The trial took ten weeks to complete and was hosted at National Grid’s Deeside Centre for Innovation in north Wales. The Centre is a testing facility, developed to enable 24/7 trials of innovative technologies and processes in an environment replicating a 400 kV substation.
During the trials, a 250kW hydrogen power unit (HPU) from GeoPura was used to power low-voltage equipment as well as site operations like cooling, pumps and lighting. The hydrogen to serve the generator was ‘green’, meaning that it was generated by running water through an electrolyser system served by renewable electricity.
National Grid was seeking to find out whether HPUs could be a feasible direct replacement for diesel backup generators, which are the chosen technology – along with battery energy storage – for providing emergency power at substation sites. National Grid operates more than 250 substations across the UK.
The trials confirmed that the HPU could provide up to 250kW for up to 45 minutes and up to 100kW for longer periods. They also revealed that the unit was considerably quieter than a diesel alternative.
While backup diesel generators are rarely used by National Grid, they are emissions-intensive when they are used. National Grid has stated that its diesel generator use generates more than 500,000 kg (500 tonnes) of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Data resulting from the HPU trial will now be analysed. The results will be shared later this year, as well as decisions about any potential additional trials and rollout.
The manager of the Deeside Centre for Innovation, Dean Coleman, said his team is “delighted to have trialled this innovative off-grid power source”. He said: “The HPU powered our test facility 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we will now consider the findings, which we hope will help accelerate the transition to a flexible and low carbon future.”
HPU momentum
National Grid is aiming for net-zero by 2050, in line with the UK Government’s legally binding target. It is not the only organisation seeking a lower-emission alternative to diesel backup generators as the global net-zero transition builds momentum. Last year, Microsoft completed trials of HPUs to replace diesel backup generators at data centres, completing a pilot in Latham, New York.
Also using hydrogen generators is construction firm Mace Group.
Microsoft concluded that the large-scale adoption of hydrogen fuel cells should only be attempted once green hydrogen is “widely available and economically viable”. Most global hydrogen production at present is ‘grey’ – reliant on fossil fuels. This means that, while the hydrogen produces no greenhouse gas emissions at the point of combustion, it is not a low or no-emission product across its lifecycle. It also means that grey hydrogen is currently far cheaper than green, but nations have collectively pledged to bring green hydrogen to price parity with fossil hydrogen by 2030 through the Breakthorugh Agenda.
As an alternative to diesel that is more commercially mature than HPUs, some firms, including Skanska, McAlpine, Interxion and Kao Data, are choosing generators fuelled by hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO). However, others continue to invest in new diesel generators. Just this week, distribution company completed the acquisition of a diesel backup generator for its head office and distribution centre in Hatfield.
Hydrogen power continues to make waves into the new year, after the world’s first hydrogen-powered urban train was manufactured in China, coming off the assembly line last week in Xinjin, Chengdu.
The new train will incorporate technologies from China’s trademark Fuxing high-speed train, one of the pillars of a network that crisscrosses the country and which, over the last decade and a half has become one of the most sophisticated high-speed rail networks in the world.
The train is composed of four cars and reaches a maximum speed of 160 km/h. It has built in it a hydrogen power system which allows the train to travel up to 600 kilometres on a single charge.
By using a combination of hydrogen fuel cells and super capacitors, the new-style train is able to replace the catenary power supply source which typically marks train power. Catenary power supply refers to overhead wires powering the train. An electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in the fuel cell produces the energy. As a result of this power source, only water is produced as a byproduct, and there is none of the sulphur and nitrogen that comes from traditional train power.
The train was developed through a joint effort by CRRC Changchun and Chengdu Railway Group.
An integrated experience
Among the other features of the train are a passenger capacity of 1,502. The new design has also integrated intelligent driving features, such as automatic wake-up, start and stop, return to depot abilities, a complex system of sensors and monitors, the ability for big data analysis which evaluates train status and helps improve safety, and a 5G large-capacity train-to-ground communication system that allows for multi-network integration.
It comes as no surprise that this forward-thinking technology has come out of China. Over the past few years, the Middle Kingdom has become a global avatar in the development and deployment of train travel and technology.
Encirc will build new furnaces at its Elton plant in Cheshire that will utilize green electricity and low-carbon hydrogen that will help reduce emissions from glass bottle manufacturing by 90%.
