Hydrogen Regions series: HyExpert region AachenPLUS
There was once a well-known German sports channel that would promote its TV shows with the slogan “Mittendrin statt nur dabei” – meaning at the heart of the action, not just on the sidelines. Had the broadcaster not claimed ownership of this phrase, the German district of Düren could have justifiably considered appropriating it for itself. After all, you would be hard pressed to find a place in the Rhineland that is more involved in the action. This is especially the case, given that the brown coal opencast mines of Inden, Hambach and Garzweiler are largely situated within the district. So when it comes to swiftly putting clean energy technology ideas into practice, Düren is not just involved, it’s right at the forefront. And hydrogen has played a key role from the start.
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The largest project overseen by the district of Düren is the full-blown conversion of train and bus fleets to green hydrogen. The sustainable fuel is to be produced locally from early 2025 via a 9-megawatt PEM electrolyzer facility. In addition, an ever-increasing number of hydrogen projects are appearing at exceptional speed which will help the area achieve its goal of becoming net-zero by 2035 (see p. 26). These schemes also act as a good example to others. Industrial-scale production plants for green hydrogen, like those being developed near the town of Jülich, are still few and far between. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, only 4 percent of the hydrogen manufactured globally in 2021 was green.
“We need pioneers who lead the way,” said German transportation minister Volker Wissing when handing over funding letters for grants worth EUR 81.6 million in May 2023. The money is being channeled into a range of projects including the building of electrolyzers, the purchase of 17 hydrogen railcars which will replace the existing diesel railcars by 2026, and the installation of a hydrogen train refueling facility in the district. In another project, the district is converting the fleet of bus company Rurtalbus. So far, a total of five hydrogen-powered buses are now circulating on the area’s roads. A further 20 buses are expected to join them by the end of the coming year.
In Wissing’s view, evidence of Düren’s pioneering attitude can be seen particularly in the fact that, rather than just running hydrogen-powered trains, carbon-neutral green hydrogen production will be introduced as well. “Hydrogen projects are great. But where is the green hydrogen going to come from? The smart approach is to tackle this question head-on and say: It’s best if we make it ourselves.”
Ahead of the grants
That a flagship project of this kind is now taking shape in Düren is thanks to the head of the district authority, Wolfgang Spelthahn (see fig. 3), who incorporated the use of hydrogen very early on in the planning process. At the time when he expressed the ambition of turning Düren into a model region for hydrogen, there was still no sign of the EUR 14.8 billion in funding that was later earmarked in the 2020 structural enhancement law which outlined the plans for restructuring in the Rhineland and signaled the phaseout of power generation using brown coal. “We recognized the benefits of green hydrogen early and took a long view to invest in the future. This enabled us to gain a considerable advantage,” says Spelthahn.
In 2020, the German government decided to phase out brown coal by 2038 and approved billions of euros in grants for this purpose. A year later, the then North Rhine-Westphalia economy minister Andreas Pinkwart paid a visit to Düren and described the Rhineland as the “greatest climate action project in the world.” The statement remains true today: The Rhineland is the largest mining area for brown coal in Europe, making it a major emitter of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
What FDP politician Pinkwart could not know is that the subsequent conservative-green coalition would, a year later, further step up the pace of restructuring significantly. Consequently, the date for extracting the last brown coal from Germany’s western minefields was brought forward from 2038 to 2030.
This move drew much criticism, for example from industry quarters. Industry representatives denounced the phaseout as too rapid since new technology would be too slow to set up. As a result, the Cologne Chamber of Industry and Commerce refused to sign the recast regional agreement in early summer. Behind the refusal was this simple calculation: To compensate for the energy no longer produced due to the withdrawal from brown coal, the region would have to build an additional 1,500 wind turbines. According to the Cologne chamber, it currently takes too long to construct a wind turbine, with the period from initial proposal to commissioning lasting seven years. The conclusion: It’s not just the energy-intensive industries situated in and around the Rhineland that have concerns about security of supply.
