Hydrogen drying by absorption

Hydrogen drying by absorption

von | Mai 26, 2023 | Allgemein, News, Speicherung, Transport

PROJECTS

   

©UniperSource: Bilfinger

Bilfinger's hydrogen drying plant will enable large-scale hydrogen treatment.

Decentralized hydrogen drying by absorption

The storage of green hydrogen is a central instrument to ensure the security of supply with renewable energies. Cavern storage facilities can offer suitable storage options - especially in Lower Saxony. However, in order to be able to convert the hydrogen back into electricity or feed it from the caverns into the pipeline network, it must first be dried. In this connection, Bilfinger is currently developing a demonstration plant in Cloppenburg in which the hydrogen is freed from moisture by absorption. This so-called "absorption drying" is already being implemented on a large scale for natural gas for gas storage - and is now also to be used for drying large quantities of hydrogen.

News (26.05.2023): Projekt zur Wasserstoff-Speicherung erreicht nächste Phase: H2dry Anlage von Bilfinger wird am EWE Gasspeicher-Standort in Rüdersdorf aufgebaut

Bilfinger hat in Cloppenburg eine Demonstrationsanlage entwickelt, in welcher der Wasserstoff durch Absorption von Feuchtigkeit befreit wird.

Die sogenannte „H2dry Anlage“ wurde nun zum Gasspeicherstandort der EWE AG nach Rüdersdorf bei Berlin geliefert, wo die Speicherung von Wasserstoff in unterirdischen Kavernen exemplarisch getestet wird. Die Erkenntnisse sollen auf Kavernen mit dem 1.000 fachen Volumen übertragen werden können. Mehr erfahren

The drying process developed in the project enables efficient and large-scale hydrogen treatment, which is essential for the storage and subsequent grid feed-in of green hydrogen. Since the technology has already been tested in the context of natural gas drying, the plant can also be used to dry large quantities of hydrogen cost-effectively, which are necessary for the development of the hydrogen economy. After storage - for example from caverns - the hydrogen is dried in the absorption drying process using a suitable scrubbing liquid and can then either be used to generate electricity or fed into the transport network. The plant should enable hydrogen to contribute to the energy supply in a similarly flexible way as natural gas.

The joint project of Bilfinger Engineering & Maintenance GmbH and the Institute of Thermodynamics at Leibniz Universität Hannover is funded by the state of Lower Saxony and is an important part of the energy transition, as Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Olaf Lies emphasizes: "The implementation of this project is a major step for the energy transition. Decentralized hydrogen drying by absorption for gas storage and grid injection, is an essential step for the hydrogen economy. With this technology, hydrogen can be treated economically on a large scale and this enables the integration of renewable energies into our energy system. For example, hydrogen produced using wind and solar power, or hydrogen soon to be stored in caverns, can be fed into the transportation grid."

After production at Bilfinger Engineering & Maintenance GmbH in Cloppenburg, Lower Saxony, a test phase and demonstration operation will follow in early 2023 in Rüdersdorf in Brandenburg, where EWE Gasspeicher GmbH is currently investigating a salt cavern as a potential storage site for hydrogen as part of the HyCAVmobil project.

More about the project

Project participants

Bilfinger is an internationally active industrial services provider. The aim of the Group's activities is to increase the efficiency of plants in the process industry, ensure their availability, reduce emissions and lower maintenance costs. Bilfinger offers services in various areas, from consulting, engineering, manufacturing, assembly and maintenance to environmental technologies and digital applications.

Bilfinger Engineering & Maintenance GmbH is part of the international Bilfinger Group and is active in industrial services. More than 3,000 employees plan and monitor plants in the process industry in the chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical sectors, among others.

The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover is Lower Saxony's largest university with around 30,000 students. The Institute of Thermodynamics represents technical thermodynamics in the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Leibniz Universität Hannover in teaching and research.

 

Clean Hydrogen Coastline

Clean Hydrogen Coastline

von | Mai 4, 2023 | Industrie, Mobilität, News, Speicherung, Transport, Wasserstoffherstellung

PROJECTS

About 400 megawatts of electrolysis capacity will be built in the Clean Hydrogen Coastline project in the Northwest region by 2026. Image source: ©EWE

Clean Hydrogen Coastline

The German North Sea coast is of particular importance in the development of a nationwide hydrogen economy. Due to the high supply of renewable energies, hydrogen can not only be produced in the region, but also stored, integrated into the energy system via existing electricity and gas infrastructure, or used directly on site. The "Important Project of Common European Interest" (IPCEI) "Clean Hydrogen Coastline" is intended to contribute to the development and expansion of the hydrogen economy in the Northwest region.