The hydrogen will be supplied by Vertex Hydrogen, a partner of the government-backed HyNet North West cluster and when combined with carbon capture technology could deliver net-zero glass bottles by 2030.
The furnaces are expected to be fully operational by 2027 and will produce up to 200 million Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Gordon’s and Tanqueray bottles annually by 2030.
The two companies previously worked on a process that used waste-based biofuel-powered furnaces to reduce the carbon footprint of the bottle-making process by up to 90%. In total, 173,000 bottles were made using 100% recycled glass during a trial period.
Diageo committed to achieving net-zero operational emissions within a decade and to halving its indirect (Scope 3) emissions within the same timeframe, as part of a new ten-year strategy.
The 2030 strategy is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and commits Diageo to deliver a ‘Decade of Action’ on environmental sustainability, inclusion and diversity and responsible drinking.
Diageo’s chief sustainability officer Ewan Andrew said: “We are really excited to be a part of this world leading announcement which forms part of our commitment to halve our Scope 3 carbon emissions by 2030.
“All renewable energy options are important to us and we’d like to see Government and industry further accelerating the direct supply of green energy as a mainstream option. Ultimately, we look forward to a world where people can enjoy their favorite drinks from zero carbon glass bottles.”
On carbon, Diageo’s headline target is a commitment to achieve net-zero operational emissions through a mix of energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy procurement and generation.
Also included in the strategy is a commitment to halve indirect (Scope 3) emissions. Diageo will support smallholder farmers with training programmes on low-emission methods and trial regenerative farming practices – some of which purport to help land sequester more carbon than farming work emits.
Ten green bottles…
Encirc has worked with other beverage giants to help reduce emissions. Last year, it worked with Molson Coors, which owns brands such as Carling and Coors Light, to introduce low-carbon bottles across the UK.
Encirc manufacturers the bottles using up to 100% recycled or waste glass – called cullet. The process had previously used 75% recycled or waste content. Production is also powered by renewable energy and sustainable biofuels which has helped deliver a reduced carbon footprint for each bottle of up to 90%.
The bottle manufacturer has also worked with the likes of Carlsberg to reduce the carbon impact of their bottles.
The manufacturer is also part of Net Zero North West – a group of businesses backing a project to develop a “cluster plan” to prepare the North West and North East Wales to remove more than 40 million tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every year and creating thousands of new jobs.
Encirc’s managing director Adrian Curry said: “This will be a major step in our goal of producing net zero glass by 2030. With support from the Government and key partners, Encirc and Diageo we believe it will be possible to have this first-of-its-kind furnace up and running at the beginning of 2027.”
The ground test, which marks a first for hydrogen-powered airplane engines, could potentially lead the way for net-zero flying, a long sought after goal
Reaching for the sky, Rolls-Royce and easyJet have achieved a new milestone in the history of aviation: the world’s first test run of a modern aero engine powered by hydrogen.
The test run – conducted on ground using green hydrogen powered by wind and tidal power – marks a step forward in what could be a zero-carbon aviation fuel of the future. Hydrogen has long been seen as a possible way to make the airline industry – which is one of the planet’s biggest polluters – more sustainable.
The quest for net zero
It also speaks volumes for the decarbonisation strategies of both Rolls-Royce and easyJet, two companies that first announced their partnership in July after they signed up to the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign. This campaign includes a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Commenting on the achievement, Rolls-Royce Chief Technology Officer Grazia Vittadini commented: “The success of this hydrogen test is an exciting milestone. We only announced our partnership with easyJet in July and we are already off to an incredible start with this landmark achievement.
“We are pushing the boundaries to discover the zero carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight.”
The test itself occurred at a facility at MoD Boscombe Down, UK. A converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A regional aircraft engine was used, and the green hydrogen powering the operation was supplied by the European Marine Energy Centre. This green hydrogen was generated at a hydrogen production facility in the Orkney Islands, UK.
Speaking to the advantages of hydrogen, easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said the following: “We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including easyJet-sized aircraft. That will be a huge step forward in meeting the challenge of net zero by 2050.”
ROCKWOOL is looking at the possibility of switching power during its manufacturing process from gas to green hydrogen.
The insulation giant has linked-up with Marubeni Europower and Mott MacDonald to develop a potential end-to-end hydrogen solution at its South Wales plant in Bridgend.