Visible progress
Against this backdrop, Düren’s hydrogen initiatives set it apart from other districts. The majority of the projects that have managed to get underway in the Rhineland, despite everything, are located there. The solar park, with a capacity of up to 9.2 megawatts, which will supply a large part of the green energy for electrolysis, is already installed. In all, 18,200 solar modules will generate enough power to supply almost 3,000 homes. The amount of carbon dioxide saved each year will be 4,604 metric tons.
However, in the long term, the power generated will not be sufficient to produce the targeted 162 kilograms of hydrogen per hour at the expected 4,000 to 5,000 full-load hours a year. For this reason the district is planning to use additional renewable sources. The electrolyzer is being built and operated by HyDN. The company has involvement from both the holding company Beteiligungsgesellschaft Kreis Düren and industrial gases enterprise Messer Industriegase in Bad Soden.
Hydrogen capability on show
A key aim for the district is to show people what hydrogen can do. At the end of 2022, a hydrogen-powered rapid response vehicle joined the fleet of Düren’s ambulance service. The Hyundai Nexo is used by service leaders to reach their assignments and carries essential equipment on board for assisting accident victims.
It is also hoped that the first hydrogen ambulance will enter service before the year is out. The vehicle will be specially built in a collaboration involving several companies. “If we bring a hydrogen-powered ambulance onto the district’s streets, then the people will see that this type of power system works in everyday practice. That sends exactly the right signal to the public,” described Wolfgang Spelthahn at the signing of the letter of intent for the production of the hydrogen ambulance.
The advantages of hydrogen are obvious according to Spelthahn: Instead of long charging cycles for electric vehicles, hydrogen can be refueled in eight minutes. The range is higher than for a battery-driven ambulance. In short, the ambulance is available for longer and can be deployed more flexibly, especially as hydrogen refueling stations are being constructed in the area. The first station, located right next to the A4 autobahn, was opened in September 2022 and has been in regular operation since the summer in the Im Großen Tal industrial park in Düren.
The district’s focus on hydrogen is also plain to see in Düren’s welcome center which includes a hydrogen information center. From October 2023 this will feature a public exhibition with an interactive display about hydrogen. It will explain various aspects, starting with basic principles, extending along the value chains and concluding with end use.
Hydrogen fair boosts network
Düren’s annual hydrogen trade fair, which took place in August 2023 for the third time, carries an additional message: While one person alone can achieve a great deal, the energy transition with hydrogen as a key technology will only be successful if many people work together. The hydrogen fair in the Kulturmuschel exhibition space in Jülich brings together experts and offers local people the chance to acquire a wide range of information about the subject. New ideas, networks and collaborations are formed as a result. On the eve of the fair’s opening, the Hygo award is presented by the district. The hydrogen prize, with Young Researchers, Start Up Innovation and Hydrogen Champion categories, recognizes those people who are driving forward the energy transition while at the same time focusing on hydrogen as the fuel of the future.
A key part of this exhibition from the very beginning has been the FZ Jülich research center. The scientific research that takes place here, for instance into electrolysis and fuel cells, has attracted worldwide attention for many years. The research center is among the main driving forces behind restructuring in the Rhineland. This is particularly evident in its newest institute.
The Institute for Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW) has been under construction for nearly two years at the Brainergy Park near Jülich, the latter being an industrial park designed with state-of-the-art supply infrastructure. Düren, which along with its partnering organizations is building its proton exchange membrane electrolyzer on the edge of the park, is one of the shareholders of the Brainergy Park. The INW conducts fundamental research into the storage and transportation of hydrogen. However, it is also at the center of a cluster where research findings will be put straight into practice.
The Helmholtz hydrogen cluster HC-H2 is the largest funded project within the Rhineland’s restructuring program with a grant sum of more than a billion euros. And it’s the biggest hydrogen infrastructure project in Germany, with the expectation that its staff numbers will top 500 employees. It is hoped it will act as a magnet, attracting to the area other companies that intend to explore hydrogen in the pursuit of net-zero.