News (04.05.2023): EWE und Salzgitter AG wollen beim Thema Wasserstoff kooperieren!

Am 04.05.2023 haben die Salzgitter AG und der Versorger EWE in Salzgitter eine Absichtserklärung unterzeichnet, die eine Kooperation der beiden Unternehmen beim Thema Wasserstoff vorsieht. So will EWE grünen Wasserstoff erzeugen und nach Salzgitter liefern, den die Salzgitter AG dann für die klimafreundliche Stahlerzeugung im Rahmen des Projekts SALCOS® einsetzt. Die Absichtserklärung wurde von den Vorstandsvorsitzenden Stefan Dohler (EWE) und GUnnar Groebler (Salzgitter AG) im Rahmen des Handesblatt Wasserstoff-Gipfels unterzeichnet.

Mit der Kooperation werden auch die beiden niedersächsischen Groß-Projekte Clean Hydrogen Coastline von EWE und SALCOS® von der Salzgitter AG stärker vernetzt, was auch der niedersächsische Ministerpräsident Stephan Weil begrüßt: „EWE und die Salzgitter AG wollen eng kooperieren in Sachen grüner Wasserstoff – das ist eine sehr gute Neuigkeit für das Energieland Niedersachsen. Diese Kooperation ist ein weiterer Meilenstein auf dem Weg zur Dekarbonisierung der Stahlproduktion. Ich freue mich, dass die EWE mit der Erzeugung und dem Transport von grünem Wasserstoff das Leuchtturmprojekt SALCOS® der Salzgitter AG entscheidend voranbringt.“

Learn more

In the IPCEI "Clean Hydrogen Coastline", the industry partners ArcelorMittal, EWE, Faun, Gasunie, swb and Tennet want to build 400 megawatts of electrolysis capacity in the Northwest region by 2026. To this end, there are various projects to help with implementation.

For example, the hydrogen generated by offshore electricity will be used, among other things, for climate-neutral steel production at the Bremen steel site. If required, surplus hydrogen can be temporarily stored by connecting it to the cavern storage facility in Huntorf.

Clean Hydrogen Coastline's many links, for example with the Dutch partners, but also with projects in Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, offer extensive potential for a European IPCEI. This will enable the partners to take a decisive step towards becoming an important building block of a future European hydrogen economy. The main goal of the project is to Integration of hydrogen into existing energy infrastructures.

Partner

©ArcelorMittal
©EWE
©Tennet

ArcelorMittal is an international steel producer with a production volume of seven million tonnes of crude steel (2019), employing around 9,000 people across Germany.

Logo: © ArcelorMittal

 

With around 9,100 employees, EWE AG is one of the largest utilities in Germany that focuses on the corresponding infrastructure in the hydrogen sector.

Logo: © EWE AG

TenneT TSO GmbH is a transmission system operator with a grid length of 24,000 kilometres and approximately 5,700 employees.

Logo: © TenneT TSO GmbH

©Gasunie Germany
©SWB

Gasunie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG is the transmission system operator responsible for an approximately 4,300 kilometre long transmission system.

Logo: © Gasunie Germany

swb AG is a regional utility company for Bremen and Bremerhaven with around 2,255 employees.

Logo: © swb AG

Northern Green Crane

Northern Green Crane

von | Apr 11, 2023 | Allgemein, Industrie, News, Speicherung, Transport, Wasserstoffherstellung

PROJECTS

Source: Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies

Image: ©Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies Ltd.

Northern Green Crane

The Northern Green Crane project aims to link hydrogen production in Sweden with demand centers in Central Europe - including Lingen in the Emsland region. To this end, green hydrogen will first be produced in Sweden, which will then be made transportable and storable with the help of a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC). The LOHC is then shipped by sea via Rotterdam and the Ems to Lingen. There, hydrogen will be released from the LOHC in a planned dehydrogenation plant and made usable for local industry and fed into the local hydrogen pipeline network.

