The development of a real prototype is time-consuming and expensive. Mathematical models make it possible to better understand the physical and chemical processes in a fuel cell or an electrolyser. A simulation helps to create new approaches and designs in Lobar.
Fifth part of the Regions series: HyStarter Rügen-Stralsund
What role can the production of green hydrogen play in the future for regional added value creation in a rural, structurally weak, but large area region with a high share of renewable energy production capacities? Which generation paths make sense at different locations, and which framework conditions must be fulfilled in order to achieve this? Where is there potential for hydrogen applications in the district of Vorpommern-Rügen? With these questions in mind, the HyStarter Region Rügen-Stralsund started a one-year strategy process in December 2019 to develop a vision, define fields of action, analyse selected locations and technology concepts, and adopt a roadmap until 2030 that describes a whole bundle of measures to be implemented in the future.
Oman and Saudi Arabia’s plans to export solar energy
Sun-soaked countries around the world are inevitably destined for solar-powered hydrogen production. Yet while many look to Australia, Chile or Morocco as prime locations, the Middle East is also gaining attention. Nations such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Sultanate of Oman, well known for their bountiful oil resources, have now recognized another useful asset – their copious sunshine – and one which is ideally suited to making hydrogen.
Off-grid living in Germany and Australia
Energy self-sufficiency, a dream for a number of homeowners, is now gradually becoming a reality. As isolated projects have already demonstrated, it is perfectly feasible to forgo a conventional grid connection and have a property’s entire energy needs met by renewables alone. The technology that makes this possible is on the tipping point of serial production following years of development, a move that could also bring the price down to a more acceptable level in the not too distant future.
Interview with energy expert Peter Röttgen
Peter Röttgen, a PhD geologist, was once the head of the E.ON Energy Storage Innovation Center in Düsseldorf. He then became president of the Brussels-based European Association for Storage of Energy and remained in that role for many years. From August 2017 to early 2019, he led German renewable energy federation BEE before he left to work at Finnish energy supplier Fortum’s German office as vice president of public affairs. In March, Fortum became Uniper’s majority shareholder.
A small, decentralized power-to-gas system was started up in a residential development in Augsburg, Germany, at the beginning of this year. Exytron, the Rostock-based manufacturer of the installation, said it was the first of its kind around the globe to store surplus renewable electricity in synthetic natural gas and extract power when needed. With the help of the company’s SmartEnergyTechnology, “the system reduces emissions by 70 percent to 100 percent,” said the business’s sales director, Klaus Schirmer.
Since spring, the sun has been shining in Jülich at the push of a button and 10,000 times brighter than normal. It is in this town in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia that the German Aerospace Center, DLR, inaugurated its Synlight system comprised of 149 high-output lights that can simulate concentrated solar power.
The biggest challenge of the energy sector transformation will be the spatial and temporal separation of production and consumption. Such a global issue may seem to require global or at least national solutions. The Energiepark Ewald study for the Hydrogen City Herten in Germany shows