The research is being funded by the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) under the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy through the Industrial Hydrogen Accelerator programme.
The current process for the manufacture of ROCKWOOL’s stone wool insulation uses natural gas in the combustion systems and curing ovens. This new scheme will investigate the viability of converting natural gas usage to on-site produced green hydrogen.
Rafael Rodriguez, Managing Director of ROCKWOOL Ltd said: “The group has set ambitious decarbonisation targets verified and approved by the Science Based Target initiative, and in line with this, we are looking forward to enhancing our own understanding about the potential for green hydrogen use in our business.”
Claudio Tassistro, Energy General Manager for Mott MacDonald, said: “Our multidisciplinary team has worked on green hydrogen generation and storage projects across the world and will bring with it a wealth of knowledge, and technical and economic expertise.
“The development of green hydrogen production projects like this are critical to achieving our net-zero ambitions and meeting the challenges posed by the climate crisis.”
Norwegian energy developer Statkraft has announced plans to develop a major green hydrogen production hub at the site of disused rail storage in Pembrokeshire.
The company is looking to transform the site of the former Royal Navy Armaments Depot into a green hydrogen production capacity of around 30GW. The hydrogen generated there, using electrolysis, would be used to serve the transport, manufacturing and industrial sectors.
Renewable electricity to serve the Trecwn Green Energy Hub will be generated from three onshore wind turbines and a ground-mounted solar array under Statkraft’s plans.
Statkraft told edie that it is hoping to submit the plans by the end of 2023. If the planning process runs smoothly, the site could be operational by the end of 2026. Around 5,000 homes and businesses in the local area will be contacted by Statkraft in the coming weeks asking if they would like to participate in consultations.
Statkraft UK’s head of RES eFuels and European wind and solar, Matt Kelly, said the project “presents an exciting opportunity to produce homegrown green energy for local use and has the potential to act a catalyst for the redevelopment of Trecwn Valley.”
The UK Government has committed to growing national low-carbon hydrogen production capacity to 10GW by 2030. At least half of this will need to be green. Hydrogen is considered necessary to the net-zero transition, for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy transport and heavy industry. It produces no greenhouse gases at the point of combustion. However, most global production is currently fossil-fuelled, meaning that it is not a low-carbon solution across the lifecycle.
Funds and accelerators
In related news, Hy24 Partners – a joint venture from investment firms FiveT Hydrogen and Ardian – has closed what it claims is the world’s largest infrastructure fund for the low-carbon hydrogen sector to date.
The €2bn fund will be used to invest across the hydrogen value chain. As well as production, storage and distribution will be supported.
Among the investors in the fund are TotalEnergies, Air Liquide, Airbus, AXA and Allianz. In total, it attracted more than 50 investors from 13 countries.
Hy24Partners estimates that the fund will enable the deployment of up to €20bn of investment within a six-year period.
Elsewhere, the Carbon Trust has announced a new clean hydrogen accelerator with backing from the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Modelled on the Trust’s offshore wind accelerator, the aim of the project is to help achieve economies of scale for clean hydrogen, so that it becomes cost-competitive with the grey (fossil) hydrogen that dominates global markets today.
The accelerator will convene players across the British hydrogen value chain for innovation programmes. It will cover all production methods which can comply with BEIS’s Low-Carbon Hydrogen Standard.
“This new clean hydrogen accelerator fills a gap in the current innovation landscape by focusing on stimulating the supply chain,” said the Carbon Trust’s chair Baroness Brown.
At this point, the Carbon Trust is calling for new industry participants to join the accelerator. Its first step will be to shape a plan for innovation programmes.
Green hydrogen could revolutionise energy production, helping utilities run more flexible power grids while reducing fossil fuel emissions.
Beyond plans to sell electricity transmitted to energy-hungry Asian nations, Australia is looking to become a leading producer and exporter of green hydrogen by 2030. In addition to meeting the rising demand for clean fuel domestically and overseas, this vision will also bring benefits to the Australian community and nation’s economic prosperity.
While it has been touted as the fuel of the future for the past fifty years, the wider adoption of hydrogen has had several false starts. Nevertheless, a growing number of scientists and investors believe that the falling costs of renewables, electrolysers and fuel cell technology, could help see green hydrogen become commercially viable.