News (10/2022): H2 production site relocated from Spain to Sweden

As Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies GmbH announced at the beginning of October, the hydrogen production site of the "Green Crane" project will be moved from Spain to Sweden. This gives the project the new name "Northern Green Crane". Since Spain initially wants to meet its own national needs for green hydrogen, the project's H2 production site must be moved to Sweden, the company said. However, the hydrogen landing sites (such as Lingen) are not affected by the change.

According to the National Hydrogen Strategy, a large proportion of green hydrogen will have to be imported to meet Germany's hydrogen needs. The Northern Green Crane project aims to do just that on a large scale. The green hydrogen is to be produced in Sweden using renewable energies such as wind and hydropower and made transportable and storable with the help of LOHC technology.

The green hydrogen can thus first be brought to Rotterdam by sea and then transported to Lingen by barge. In Lingen, Hydrogenious plans to build a dehydrogenation plant that can release hydrogen from the LOHC at a capacity of 12 tons per day. The hydrogen produced in this way will then be made available to local industry or fed into the local hydrogen pipeline network as part of the GET H2 initiative.

Source: Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies

The project is expected to enable the supply of green hydrogen on an industrial scale from 2026. By using the LNG infrastructure, it should then be possible to supply up to 8,000 tons of green hydrogen per year.

The goal of Northern Green Crane is to establish a large-volume European value chain for green hydrogen using LOHC. The project is therefore funded by the Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection and has also been pre-selected as a Hydrogen IPCEI (Important Projects of Common European Interest) in 2021 (or its predecessor - see info box below).

Partner

Source: Hydrogenios LOHC Technologies GmbH

Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies GmbH , based in Bavaria, was founded in 2013 and offers solutions for the safe and efficient transport of hydrogen with LOHC technology.

    ©TennetSource: Vopak

    Vopak is a Dutch company involved in the storage and distribution of oil, gas and chemical products. The company wants to open up new value chains in the hydrogen economy and expand hydrogen mobility.

    ©nowegaSource: ©GETH2, nowega

    In the GETH2 project, a nationwide infrastructure with the coupling of all sectors is being developed. Regions with a high supply of renewables are to be directly connected to hydrogen production and consumption by means of the necessary infrastructure. 12 partners are involved in the project.

    Get H2

    Get H2

    from | Jan 31, 2023 | Industry, News, Power Generation, Transportation, Hydrogen Production

    PROJECTS

    The GET H2 project aims to make hydrogen available nationwide. © GET H2

    Get H2

    Hydrogen will play a central role in achieving the climate goals. To ensure that hydrogen is available nationwide, the GET H2 project is developing a nationwide infrastructure with the coupling of all sectors. Regions where a lot of renewable electricity is generated from wind and solar energy are to be directly connected to hydrogen production and consumption with the help of the necessary infrastructure. 

    News (01/31/2023): RWE orders two 100-megawatt electrolysis plants for GET H2 in Lingen from Linde

    RWE has ordered two more 100 MW PEM electrolysers for the GETH2 project. In total, an electrolysis capacity of 300 MW is to be created in Lingen by 2026. An EU funding decision for the IPCEI project is still pending. More...

    Within the framework of the "GET H2″ project, hydrogen is to be made available nationwide by building up the necessary infrastructure. To this end, the green hydrogen is initially to be produced with renewable energy sources and made directly available via the existing gas infrastructure for industry, transport and heat. In addition, the hydrogen can also serve as a basis for the production of e-fuels. Unused hydrogen is to be stored in underground salt caverns and used as needed, e.g. for reverse power generation during hours of low wind and low sun.

    The implementation is to take place in several steps until 2030. The first step is the "GET H2 Nukleus" project. In this project, a network of around 130 kilometres from Lingen to Gelsenkirchen is to be built, which will connect the production of green hydrogen in the northwest of Lower Saxony with industrial consumers in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. From production via water electrolysis in the north to transport for industrial customers in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, the first publicly accessible hydrogen infrastructure is to be established.

    Partner

    ©bp

    The transmission system operator GASCADE Gastransport GmbH transports around 109 billion m³ of natural gas per year via its own 2,900 km long pipeline network. In the future, the network will also be used to transport hydrogen.

    Logo: © GASCADE Gastransport GmbH

    BASF is a chemical company with over 110,000 employees. The company is currently developing methane pyrolysis, a process for the climate-friendly production of hydrogen.

