P2G) programme in France. H2V Product aims to reduce CO2 impact through the use of ‘green’ hydrogen plants to inject hydrogen into natural gas pipelines. The first 100 MW hydrogen plant – featuring 40 electrolysers – represents a contract value of approximately NOK450 million (US$53 million), which is expected to rise to a minimum of around NOK3.15 billion ($374 million) for six other H2V Product plants in France, representing a total capacity of 700 MW. The H2V Product hydrogen plants will be built in the Hauts-de-France and Normandie regions, next to natural gas pipelines, where the site and exclusivity have already been secured by H2V Product’s property prospector team. The first H2V Product hydrogen plant will be developed in 2018–2020. The site of this hydrogen production facility can hold significantly more capacity, and the target is to add further lines in 2020–2025. ‘Through this partnership, we are in a pole position for taking advantage of the existing natural gas infrastructure in France, and bringing renewable hydrogen production to unparalleled industrial levels,’ says Jon André Løkke, CEO of Nel ASA. The partners expect to reach final agreement on the delivery schedule before the end of this year. Nel would need to expand its production capacity in order to comply with the contract; the company expects to make a formal investment decision relating to capacity expansion towards the end of 2017, as soon as the initial, non-refundable, pre-payment has been received. ‘We are now preparing to expand our production capacity at Notodden, Norway during 2018, with supporting production capacity in France,’ says Løkke. ‘By adding production equipment and increasing number of operator shifts, Nel Electrolyser can increase its production capacity by 7–8 times with relatively limited investments.’
Fuel Cells Bulletin
9
FUELING
CEP adds to German network with stations in Mülheim, Rostock
T
he Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) in Germany recently inaugurated two additional hydrogen refueling 8
Fuel Cells Bulletin
stations, with one opening in Mülheim an der Ruhr – the fifth station in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) – and another in Rostock, the first public hydrogen station in the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The ‘star’ brand station in Mülheim an der Ruhr – midway between Duisburg and Essen – was built by Air Liquide in cooperation with Orlen Deutschland, the German subsidiary of the Polish oil & petrochemicals group. The partners plan to build another station shortly; Air Liquide expects to commission further stations in Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), NRW and Rhineland-Palatinate in the coming months. The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) provided more than E800 000 (US$890 000) to support construction and operation of the station, under the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP). This is the fifth hydrogen station in NRW, joining sites in Düsseldorf, Kamen [FCB, February 2017, p5], Münster-Amelsbüren [January 2017, p9], and Wuppertal [July 2016, p7]. The station is located at a retail park on Humboldtring, close to the A40 and A52 motorways. The station has a capacity of 200 kg/day of hydrogen, enough to refuel up to 40 fuel cell electric vehicles. The station in Rostock is the 10th to be deployed by Total Deutschland, but is the first public hydrogen station in MecklenburgVorpommern, and the first through a partnership between Total and the H2 Mobility consortium. The multi-energy station, on Tessiner Strasse, also offers conventional fuels as well as charging for electric vehicles. The federal government subsidised construction with a E700 000 ($780 000) grant. Total currently operates hydrogen stations in Berlin (four), Hamburg, Munich, Ulm, Stuttgart-Fellbach, and Geiselwind. Additional stations in Cologne and Karlsruhe are under construction, and projects in Hamburg, Neuruppin, Leipzig and Ingolstadt are in preparation. The hydrogen station technology was supplied by Denmark-based Nel Hydrogen Solutions, which installed a next-generation H2Station® [February 2017, p6]. The Rostock station is the first to achieve CEP approval in accordance with the latest (2016) version of the SAE J2601 international standard. Nel is currently manufacturing two further stations for H2 Mobility, with delivery expected later this year. In future the hydrogen station will be supplied with renewably generated electricity, using a battery buffer storage unit built by partner WIND-projekt GmbH, directly connected to a wind park in nearby
Dummerstorf. The approval procedures for the wind park, equipped with new Nordex wind turbines, are close to conclusion. The CEP demonstration project has laid the groundwork for the expansion of the hydrogen refueling station network in Germany [see the CEP feature in June 2011]. Now the H2 Mobility consortium – comprising Air Liquide, Daimler, Linde, OMV, Shell and Total plus associate partners [November 2015, p6] – aims to build on this to establish a network of 100 stations in seven German metropolitan areas (Hamburg, Berlin, Rhine-Ruhr, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich) and along major highways by 2018/19, and reaching 400 stations by 2023 to ensure nationwide coverage [October 2013, p6]. Clean Energy Partnership: www.cleanenergypartnership.de/en Air Liquide, Hydrogen Energy: http://tinyurl.com/hydrogen-energy-airliquide Orlen Deutschland GmbH: www.orlen-deutschland.de/EN Total Deutschland, Emission-free mobility: http://tinyurl.com/total-de-h2-mobility H2 Mobility Deutschland: www.h2-mobility.de/en NOW GmbH: www.now-gmbh.de Nel Hydrogen Solutions: www.nelhydrogen.com
Japanese companies partner to boost nationwide rollout of hydrogen stations
E
leven major Japanese companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate on the large-scale construction of hydrogen refueling stations, possibly with the creation of a new company to support strategic construction through an independent hydrogen station industry and thereby achieve the wider use of fuel cell electric vehicles. The partnership involves Toyota, Nissan, Honda, JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy, Idemitsu Kosan, Iwatani, Tokyo Gas, Toho Gas, Air Liquide Japan, Toyota Tsusho, and the Development Bank of Japan. The MOU aims to accelerate the construction of hydrogen stations in the current early stage of FCEV commercialisation, using an ‘all Japan’ approach centred on collaboration among the partners. It builds on the ‘Strategic Roadmap for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells’ compiled by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in 2014 (and revised in early 2016) [FCB, July 2014, p9
June 2017