“While countries committed to substantially reducing their emissions by 2030, they realised that they did not have enough tools in the toolbox,” said Alan Finkel, who served as Australia’s chief scientist until last year.
“Many people do not appreciate just how difficult it will be to decarbonise the global energy supply. It is an enormous task, and we have to use all available means to do so,” Finkel said.
Australia’s big bet
Pressure crunching on countries to drive down their greenhouse gas emissions and meet their commitments to clean-up, is driving investment in hydrogen.
Developing hydrogen for export is part of Australia’s wider efforts to wean its economy off its dependency on fossil fuels which raked in A$103 billion (US$73 billion) in export earnings in 2019.
Investment in hydrogen-related projects in Australia started to take off around 2018 with the government committing A$146 million towards developing hydrogen resources along the supply chain to “enhance Australia’s energy security, create Australian jobs and build an export industry valued in the billions”.
HyResource, a knowledge sharing-platform on Australia’s hydrogen industry, estimates that around A$1.5 billion has been funnelled into clean hydrogen projects by Australian governments, industry, and research institutions over the past three years.
There are five operating projects, 14 under construction or in advanced development and 38 projects under development as of May, according to HyResource.
Green hydrogen for homes and industry
Hydrogen Park South Australia (HyP SA), located in the Tonsley Innovation District about 20 km south of Adelaide, is the first project operating in this state, with three others under development.
HyP SA is an Australian-first facility to produce a blend of 5 per cent green hydrogen in natural gas for supply using the existing gas network.
The A$11.4 million project was delivered by Australian Gas Networks (AGN), part of the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG), with funding of A$4.9 million from the South Australian Government.
The five-year demonstration plant commenced renewable blended gas supply to over 700 properties near the facility in May this year. It is also providing direct hydrogen supply to industry, and aims to supply hydrogen for transport in the future.
The introduction of green hydrogen reduces the amount of carbon in the gas supply network, without any changes to infrastructure or receiving household appliances, and lays the foundations for scaling-up green hydrogen projects elsewhere.
The success of this demonstration plant will be pivotal for South Australia, which has a reliable renewable energy supply and is working towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Enabling technology – electrolysers
At the heart of the HyP SA facility, is a 1.25 megawatt (MW) Siemens Energy Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyser that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity, capable of producing up to 20 kg of hydrogen an hour.
This is the largest single electrolyser unit in operation in Australia today, although new projects in the development stage include electrolyser units or facilities at 10 MW or more.
PEM electrolysers are a potential solution to tackle the variable conditions by renewable energy generation, according to Siemens Energy. Electrolysers can ramp up when renewable electricity is abundant and switch off when demand is high. Integrating electrolysers into the electricity networks could also support energy stability.
The Siemens Energy electrolysis solution for making green hydrogen is based on the PEM concept. Image: Siemens Energy
There are water resource considerations to take into account, particularly in areas where there is scarcity. The PEM electrolyser uses about 15 litres of water to produce one kg of hydrogen. For future developments, there may be potential use for the oxygen by-product – such as in wastewater treatment.
“It is imperative for hydrogen producers to carefully consider water availability, especially for larger plants in remote areas. We see the potential for wastewater recycling and desalination which would add a surprisingly small amount to overall project costs,” according to Michael Bielinski, managing director of Siemens Energy Australasia.
Nevertheless, cheap renewable energy needs to be rolled out fast enough for this technology to work. This might be difficult when demand from other sectors for wind, solar and other alternative power sources is expected to rise.
Scaling up for decarbonisation
The South Australia demonstration plant is paving the way for other states to decarbonise their gas consumption and has helped to build confidence in the industry that up to 10 per cent green hydrogen natural gas blend is suitable for current use in Australia without disruption to supply.
Two projects with a higher blend rate of 10 per cent green hydrogen are in progress at Hydrogen Park (HyP) Murray Valley in Wodonga, Victoria and Hydrogen Park (HyP) Gladstone in Queensland. HyP SA is also helping to establish a domestic market for renewable hydrogen.
However, the long-term goal is to transition domestic gas supply to 100 per cent renewable by gas by 2050, with a 2040 stretch target. Research by the Australian Hydrogen Centreis underway to understand the feasibility of100 per cent hydrogen replacement of natural gas in Victoria and South Australia would look like. This also provides a strong signal to electrolyser manufacturers for the potential deployment of large-scale electrolysis.