    Logo: © BASF SE

    BP Europa SE is an international energy group with around 10,500 employees. In the area of fuels, the group is researching climate-friendly alternatives that can replace fossil fuels.

    Logo: © BP Europa SE

    RWE Generation SE is part of RWE AG and responsible for power generation. In the field of hydrogen, the company is involved in everything from the generation of renewable energies to the production of hydrogen and its storage.

    Logo: © RWE AG

    Thyssengas GmbH is a long-distance gas network operator for natural gas with a 4,400 km long transport network and conducts research in various projects on the topic of hydrogen and hydrogen infrastructure.

    Logo: © Thyssengas GmbH

    Evonik is a specialty chemicals company with more than 33,000 employees. The company is currently working on an innovative membrane to make electrolysis more efficient and thus more economical.

    Logo: © Evonik Industries AG

    Nowega GmbH is a long-distance pipeline operator with around 1,500 km of high-pressure gas pipeline. In the future, hydrogen can be distributed in the pipeline network to potential customers in Lower Saxony.

    Logo: © Nowega GmbH

    H2 Green Power & Logistics GmbH is located in Münster and deals with the purchase, import and distribution of hydrogen.

    Logo: © H2 Green Power & Logistics GmbH

    ©Salzgitter AG - Logo

    Uniper is an international energy group with around 12,000 employees whose hydrogen activities are spread across the entire value chain.

    Logo: © Uniper SE

    The energy supplier ENERTRAG employs 540 people across Europe and has been producing green hydrogen from wind energy since 2011.

    Logo: © ENERTRAG

    The steel and technology group Salzgitter AG has over 24,000 employees and wants to produce climate-friendly steel in the future with the help of hydrogen.

    Logo: © Salzgitter AG

    Open Grid Europe GmbH (OGE) is a European transmission system operator with a pipeline network of approximately 12,000 km.

    Logo: © Open Grid Europe GmbH

    TransHyDE

    TransHyDE

    From | Nov 28, 2022 | General, Research, News, Storage, Transportation

    PROJECTS

    ©MUSource: Project Management Jülich on behalf of the BMBF

    TransHyDE - Development of a hydrogen transport infrastructure

    To meet Germany's demand for green hydrogen and implement the energy transition, large quantities of hydrogen are needed - a not inconsiderable proportion of which must be imported. The hydrogen lead project TransHyDE, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), therefore aims to further develop transport options in a way that is open to technology and also to create appropriate standards in order to thereby enable the development of the hydrogen infrastructure and support the market ramp-up.

    Our site presents numerous projects that focus on the transport of hydrogen. There are very different approaches, be it transport in high-pressure containers, in existing gas pipelines or by means of green ammonia or liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC). This technological diversity is to be further investigated as part of the TransHyDE hydrogen lead project - because there is still a great need for research in the fields of action mentioned. In particular, there are currently no uniform regulations in the area of standardization, e.g. standards or safety regulations - which is currently still hindering the market ramp-up. New standards, norms and certifications are therefore needed so that the above-mentioned transport technologies can be quickly integrated into the energy system, and a separate work package within TransHyDE is dedicated to this.

    TransHyDE is being implemented in various sub-projects, in which the various transport options are being looked at in more detail, both in practice and from a research perspective.

    Source: Project Management Jülich on behalf of the BMBF

    The implementation takes place in subprojects (please fold out for further information):

    "Mukran"

    An innovative high-pressure spherical hydrogen storage system is being developed at Mukran Port on the island of Rügen. This should be able to be used on the high seas in the immediate vicinity of offshore wind and electrolysis plants from the H2Mare project. There, green hydrogen is generated by means of wind energy, which is to be stored temporarily in the spherical storage system.

    "GET H2"

    To ensure that hydrogen is available nationwide, the GET H2 project is investigating the use of former natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transport. Currently, there is a lack of norms and monitoring standards for the conversion of natural gas pipelines, which is why GET H2 is establishing a test environment in which material and safety questions can be answered.

    "Campfire"

    The Campfire project will investigate the potential of ammonia for hydrogen transport, focusing in particular on the recovery of hydrogen from ammonia. The aim here is in particular to improve the efficiency with which the hydrogen is re-released.