NEWS and March 2016, p8], which targets a total of 160 operational hydrogen stations and 40 000 FCEVs in use by fiscal year 2020. The MOU recognises the challenges facing the hydrogen station industry in the early-stage commercialisation of FCEVs, and is based on the idea that the companies concerned should cooperate and fulfil their respective roles to achieve the strategic development of hydrogen stations. Thus infrastructure companies will focus on the construction and operation of hydrogen stations, automotive OEMs will deploy larger numbers of FCEVs and provide operational support for hydrogen stations, and financial institutions will provide funding support etc. As a specific form of cooperation, the 11 companies will consider establishing a new company in 2017. The new company would aim to achieve steady construction of hydrogen stations by implementing measures to support their construction and operation. It would also target wider use of FCEVs and the independence of the hydrogen station industry through activities to reduce costs, including governmental review of regulations, and activities to improve operational efficiencies. In this way it would contribute to the realisation of a wider hydrogen energy-based society in Japan. Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: www.meti.go.jp/english
H2BER project says intelligent operation reduces mobility costs
T
he H2BER project in Germany has reported that climate-neutral hydrogen for the refueling of vehicles can be produced via electrolysis directly at refueling stations, and that the costs can be significantly reduced by optimising the various processes. The two-year research project was conducted by the Reiner Lemoine Institut (RLI) in Berlin, which found that approximately 20% of the hydrogen production costs could be saved. H2BER analysed and optimised the operation of a hydrogen refueling station at the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) on the basis of various parameters [FCB, May 2014, p1]. The project was supported with funding from the National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP), through the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). The NIP is coordinated by the National Organisation
June 2017
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NOW GmbH), also based in Berlin. The refueling station at BER – which will replace Berlin Tegel Airport when it finally opens in 2019 – incorporates an electrolyser that can produce hydrogen directly onsite using electricity from renewable sources. The electricity can be procured from various sources: through participation in the spot and balancing energy market or via direct connection to a renewable energy source, such as a wind park. The project examined each of these procurement options, and applied an intelligent operational strategy to these with the assistance of simulation models. Moreover, the various refueling station components (electrolyser, hydrogen compressor and storage, tank unit with precooling) were dimensioned for various application scenarios to give the lowest possible production costs for the hydrogen. The RLI researchers reported several key findings: • The topology and operation of the hydrogen station was optimised in different scenarios, by developing simulation tools from existing models and validating with collected data. • An intelligent operational strategy with forecasting was simulated, taking into account demand, electricity costs, and the availability of wind energy. • The costs of hydrogen production were reduced by up to 18% by optimising topology and coupling the station with a wind turbine. • The intelligent operational strategy led to reduced costs in each scenario; in particular, connection to a wind farm and participation in the regular electricity market reduced hydrogen production costs. • Onsite electrolysis was shown to be a suitable method for providing the refueling station with hydrogen; it was possible to react to signals relating to electricity pricing and wind forecasts, which allowed costs to be reduced. • A significant portion of hydrogen production costs can be traced back to levies, taxes and duties, which lead to generally high costs of hydrogen production (over E10/ kg) despite optimisation. • An interactive demonstrator, depicting the interaction of all the components, was developed and set up onsite to aid knowledge dissemination. H2BER project, Reiner Lemoine Institut: http://tinyurl.com/h2ber-project National Innovation Programme Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology: http://tinyurl.com/nip-h2fc-tech
ENERGY STORAGE
Nel signs major French industrial-scale P2G deal with H2V Product
N
orway-based Nel ASA has entered into a framework agreement with H2V Product in France for the design, construction and maintenance of industrial-scale turnkey renewable hydrogen production plants. Nel will supply H2V Product, a subsidiary of the Samfi-Invest Group, as part of its major industrial Power-to-Gas (P2G) programme in France. H2V Product aims to reduce CO2 impact through the use of ‘green’ hydrogen plants to inject hydrogen into natural gas pipelines. The first 100 MW hydrogen plant – featuring 40 electrolysers – represents a contract value of approximately NOK450 million (US$53 million), which is expected to rise to a minimum of around NOK3.15 billion ($374 million) for six other H2V Product plants in France, representing a total capacity of 700 MW. The H2V Product hydrogen plants will be built in the Hauts-de-France and Normandie regions, next to natural gas pipelines, where the site and exclusivity have already been secured by H2V Product’s property prospector team. The first H2V Product hydrogen plant will be developed in 2018–2020. The site of this hydrogen production facility can hold significantly more capacity, and the target is to add further lines in 2020–2025. ‘Through this partnership, we are in a pole position for taking advantage of the existing natural gas infrastructure in France, and bringing renewable hydrogen production to unparalleled industrial levels,’ says Jon André Løkke, CEO of Nel ASA. The partners expect to reach final agreement on the delivery schedule before the end of this year. Nel would need to expand its production capacity in order to comply with the contract; the company expects to make a formal investment decision relating to capacity expansion towards the end of 2017, as soon as the initial, non-refundable, pre-payment has been received. ‘We are now preparing to expand our production capacity at Notodden, Norway during 2018, with supporting production capacity in France,’ says Løkke. ‘By adding production equipment and increasing number of operator shifts, Nel Electrolyser can increase its production capacity by 7–8 times with relatively limited investments.’
Fuel Cells Bulletin
9