“It is extremely helpful that the Düren district is located in a region that is so quick when it comes to deploying hydrogen,” says INW director Andreas Peschel. “It greatly furthers the hydrogen cause if the people, for example, see trains and ambulances running on hydrogen.”
Authors: Guido Jansen, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institute for Sustainable Hydrogen Economy (INW), g.jansen@fz-juelich.de,
Anne Schüssler, District of Düren, a.schuessler@kreis-dueren.de
Hydrogen Regions series: HyExpert region AachenPLUS
The HyExpert region of AachenPLUS in Germany is facing up to the challenge of how to manage the long-term restructuring necessitated by the phaseout of brown coal. The plan is to use the emerging hydrogen economy as a means to keep value in the region, create a sustainable energy supply and facilitate a transition to cleaner modes of transport. The focus is on exchanging ideas and linking up different hydrogen projects so that the experience gained can be swiftly put to use in the region.
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It’s all happening in the west! Be it in mid-sized industrial enterprises, local public transport, local rail networks, neighborhood schemes or research initiatives, new hydrogen projects abound in the southwest of Nordrhein-Westfalen between the Rhine area in the east and the border with Belgium and the Netherlands in the west. The HyExpert region of AachenPLUS encompasses the city and the wider Aachen area, the districts of Düren, Euskirchen and Heinsberg, and the town of Kerpen and has all the right ingredients to build a strong and sustainable hydrogen economy. The large number of regional stakeholders also means that there is a vast array of different needs and approaches.
The region has excellent research capabilities thanks to RWTH Aachen University, FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences and the FZ Jülich research center all being situated here. At the same time, there is also an innovative and agile base of medium-sized industrial companies which covers virtually the entire hydrogen value chain from green power generation to hydrogen production and storage through end use. In addition, participating regional bodies are using hydrogen to develop their local public transport into carbon-neutral networks.
Kickoff in May 2021
The aim of the HyExpert project was to develop a strategy for how the region could use the various approaches to successfully ramp up the hydrogen economy. Since the region, which is home to the Garzweiler, Hambach and Inden brown coal opencast mines, is an area undergoing structural change, the issue of retaining and creating value here is also of high importance. Even before the project started, it was recognized that it would be beneficial for activities to be coordinated at a regional level. For this purpose, the Hydrogen Hub Aachen was founded in May 2021.
As part of this initiative, a project office, sited at the Aachen Chamber of Industry and Commerce, is responsible for coordinating regional hydrogen schemes in the districts of Düren, Euskirchen and Heinsberg as well as in the city and metropolitan area of Aachen. Its work is supported by the Aachen society for innovation and technology transfer AGIT.
A look ahead to a future hydrogen supply makes it clear that a combination of different supply pathways is necessary for successful market ramp-up in the AachenPLUS region. For an inland area, the AachenPLUS region offers good potential for the expansion of renewable energy in the form of wind and photovoltaics. The Heinsberg district, for example, is currently extending its own green electricity portfolio in order to create local electrolyzer capacity in the near future. An initial electrolyzer site is already being instigated in Heinsberg-Oberbruch. Other sites for decentralized power generation should follow.
Hydrogen pipelines: a lifeline
Despite this potential, the energy-intensive mid-size industries and the through traffic on the large autobahns mean that the region remains a hydrogen “sink” that is unable to meet its hydrogen needs from its own production. Consequently, the region must rely on imported hydrogen in addition to local production. Here, its position on the border with Belgium and the Netherlands gives proximity to their ports, thus creating an added advantage: Plans for a core hydrogen network envisage the building of a hydrogen pipeline that will pass across the region from west to east, starting from the border crossing point at Eynatten in Belgium. According to Thyssengas, proposals exist to convert the Weisweiler-Düren line to hydrogen from 2027 onward.
