Power-to-X |
Enabler of the all-electric future
Electrify everything and run it on low carbon power. That is the imperative driving the huge growth in power-to-X projects worldwide
A priority in the PtX field is reducing the cost of hydrogen, for example via improved electrolysis technology. This is a strategic objective of Clean Power Hydrogen Group and its holding company CPH2. They say they are aiming for the lowest LCOH (levelised cost of hydrogen) in the green hydrogen market, achieved by means of a scalable and modular system based on their IP-protected Membrane-Free Electrolyser (MFE) technology, which is said to be “already commercially available and demonstrating cost efficiencies and technological advantages.” CPH2 has recently signed a licence agreement with GHFG Ltd for the construction of 2 GW of MFE electrolysers over a period of up to 20 years. GHFG is a joint venture between international renewable independent power producer Alternus Energy Group Plc and Eric Whelan, CEO of Irish based developer, Soleirtricity.
Under the licence agreement, GHFG will produce the CPH2 MFE electrolysers at a new facility in Ireland and plans to start production during 2023. Each electrolyser produced by GHFG under this agreement will be installed alongside and powered from solar energy projects owned and operated by Alternus. CPH2, based in Doncaster, UK, has a 2030
MFE production target of 4 GW per year, with 1 GW made at its own facility and the rest manufactured under licence by other companies including GHFG.
ACWA Power has signed a memorandum of understanding with POSCO Holdings aimed at the joint development of technologies for production of green hydrogen and its derivatives such as green ammonia, with the aim of decarbonising POSCO’s power generation and steel manufacturing processes.
POSCO has a target of 500 000 tonnes of hydrogen production globally by 2030. It is the sixth largest steel producer in the world, and the largest in its home country of South Korea. ACWA Power, alongside Saudi Arabia’s NEOM and Air Products, is developing the first at-scale green hydrogen project in Saudi Arabia. When complete in 2026, the project will produce 1.2 million tonnes of green ammonia per year for the purposes of decarbonising industries, making it the world’s largest facility of its kind. With “tangible project commitments in Saudi Arabia and Oman”, ACWA Power says it is at the forefront of scaling up green hydrogen production, enabling the decarbonisation of entire industries, including hard to abate industrial activities like steelmaking.
Power to e-fuels
Vattenfall and St1 have signed a letter of intent to develop a fossil-free value chain for production of e-fuels (electro-fuels, synthetic fuel made using power generated from renewables) and are jointly undertaking a feasibility study. The study aims to address the full value chain for e-fuel production from offshore wind, aiming to start in 2029 and gradually growing towards a target of about one million cubic meters per annum (which corresponds to the annual aviation fuel demand of Arlanda airport). Vattenfall aims to develop an offshore-wind- power-based hydrogen supply infrastructure on the west coast of Sweden.
“For Vattenfall, the electrification of society and industry is at the core of our business strategy”, says Anna Borg, president and CEO of Vattenfall. “The development and optimisation of value chains based on offshore wind and fossil- free hydrogen are an interesting way forward. Our strong and growing Swedish offshore wind development portfolio…offers ample opportunities.”
Two thirds of Swedish carbon dioxide emissions today come from industry and transport, Vattenfall estimates, and says it is working actively on direct electrification and indirect electrification (using green hydrogen). Vattenfall says it sees huge potential for decarbonisation on the Swedish west coast for refinery and petrochemicals sites. Vattenfall is also working along similar lines with Preem and has a joint feasibility study underway to assess the possibility of accelerating the development of a value chain connecting offshore wind and hydrogen with the refining industry on the Swedish west coast “to swiftly transform to fossil-free fuels, starting latest 2030.”
Of particular interest to Preem is that at an increased supply of fossil-free hydrogen would enable it to explore the development of e-fuels for hard-to decarbonise segments like aviation and maritime.
Above: Germany’s largest heat accumulator, under construction at Vattenfall’s Reuter West site, Berlin
26 | September 2022|
www.modernpowersystems.com
“Society’s need for renewable fuels is increasing at high speed but the supply of necessary fossil-free hydrogen is still scarce. A new infrastructure for hydrogen from offshore wind could swiftly increase supply and speed up our transition towards a climate neutral value chain”, said Magnus Heimburg, Preem CEO. Sweden’s environmental targets mean that carbon dioxide emissions from the transport sector must fall by 70% between 2010 and 2030. The Preem/Vattenfall feasibility study follows on from a three year agreement the companies
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