Expanding green hydrogen potential
Natural gas replacement in people’s homes is only one example of green hydrogen use. Part of its appeal is that it could reach parts of the economy other green fuels cannot.
“The electrons in electricity are incredibly versatile, almost magical, but nevertheless, there are limits. By using zero emissions electricity to crack water, we can produce a supply of molecules that can take over where the electrons fall short,” Finkel told Eco-Business.
Finkel believes that hydrogen is the obvious solution for replacing the metallurgical coal in steelmaking that is responsible for 7 per cent or more of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“A large fraction of that metallurgical coal works as a chemical, to reduce the iron oxide to elemental iron, with carbon dioxide as a by-product. Hydrogen can replace coal in that role, acting as a chemical, to reduce the iron oxide to elemental iron, with dihydrogen oxide (water) as the by-product.”
“Ammonia made from clean hydrogen can be used as the chemical feedstock to make zero emissions fertiliser. It is also the leading contender to replace the bunker fuel that powers the world’s maritime fleet,” Finkel said.
Many of the slated export-oriented projects include electrolyser capacities that are equal to or exceed 100 MW. In addition, other hydrogen-related developmental projects have sought environmental approvals for wind and solar generation capacities over 10 GW. Timelines are under development but experts expect few will be operational in the first half of this decade.
For applications that cannot be easily electrified, green hydrogen forms the bridge between renewable electricity and carbon neutral fuels. We have no doubt that clean hydrogen will be essential to power our world in the future.
Michael Bielinski, managing director, Siemens Energy Australasia
The path to economically sustainable hydrogen
Despite being the most abundant element in the universe, hydrogen has faced its fair share of challenges.Risk management firm, DNV, identifies infrastructure and cost as two of biggest hurdles facing a transition to a global hydrogen economy.
The Australian government has set a stretch goal of ‘H2 under $2’, an ambition to reach price parity with fossil hydrogen. Including typical capital investments needed to prepare sites for electrolysis, green hydrogen can be produced for about A$6-9 per kg compared to “grey” hydrogen produced from traditional carbon intensive methods at A$1.40 per kg.
To achieve the price point of under A$2, electrolyser costs will need to fall from between A$2 and A$3 million per MW to A$500,000 per MW with the cost of electricity from solar and wind to half, according to Darren Miller, chief executive of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
There is hope. Analysis by the IEA in 2019 found that the cost of producing hydrogen from renewable electricity could fall 30 per cent by 2030 as a result of the declining costs of renewables and the scaling up of hydrogen production. The cost of electrolysis equipment has fallen by around 40 per cent in the past five years while the price of solar alone has fallen by 85 per cent in the past decade.
“As more industries adopt green hydrogen energy, the total costs will continue to come down. The key to this is in scaling up production, efficient deployment methodologies and of course the ongoing reduction in renewable energy costs,” Bielinski said.
It is likely that full-scale plants will be powered by dedicated solar and wind resources depending on renewable energy requirements of all Australian hydrogen projects combined, including export.
“The key to cost savings could be hydrogen production facilities built jointly with wind/solar farms, so producers could generate power without incurring grid fees, taxes and levies,” according to analysis by Carolina Dores, co-head of the investment bank, Morgan Stanley European Utility team. While recognising that green hydrogen today is “uneconomical”, Morgan Stanley believes price parity is possible.
Developers and investors also need to factor in policy, regulatory approvals and practical issues that span construction, production, transport and storage and use, export, and demand-side regimes, according to a note by Allens, a law firm. Proving the safety case in both the workplace and for transport and storage remains key to scaling and widespread industry and community acceptance.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), who provides forecasting and planning publications for the National Electricity Market (NEM) has developed the Hydrogen Superpower Scenario – placing the hydrogen economy within the realm of possibility.
“Clean hydrogen will be crucial in the global energy transition. For applications that cannot be easily electrified, green hydrogen forms the bridge between renewable electricity and carbon neutral fuels. We have no doubt that clean hydrogen will be essential to power our world in the future,” said Bielinski.
“As a company with a strong portfolio along the energy value chain, Siemens Energy can provide the expertise and innovative technologies that will advance Australia’s hydrogen future and lead the nation’s status as a major energy leader.”