In addition to the highly likely connection to the planned hydrogen backbone, the Delta Rhine Corridor offers another option for supplying the AachenPLUS region with hydrogen. While plans to date foresee the construction of this pipeline only as far as the Dutch town of Sittard, it will be down to the region to campaign for a continuation of this pipeline infrastructure. In this regard, it will be important for the region to create appropriate exit points for the supply of local consumers and to expand cross-border activities.
Many individual projects
The opportunities offered by the connection to the core hydrogen network should not, however, distract focus from local and decentralized solutions, of which there are many different approaches in the region: At the Brainergy Park in Jülich, a solar farm is being built that will include an electrolyzer for the purposes of supplying future fuel cell trains in the Rurtalbahn network and fuel cell buses operated by Rurtalbus. In Hellenthal, plans are afoot for an electrolyzer project that will serve as electricity storage. In Mechernich, meanwhile, a project is being devised to extract hydrogen from green waste. Back in Aachen, an electrolyzer to supply local public transport operator ASEAG is in the offing and in Herzogenrath the company Saint-Gobain is planning to build electrolyzer capacity in order to supply energy for glass production.
Work is also underway in Kerpen on the Speicherstadt energy storage project and the Mobilitätshafen mobility hub project which together will supply hydrogen to the local public transport network. In Heinsberg, the H2HS project intends to create a complete hydrogen ecosystem. In this case, the hydrogen is expected to supply trade and industry, local public transport, the logistics sector, heavy-duty transport and the housing sector. What’s more, the waste heat from the electrolyzer is to be fed into the local heating network and the oxygen used in a nearby sewage plant.
Other, somewhat surprising, application examples can be found in the region’s heating sector. In Linnich, hydrogen is used to generate heat through a microgrid; in Euskirchen, it acts as a means of seasonal energy storage for a residential area.
All these projects offer solutions that have a valuable part to play in ramping up the hydrogen economy. They enable business cases to be drawn up and allow clarification of unresolved technical issues. Vital experience can also be gathered about approvals procedures and the regulatory framework. Furthermore, these projects can be used to develop long-term solutions for areas with a hydrogen deficit aside from a connection to the backbone.
Essential for the further development of the HyExpert region AachenPLUS will be the ability to harness the knowledge gained from these projects. This is to be organized through the Hydrogen Hub where experiences can be exchanged and knowledge transferred between projects. A matchmaking facility will also be set up to link producers with potential off-takers in order to encourage further projects and ensure the viability of planned projects.
Another area of application is mobility. All local public transport operators in the region have either already procured fuel cell buses or have plans to do so. Additionally, the Düren district will shortly see the operation of fuel cell trains on the Rurtalbahn rail network. Funding letters for these projects were delivered in May 2023 by German transportation minister Wissing. More information on the Düren projects can be found on page 28.
The study that was created as part of the HyExpert project has shown that the conversion of fleets to fuel cell vehicles can also be expected in the logistics sector. To meet the needs of these vehicles, at least 13 hydrogen refueling stations will need to have been installed in the region by 2035. It is therefore envisaged that the working group comprising members of the local public transport and logistics sectors, which was established as part of the HyExpert project, will be continued in order to facilitate targeted and coordinated planning of this infrastructure.
Hunt for skilled staff
An aspect that will have a crucial role to play in bringing projects to fruition will be the securing of skilled staff. These workers will be essential for translating plans into action and capitalizing on research and development capabilities so as to accelerate the local hydrogen economy. With this in mind, efforts by the Hydrogen meet&connect network to encourage interaction between small- and medium-sized businesses and academia need to be stepped up. Information events should be held at schools to ensure there is widespread coverage in terms of education and training. In addition, new specialized training centers and vocational courses must be initiated which will, for instance, provide instruction on the safe handling and transportation of hydrogen as well as on hydrogen heating, fuel cells and hydrogen mobility. As the training of new employees will not in itself be sufficient to fulfill staffing needs, extensive further education schemes should also be coordinated and made available, for example through trade guilds or the chambers of industry and commerce.
