Fuel of the
future
HafenCity hydrogen station
Energy future becomes a reality
Electromobility with hydrogen
At the entrance to Hamburg’s HafenCity you can find
a piece of the future: one of the biggest and most
modern hydrogen stations in Europe – with sufficient
capacity to refuel a fleet of 20 local buses plus plenty
of cars as well.
The storage technology of the HafenCity hydrogen
station is already turning our energy future into
reality. The increased use of renewable technologies
means there is a need for better balancing of fluctuating loads. Or, to put it differently: when there
is more wind than the grid needs, the station can
produce clean fuel on demand.
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The hydrogen station is part of the Clean Energy
Partnership (CEP) lighthouse project. In this project
partnership, Vattenfall and other partners from industry are testing hydrogen as a fuel for everyday
use. Vattenfall’s interest here focuses on the infrastructure in particular.
The CEP project receives assistance under the
National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and
Fuel Cell Technology (NIP).
Clean motion
We put wind energy on the road
We are increasingly turning to electromobility to cut
emissions and reduce our dependence on fossil resources. There are various ways of making electricity
from renewable sources available for the electric motor: both battery-powered electric vehicles and fuel
cell electric vehicles allow us to make zero-emission
progress along our roads. Battery-powered vehicles
are especially suitable for short distances. Vehicles
that use hydrogen to store their energy have a much
greater range, similar to that of present-day cars with
combustion engines.
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The 450 kilograms of hydrogen in the tanks at our
hydrogen station is to take a car from Hamburg to
Rome – and once round the world as well.
In Hamburg, there are not only increasing numbers
of electric vehicles and hydrogen cars, but also the
fuel cell hybrid buses operated by HOCHBAHN. These
“clean buses” can cover nearly 350 kilometres on a
full tank.
Record-breaking hydrogen
Fuelled by wind and sun
Hydrogen not only has the lowest density of all
elements, but it is also the commonest element in the
universe. Hydrogen has been used in industrial
processes for more than 100 years – and even as a
motor fuel. Since it can be produced from many
sources, used for a wide range of purposes and –
above all – stored, hydrogen is a very promising energy carrier of our time. A kilo of hydrogen contains
about three times as much energy as a kilo of oil.
Energy generated from wind or sun is not constantly
available and cannot be planned. For this reason
energy storage systems like hydrogen technology are
highly important.
Hydrogen can be used as
•a buffer and means of energy storage for
fluctuating feed-in from wind or solar installations
•a transportable source of energy
•a fuel for heating
•a fuel for cars and commercial vehicles
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HafenCity hydrogen station
Project phase 2011 – 2017
Capacity
Total per day 750 kg vehicle consumption Hydrogen buses: approx. 9 kg H₂, cars: approx. 1 kg H₂ per 100 km
Source of hydrogenAt least 50 % by electrolysis on site, the rest delivered
Dispensers (2)
Refuelling time buses (35 MPa) max. 10 min, cars (35 / 70 MPa) max. 5 / 3 min
Electrolysers (2, max. 3) Electrolysers (Ely) 60 Nm³ / h each energy consumption per Ely 4.8 kWh / Nm³ process water requirement per Ely
19 l / kg installed capacity per Ely 480 kVA operating pressure 8 MPa electrolyte 30 % KOH (potassium hydroxide)
Compressors (2) capacity (per compressor) 406 Nm³ / h energy consumption 0.27 kWh / Nm³ (manufacturer’s figure)
power consumption (per compressor) 85 kVA
Medium pressure tanks (2)
Storage capacity 50 m³ each storage pressure max. 4.5 MPa
High pressure tanks (120)
Storage capacity 6,000 l storage pressure max. 80 MPa, four high-pressure banks
HafenCity hydrogen station
Medium
pressure
tanks
High
pressure
tanks
Elektrolyser
Compressors
Bus dispenser
(35 MPa)
Car dispenser
(70 / 35 MPa)
Delivery
Grid
management
Certified
”green”
electricity
Electrolyser
Medium
pressure
tanks
(450 kg)
1.5 MPa 11.5 MPa 90 MPa
4 MPa 32 MPa
Ionic compressors
High pressure tanks
(250 kg)
Dispenser
(35 und 70 MPa)
Fuel cells in hydrogen
buses and cars
Convincing technology, new specifications
We set new standards
Despite the limited space at the hydrogen station,
at least half the eco-friendly fuel is produced on
site by electrolysis from water. The rest is delivered by truck. With a capacity of 750 kilograms of
hydrogen per day, the filling station can supply the
needs of about 20 buses a day and several dozen
hydrogen cars. The HafenCity hydrogen station is
one of the first filling stations worldwide to offer
70-MPa refuelling technology conforming to the
SAE J2601 standard as well as the tried-and-tested
35-MPa technology. The higher pressure and the
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resulting higher compression ratio make it possible
to store more hydrogen in the car. As a result, the
cars have an operating range comparable to that of
conventionally powered vehicles.
Clean conversion
Putting the wind in the tank
Hydrogen can be made from water anywhere with
the aid of electricity. This is done in an electrolyser,
which splits the water into its component elements
hydrogen and oxygen. This process can subsequently
be reversed: in a fuel cell the hydrogen reacts with
oxygen to form water again. This process releases
energy in the form of electricity – which can be used
to power an electric motor, for example.
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Electrolysis
Hydrogen
Cathode reaction
2 H₂O + 2 e⁻ -> H₂ + 2 OH⁻
Anode
Cathode
Anode reaction
4 OH⁻ -> O₂ + 2 H₂O + 4 e⁻
New mobility perspectives
Experiencing future projects live
Not only our future energy system is changing, but
also our future mobility. By 2017 the hydrogen station
in Hamburg’s HafenCity will supply important data
on hydrogen production, and also on wind-dependent
production and the efficiency of the system as a
whole. This public hydrogen station in the heart of
Hamburg gives all users of suitable equipped vehicles
the opportunity to refuel here – regardless of manufacturer.
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You can experience what there is to know about the
fuel of the future, how it is produced, stored and used
for public transport. We offer guided tours. We will be
glad to receive inquiries about group visits.
Please send your request to: [email protected]
or call us on: 040 6396 3067
You can find more information on hydrogen
and the Clean Energy Partnership at
www.vattenfall.de/wasserstoffstation and
www.cleanenergypartnership.de.
Continental
Renewables
Business Development and System Integration
22297 Hamburg, Germany
Überseering 12
T +49 40 6396 3067
F +49 40 6396 19 3067
2014, february
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.vattenfall.de/wasserstoffstation
Vattenfall Europe Innovation GmbH