Hydrogen Lab Leuna starts operations in Germany.
The Hydrogen Lab Leuna is the first pilot plant for testing and scaling the electrolysis systems required for this, which is fully integrated in a chemical park. This is intended to support the required market ramp-up of H2 technologies.
Leuna – By bundling its hydrogen activities in northern and eastern Germany, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft intends to further accelerate the market ramp-up of hydrogen technologies: The Hydrogen Labs in Leuna, Görlitz and Bremerhaven and an application center in Hamburg will be linked. This creates a globally unique range of pilot plants along the entire value chain of the hydrogen economy.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems IWES and the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU are now pooling their expertise in the production of green hydrogen in order to implement this approach more quickly.
With the recently opened Hydrogen Lab Leuna and the pilot plants currently under construction in Görlitz, Bremerhaven and Hamburg, they cover the entire process from CO 2 -neutral power generation through offshore and onshore energy generation to testing and optimization of the electrolysis as well as the production of the ones used Systems to the storage, transport and use of green hydrogen.
In industry in particular, the conversion of established production processes to hydrogen could make a decisive contribution to defossilization and the achievement of the climate targets, according to Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The aim of the first Fraunhofer Hydrogen Lab in Leuna is to transfer hydrogen technologies from the laboratory to industrial scale.
In the middle of the Central German chemical triangle, the location with its proximity to industry will quickly bring safe and effective solutions to use, hopes Neugebauer. In addition, the link with other pilot plants that are being developed along the entire value chain will additionally accelerate the market ramp-up and thus further strengthen and expand Germany’s position in this strategically central technology field.
The Hydrogen Lab Leuna offers modular test areas for electrolysis systems, Power-to-X and Power-to-Liquid projects up to 5 MW connected load. In addition to the connection to the H 2-Pipeline network of Central Germany also offer access to the local chemical industry, which requires a lot of hydrogen and has a great interest in using sustainable technologies and processes for this, says Dr.-Ing. Sylvia Schattauer, deputy head of Fraunhofer IMWS and coordinator of the activities in Leuna. “We will not only test and further develop electrolysers in Leuna, but also focus on issues relating to Power-to-X technologies. The first project with a high-temperature electrolyser of the 1 MW class in combination with the production of green methanol has just started, ”explains Schattauer.
Three hydrogen labs in the megawatt class by the end of 2022
The three Hydrogen Labs in the megawatt class have clear unique selling points: In Leuna, the pilot plant is directly connected to the pipeline of the regional chemical industry.
In Görlitz (12.3 MW connected load; planned commissioning: end of 2022) the focus is on the generation, storage and use of hydrogen for mobile and stationary fuel cells, in particular for mobility and to supply districts and industrial sites. This primarily includes the evaluation of stacks and systems, microstructure analysis and diagnostics, digitization, power electronics and certification.
In Bremerhaven (initially 2 MW connected load, expandable to 10 MW; commissioning: mid-2022), the special feature is the connection to a MW wind turbine and to the virtual simulation of a power supply network in order to investigate the electrical properties of electrolysers. The laboratories are supplemented by an application center in Hamburg, where research is carried out on the modeling and control of decentralized, local energy systems.
The specifics of the regional industry are also taken up at all four locations, e. B. when offering specific test procedures for newly developed technologies. In Leuna, for example, CBP processes are being used in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processesscaled in order to use green hydrogen to add value for the low-emission production of basic chemicals and synthetic fuels. For example, in the start-up project already mentioned, green methanol is being produced on an industrial scale for the first time.
READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central
According to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the joint orchestration of activities by the three institutes enables for the first time a cross-sectoral demonstration of regenerative energy generation, including the effect and modeling of the interplay between large-scale regional energy generation, storage and consumer units. Plant manufacturers and component manufacturers should have the opportunity to test new developments in equipment on an industrial scale. The close cooperation between the participating scientists is intended to ensure an intensive exchange of experience, complementary development and easier access for industry.
Hydrogen Lab Leuna starts operations, 05/22/2021