Author: Fabian Müller-Lutz, Aachen Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Fabian.Mueller-Lutz@aachen.ihk.de
Coordination was hard enough when there were “only” four German ministries dealing with hydrogen – now there are six involved in updating the national hydrogen strategy, plus the chancellery. This participation of so many different departments is surely conclusive proof that hydrogen has become a key plank in the energy transition.
“Being a versatile energy carrier, hydrogen will assume a key role in achieving our ambitious energy and climate targets.” This statement shows the German government’s recognition of hydrogen’s immense importance in the future energy supply and in tackling the climate crisis. It’s for good reason that, three years after the national hydrogen strategy was adopted in June 2020, a redraft has now been approved with content and targets adjusted to match changed conditions.
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The update to the national hydrogen strategy, which was enacted by the federal cabinet in July 2023, has, in the government’s words, “created a coherent framework for action for the entire hydrogen value chain – from production to transport through deployment and reuse.” The strategy, also referred to as the NWS, is designed to ensure certainty in financial planning, which provides the foundation for future investment, so that the market for green hydrogen technologies can be successfully ramped up.
At the same time, the NWS recalls that the creation of a hydrogen economy is “a task for the whole of society” whose success “requires contribution from all stakeholders.”
“Hydrogen technologies are not only an important instrument for climate change mitigation. They can enable the creation of new branches of industry with a large number of viable long-term jobs and extensive export opportunities. […] The NWS will thus also help German industry retain and further expand its strong position in hydrogen technologies.”
German government
Specific targets defined
The main 2030 targets outlined in the NWS focus on achieving an accelerated ramp-up of hydrogen and securing sufficient availability of hydrogen and its derivatives. Accordingly, the previous goal of 5 gigawatts of electrolyzer capacity has been raised to at least 10 gigawatts. Remaining demand will be covered by imports which will be the subject of a specially developed import strategy.
What’s more, effective hydrogen infrastructure is to be put place. According to the plans, a hydrogen starter network stretching across more than 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) will be got underway by 2027/2028 and supported by funding from Brussels. The network will be composed, in part, of repurposed natural gas pipes as well as newly constructed hydrogen lines. It will form a key part of the European Hydrogen Backbone which will involve hydrogen pipelines covering a total length of around 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles).
In addition, various hydrogen applications are to be established in different industries – in the power and industrial sectors, in heavy-duty vehicles as well as in aviation and shipping. To allow this to happen, the intention is to create suitable framework conditions, specifically planning and approvals procedures, appropriate standards and certification systems. The stated aim is for Germany to become the leading supplier of hydrogen technologies by 2030.
“We have once again significantly upped the level of ambition.”
German economy minister Robert Habeck
“Hydrogen is the missing piece in the energy transition puzzle. It offers a huge opportunity to join up energy security, net-zero and competitiveness.”
German education and research minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger
“The global market for hydrogen must be fair and different than how the global fossil fuel industry once was.”
German development minister Svenja Schulze
The German government has now departed from its original approach of only financing green hydrogen through tax revenue, a move that has been particularly welcomed, unsurprisingly, by the gas lobby. Other colors of hydrogen are now also set to receive subsidies, albeit only to a limited degree and under certain conditions defined in the small print.
The update to the NWS states: “We also intend to fund the use of green and, insofar as it is needed in the ramp-up phase, low-carbon blue, turquoise and orange hydrogen on the deployment side to a limited extent while taking into account ambitious greenhouse gas limits, including emissions in the upstream chain and the ability to meet statutory net-zero targets.”
Bettina Stark-Watzinger, German education and research minister, called this a “pragmatic and technologically unbiased” decision that allows initial use of “all climate-friendly types of hydrogen.” This, she explains, will help Germany on its way to becoming a hydrogen nation.
Her colleague, German development minister Svenja Schulze, went one step further by saying: “Wherever wind and solar power is produced for hydrogen, momentum will be given to the energy transition at ground level and the local population will be supplied with electricity. And wherever seawater is desalinated for hydrogen, the nearest town will be supplied with drinking water. From a development perspective it’s clear: Hydrogen from renewables is not only the best choice for the environment, it is a cost-effective domestic energy source that also leads to better development in the Global South. We will therefore help our partner countries have a fair share of involvement in the new international market for hydrogen.”