    "Heligoland"

    In the Helgoland project, a hydrogen logistics chain is being established over land and sea. Via pipeline, the green hydrogen will be brought from the offshore plant of the lead project H2Mare to the island of Helgoland, where it will be bonded with LOHC for further transport. Subsequently, the bonded hydrogen can be shipped using existing infrastructure in a similar way to oil and, in turn, dissolved from the LOHC and made usable in a dehydrogenation plant in the port of Hamburg.

    "Research Alliances"

    A total of five alliances of research institutions support the projects with scientific findings. This involves, for example, materials and component research, operating simulations, or safety-related and ecological issues. The state of knowledge and current recommendations for action are recorded in a roadmap and made available to all project partners.

    Further information

    Three companies from Lower Saxony are participating in the project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). These include ROSEN GmbH, Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung GmbH and Inherent Solutions Consult GmbH & Co. KG

    More about the project you can find here.

    Wilhelmshaven Green Energy Hub

    Wilhelmshaven Green Energy Hub

    from | Nov 28, 2022 | General, Storage, Transportation, Hydrogen Production

    PROJECTS

    Source: Tree Energy Solution

    Wilhelmshaven Green Energy Hub

    The import of green hydrogen via hydrogen terminals is a crucial prerequisite for the development of a hydrogen economy in Germany. The coast of Lower Saxony with its deep water port in Wilhelmshaven offers ideal conditions for this. Tree Energy Solution (TES) has therefore decided to build a hydrogen terminal in Wilhelmshaven that will enable the import of green hydrogen on a large scale. The planned terminal comprises six berths and a total of ten tanks with a storage capacity of 2,000,000 cubic meters. According to plans, the terminal will be able to import up to 250 TWh of green gases per year in the future and produce more than 5 million metric tons of hydrogen from them - equivalent to one tenth of Germany's total annual primary energy demand.

    News (11/28/2022): TES and EWE plan to build 500 MW electrolyzer

    As TES and EWE announced at the end of November, a 500 MW electrolyzer is to be built as part of the project. The electrolyzer is scheduled to go into operation from 2028. The capacity of the electrolyzer is to be 500 megawatts, which is to be expanded to a total capacity of 1 gigawatt with another planned plant. 

    To meet its hydrogen needs, Germany will have to import green hydrogen from various countries in the future. This requires the appropriate infrastructure, which enables the landing, storage and transport into the hydrogen pipeline network. This is precisely what is envisaged in the Wilhelmshaven Green Energy Hub project, which is being implemented by Tree Energy Solution (TES). To this end, six ship berths are to be built in Wilhelmshaven that are "Suezmax-compatible" - so that large ships can also land in Wilhelmshaven ("Suezmax" describes a ship size that is permissible for passage through the Suez Canal when loaded).

    TES also wants to produce the green hydrogen itself - in countries with a very high supply of hydro, wind or solar power. Renewables are used for electrolysis in the producing countries to initially produce green hydrogen. After electrolysis, carbon dioxide is added to the hydrogen to produce green CH4 (methane), which can then be transported by shipping fleet to Wilhelmshaven. Here, the CH4 is converted back to hydrogen, and the resultingCO2 is captured and returned to the producing countries in a recirculation system for further use.

    Source: Tree Energy Solution

    Wilhelmshaven Green Energy Hub in the model

    From 2026, the terminal is scheduled to begin operations and thus the first import of green molecules. In this initial phase, 25 TWh of green methane per year are expected to be imported - from this, more than half a million tons of hydrogen can be produced. During the ramp-up phase starting in 2030, output will be successively increased so that eventually up to 250 TWh per year - and thus more than 5 million tons of hydrogen - can be imported or produced.

    The project intends to take advantage of the good site conditions in Wilhelmshaven and make use of the storage and transport infrastructure currently being built in Lower Saxony. Thus, a link to the underground salt cavern storage facilities in Etzel is to be established and the pipelines built and rededicated as part of the H2ercules project are to be used to enable transport to industrial consumers in the west and south of Germany. With high import volumes of up to 250 TWh, the project is expected to contribute to security of supply in Germany and the EU.

    More about the project

    About TES

    Source: Tree Energy Solution

    Tree Energy Solutions (TES) is a green hydrogen company that provides CO2-neutral energy to industry and consumers - in the form of green hydrogen, green gas and green electricity. To build a network with global reach, TES is currently developing sites in Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and the United States to import and distribute energy.