The hydrogen-electrolysis system from Siemens in Energiepark Mainz
generates hydrogen from surplus electricity. The plant can
accommodate up to six megawatts of electricity.
© Siemens AG
Storing wind energy in the form of hydrogen
06.07.2015
World’s largest electrolysis plant inaugurated
Launch of Energiepark Mainz: CTO of
Stadtwerke Mainz, Dr Tobias Brosze; Minister
for Economic Affairs, Rhineland-Palatinate,
Eveline Lemke; Mayor of Mainz, Michael
Ebling; Minister-President of
Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer; Siemens
Managing Board Member, Professor Siegfried
Russwurm; Chairman of Linde AG, Dr
Wolfgang Büchele and the Chairman of
Stadtwerke Mainz, Detlev Höhne (left to right).
© Anna Durst, BINE Informationdienst
The horizontal pressurised hydrogen tanks are
used for temporarily storing the hydrogen
produced.
© Anna Durst, BINE Informationsdienst
The world's largest electrolysis plant of its kind has been created in
Energiepark Mainz. It has an electrical connected load of six megawatts
and can produce up to 1,000 cubic metres of hydrogen per hour from
renewably generated electricity. The hydrogen produced can be stored on
site, transported in tanks or fed into the natural gas network where it can
be used at a later point for generating electricity or heat. The plant has
now been officially inaugurated.
Next to the exhibition grounds in Mainz-Hechtsheim is a building about the
size of a supermarket. This is Energiepark Mainz’s electrolysis hall. In a
research project, Linde, Siemens, RheinMain University and Mainz’s
municipal utility company, Stadtwerke Mainz, want to produce large
quantities of hydrogen using renewable electricity. The majority of the
electricity is supplied by four adjacent wind turbines.
The centrepiece of the Mainz plant is the electrolysis hall with a hydrogen
electrolysis system developed by Siemens. The researchers have
installed a highly dynamic, PEM pressure electrolysis unit that is
especially suited for high current densities and can respond to large hikes
in the electricity produced from wind and solar power plants within
milliseconds.
“Hydrogen electrolysis particularly enables renewables to be integrated
efficiently into electricity grids. Momentary excess energy can be
intercepted, stored and used later,” said Professor Siegfried Russwurm at
the opening.
In contrast to other smaller pilot projects, the system can accommodate up
to six megawatts of electricity and generates 1,000 cubic metres of
hydrogen per hour. This makes it the largest plant of its kind to date.
The energy can be stored for virtually any length of time in the form of
hydrogen. Via tankers, the energy park can also supply the growing
Visitors to the information centre can find about
Visitors to the information centre can find about
Energiepark Mainz and how hydrogen is used
for storing energy.
© Anna Durst, BINE Informationsdienst
The energy can be stored for virtually any length of time in the form of
hydrogen. Via tankers, the energy park can also supply the growing
network of hydrogen filling stations used for tanking zero-emission fuel cell
vehicles. “Here in Energiepark Mainz we can produce enough to supply
2,000 fuel cell cars,” says Dr Wolfgang Büchele, Chairman of Linde AG.
Visitors to the information centre (image below left) on the site can learn about hydrogen-electrolysis and the part
played by storage technologies in the future energy system.
More information about the inauguration and Energiepark Mainz is available on the Energy Storage Research
Initiative’s web portal.
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