Existing structures remain
To allow all this to happen, recourse is being made to existing institutions. For example, a “hydrogen guidance center” has already been set up that enables inquirers to receive advice on funding by phone or email. The committee of state secretaries for hydrogen acts as a decision-making body for the NWS and takes corrective action where necessary. It meets on a case-by-case basis as and when needed, which in the past was only rarely. The central body is the National Hydrogen Council, an independent, cross-party advisory committee with 26 high-ranking experts from industry, academia and civil society. The council is supported by the Coordination Office for Hydrogen.
Chair of the National Hydrogen Council, Katherina Reiche, explained: “It is an important milestone that the German government is ambitiously extending its national hydrogen strategy. […] Only hydrogen allows us to maintain value chains and ensure that key industries remain in Germany. […] Companies only invest if they have long-term planning certainty. We must therefore already look beyond 2030. According to council forecasts, the need for hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives will, by 2045, have risen to between 964 and 1,364 terawatt-hours. The Inflation Reduction Act in the USA and similar regulations around the world will accelerate the development of comprehensive value chains on an industrial scale. In view of rapid progress made in other countries, the German government should move away from exclusively focusing on flagship projects. What is more important is to create effective incentives to quickly scale the hydrogen economy and the development of new business models.”
On the subject of the – at times – fierce debate about the use of hydrogen in the heating sector, the council said that it endorses municipal heating plans as a crucial planning tool for encouraging the heating sector to shift away from fossil fuels. In its view, a successful transformation of the heating sector would require all technology options: heat pumps, heating networks, renewable heat and hydrogen. Thus all technologies should be granted equal footing as compliance options in Germany’s building energy law and be considered when undertaking infrastructure expansion.
The council added that rigorous training is needed for the specialist workforce required, both at university level and within the area of vocational training and continuing education.
Criticism and ideas for improvement
While the German government proudly unveiled the NWS update, the opposition, as expected, deems the 34-page document to be a flop. The CDU’s vice chairman, Andreas Jung, explained to German newspaper Tagesspiegel: “Hydrogen is so important for the economy and net-zero that it now needs a double-whammy.” Here Jung apes the “double-whammy” expression used by Chancellor Scholz when announcing his EUR 200 billion relief package to help with the cost of living. Jung’s criticism that the government was acting “halfheartedly” and would operate on the basis of “centrally controlled allocation” falls flat, however, since the targets set are highly ambitious and the NWS is ultimately only putting a framework in place – and does not include technical guidelines.
For example, it is understood that a “hydrogen acceleration law” will get off the ground this year to enable the installation of “further terminals only for hydrogen or its derivatives” as previously with LNG terminals. A “national port strategy” is expected to pinpoint the relevant hubs for the future hydrogen economy.
Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe, therefore believes Germany is on the right course to be able to achieve “the broad use of green hydrogen in industry and the heating sector within nine years.” However, he thinks specific improvement measures are necessary, for instance better integration of H2 Global into the EU’s hydrogen bank in order to leverage European Union tendering processes as well as off-take agreements for temporarily nationalized companies, such as Uniper, that can contribute toward security of supply.
Additionally, Chatzimarkakis sees the need to shorten the IPCEI approval times at EU level and in Germany. He also suggests launching an “EU tax credit club” for hydrogen – as a semi-response to the Inflation Reduction Act in the USA, which cannot be introduced in the EU in a similar form due to tax regulations.
Contributions to the NWS 2.0 were made by the following German government departments: the economy ministry, the transportation ministry, the education and research ministry, the environment ministry, the development ministry as well as the foreign office and the chancellery.
HPS inaugurates home with solar hydrogen storage system
In Schöneiche, a suburb east of Berlin, the first self-sufficient hydrogen house is starting practical testing. A solar year-round storage tank should cover the demand for the modern timber house. The goal of the FlexEhome research project is to show how a home can be self-sufficient with electricity and heat if it is suitably well insulated. In the scope of this project, the participants are also testing grid-serving services.
The photovoltaic system of the brand new single-family home in the street Schillerstraße was deliberately designed to be very large with a total output of almost 30 kilowatts – so it can generate a solar energy surplus for the production of clean hydrogen. Currently, most buildings with photovoltaic systems and batteries produce too much electricity in the summer, however, not enough in the winter months. So far, there is no seasonal storage.
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In a practical test, the FlexEhome research project will now demonstrate that it can be done differently: Electricity should only be released into the grid or taken out when it is also useful for the grid. This is possible due to a significantly larger storage capacity compared to batteries and the production of hydrogen, which can be stored for longer periods of time. Thanks to this flexibility, grid stability is improved and the need for expansion of the decentralised distribution grids is minimised. In this way, the residents of such a building contribute to power grid stability and supply security.
“In the future, such decentralised flexibilities will be indispensable for the success of the energy transition,” emphasised Zeyad Abul-Ella, head and founder of Home Power Solutions (HPS), at the ceremonial presentation of this solar hydrogen house. An essential component of the project is the long-term storage picea from HPS, which stores the surplus electricity from the solar system in the summer in the form of hydrogen by means of electrolysis. In winter, the green gas is converted back into electricity and heat via the fuel cell.
AEM electrolyser from Enapter
The hydrogen is produced by an AEM electrolyser 2.0 from the German-Italian manufacturer Enapter. The module can start and ramp up relatively quickly. The battery storage is a German-made lead-gel accumulator with a net capacity of 20 kWh. Lead – although a toxic heavy metal – has the advantage that there is already a well-established recycling system – especially for starter batteries from motor vehicles.
Civil engineer Abul-Ella developed the complete system of electrolyser, fuel cell, hydrogen tank as well as lead storage and ventilation unit himself almost ten years ago. However, the picea system is not cheap, costing 120,000 Euro for the full system. Nevertheless, sales of the so-called all-season power storage units have increased strongly in recent months. More than a hundred units are already in operation, and more than 500 have been ordered.
The Berlin-based company can hardly keep up with the orders. The waiting time is currently about twelve months. The production of HPS is therefore to be expanded further. Also because of projects such as FlexEhome: Participating partners are, for example, the heat pump manufacturer Vaillant, the timber house builder Albert Haus and the Technical University of Berlin.
Solar facing to the east-west and south
In order to smooth out the solar harvest from the roof already during production, the majority of the photovoltaic modules with 27.4 kilowatts were installed as a roof-integrated solution facing east-west. In addition, seven modules with a total of 2.4 kilowatts are located on the balcony railing facing to the south. Both together reduce the PV midday peak by 30 percent (see Fig. 2) – and therefore extend the runtime of the electrolyser by four hours per day in summer. “This increases the hydrogen yield by as much as 40 percent,” says Daniel Wolf from HPS. The engineer is the network coordinator of this innovative project.
The electrolyser with a total of four bundles of pressurised gas cylinders, each with an electrical output of 300 kWh (see Fig. 3), is located in a timber house on the north side of the detached house to store the H2 gas from the summer months for the winter months. According to the calculations of Daniel Wolf, the hydrogen storage tank would be completely full again by July. The space heating demand of the almost 150-square-metre home is around 40 percent below that of a KfW55 house. This high insulation standard is also necessary so that the house can supply itself with electricity and heat all year round. This is the key and the basis for full green supply.
But the long-term storage of electricity should also pay off economically in the future – through trading on the electricity market. Because there are very high exchange electricity prices every now and then, as on some days in December 2022, when it was the equivalent of 60 ct/kWh. On the other hand, there is the extreme of negative electricity prices, such as at the beginning of June 2021, when minus 5 ct/kWh was requested. This is where the H2 storage of HPS, which has reserves at all times, could pay off, says Daniel Wolf.
The (TU) Technical University of Berlin monitors all energy flows
The hydrogen is turned back into electricity and heat in a combined heat and power generation plant, where waste heat is also used. In combination with a heat pump, this ensures a year-round supply of the house with self-generated solar power. The interaction with the heat pump in particular will be investigated in greater detail through this project in the coming months.
Soon, a family of four will be living in the project house for rent. They will pay a lower rent compared to the local area, but will have to allow professional visitors and technicians access to the technical room from time to time by appointment. In order to document the full supply and a grid-serving feed-in, over the next few months the TU Berlin will also monitor all energy flows in the house in detail.
The researchers will continue to support the project until at least the end of 2024. In addition to the energy balances, they also look at the CO2 emissions. “In the end, we want to assess whether a building like this is worthwhile for climate protection,” says Alexander Studniorz from the TU Berlin. The scientists are conducting a life cycle analysis for this purpose. The scientist’s assumption is that it is the temporal shift in electricity consumption that will have a positive impact on the CO2 balance. This is because, unlike in homes with a PV system and a battery storage system, no additional grey electricity needs to be drawn from the grid on a cold winter night when many fossil-fuel power plants are in operation. “The seasonal buffer in particular, in combination with the heat pump, therefore guarantees low CO2 emissions all year round,” predicts the TU researcher.
Landesmesse Stuttgart has put the industry event just renamed Hy-Fcell on course for growth. In view of increasing global competition in the event segment, the trade fair company was working towards establishing Stuttgart as an international nucleus for especially the fuel cell vehicle sector. On September 13 and 14, more than 150 exhibitors presented their products and services at the fairgrounds by the airport – this year in Hall 4 for the first time, directly behind International Congresscenter Stuttgart (ICS).
The kick-off was being made this year by Daria Nochevnik, director of the Hydrogen Council. As head of this worldwide association of hydrogen activists, she lookd at the H2 economy on a global level in her keynote. She said: “Germany has from the start played an important role in the introduction of the hydrogen economy in Europe and on a global scale.”
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Invited as well were political representatives like Baden-Württemberg’s minister for environment and energy economy Thekla Walker as well as parliamentary secretary in the federal ministry for economy and climate protection Dr. Franziska Brantner. At the conference were 60 expert presentations focused on fuel cell production, where the research platform H2GO of the Fraunhofer institutes hold alone eight sessions. Further talks were also offered by – in addition to the hosting Hy-Fcell team – the administrative agencies for hydrogen NOW, e-mobil BW, VDMA, DVGW and ZSW.
After a long time, vehicles with alternative drives were once again shown off and offered for test drives. New were also the hy-fcell Technical Tours, which provided an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at local industry players. In guided tours, various buses started from the fairgrounds and went to manufacturer Cellcentric and state research institute Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg during Tour Ulm. Tour Heilbronn leaded to German aerospace agency location DLR Lampoldshausen as well as to the Audi location in Heilbronn. And during Tour Stuttgart, public transport company SSB as well as Hydrogen Green were viewed.
Katharina Jathe, director for Hy-Fcell at Messe Stuttgart, stated, the Technical Tours not only promised “exciting inside views into the work of pioneers in the field of hydrogen and fuel cell technology”, but also granted a “special view of Region Stuttgart”.
COMPREHENSIVE OFFER
Particular attention was placed on startups this time. In a central area, startup companies from various countries introduced themselves, met potential interested parties and also established new business relationships. Stefan Lohnert, managing director of Messe Stuttgart, said regarding this: “The industry thrives on brave and visionary people.” That is why we wanted to give young entrepreneurs a “stage of their own and offer them an opportunity to transform their ideas into profitable applications”.
In addition, a Speakers Corner was set up in International Congresscenter Stuttgart on the fairgrounds, and a B2B Matchmaking as well as a Networking Night was offered. There was also something for up-and-coming or, conversely, established professionals: During hy-fcell Career Compass, businesses presented themselves in 3-minute pitches. In a subsequent speed networking session, potential associates could find each other in a more direct fashion.
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