GP JOULE The most important innovations, the main facts

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1 GP JOULE The most important innovations, the main facts Summary: GP JOULE: energy pioneers from Germany page 2 H-TEC SYSTEMS Hydrogen storage for the economical use of excess wind-generated power Pilot project featuring power-to-gas-to-power combined-cycle power plant: hydrogen and biogas as a "power gap filler" The sensible use of renewable energy in emission-free mobility The joint hydrogen mobility project in North Friesland. page 7 page 8 page 11 Press contact: Ms. Birka Friedrich Head of Corporate Communications GP JOULE GmbH Mr. Timo Bovi Director Governmental Relations and Public Affairs GP JOULE GmbH Tel. +49 (0) (0) Mobile +49 (0) (0) b.friedrich@gp-joule.de t.bovi@gp-joule.de page 1 12

2 GP JOULE energy pioneers from Germany The company: GP JOULE is a universal, innovative and authentic partner for all areas of renewable energies. GP JOULE's guiding principles include authenticity, trust, fair play, innovation and quality. Under the motto "TRUST YOUR ENERGY and driven by the conviction that 100% renewable energy supply is feasible, GP JOULE develops and realises energy and operating concepts for the futureoriented use of sun, wind, biomass and energy storage. In its own R&D department the company works on cross-sectoral usage and refinement concepts for renewable energies in areas such as power-to-gas and municipal heat supply. This includes system solutions such as the "power gap filler" which balances out load fluctuations in the grid by means of a combination of hydrogen electrolysis and biogas technology. With its business area CONNECT, GP JOULE has expanded its range of products and services to include intelligent supply and infrastructure solutions in the field of electric mobility as well as its own green power product, which will allow regional electricity procurement when the relevant directive comes into force. In this way, GP JOULE combines the production and consumption of renewable energies, making the energy turnaround a reality right through to the end consumer. page 2 12

3 Facts at a glance: Founded in 2009 >200 staff Company founders and managing directors: Ove Petersen and Heinrich Gärtner Focus areas: - Project planning, finance, construction and operation of wind power, solar and biomass facilities - Development of storage technologies and future concepts for the intelligent system integration of renewable energies - Development of energy concepts for local communities - CONNECT: intelligent, modular energy and mobility solutions 100% renewable: GP JOULE's mission is to secure the natural basis of existence for future generations based on the climate-friendly use of 100% renewable energies. Even today it would theoretically be possible to produce all energy required in the world on a renewable basis. GP JOULE's stated aim is to achieve this in the future. The company independently takes on responsibility for preserving the Earth as mankind's habitat now and in the future as well as preserving wildlife, plants and ecosystems. The history of the company: 2004 The agricultural engineers Ove Petersen and Heinrich Gärtner built their first open-space photovoltaic system on a surface area of seven hectares, breaking the record at the time for the world's largest thin-film system in the MW category This record was beaten once again The company entered the biogas sector The company was founded a company together that has operated under the name of GP JOULE since GP JOULE became the majority owner of H-TEC SYSTEMS GmbH in Lübeck. GP JOULE received the Bavarian Founder Award in the Start-up category GP JOULE launches its business area CONNECT, acting as a provider of energy and e-mobility services. page 3 12

4 Company founders and managers: Ove Petersen Agricultural engineer, born 1974, comes from Schleswig-Holstein. Has run his own agricultural holding in Reußenköge since Father of three. Heinrich Gärtner Agricultural engineer, born 1972, comes from Buttenwiesen in Bavaria where he has run an agricultural holding since Father of four. from left: André Hirsch, Ove Petersen, Heinrich Gärtner André Hirsch Agricultural engineer, born 1973, comes from Schleswig-Holstein. Has been a shareholder and a member of the management of the GP JOULE Group since Father of two. Guiding principles of GP JOULE: Certified origin, authenticity, trust, vitality, fair play, quality, success and innovation are GP JOULE's underlying purpose and core values. These principles guide the company's actions. In addition, GP JOULE constantly endeavours to continue to extend its specialized knowledge, found in every section of the company and applied accordingly. This extensive in-house expertise guarantees a high level of versatility and innovative strength. page 4 12

5 Wind energy: GP JOULE goes where the wind is blowing! Throughout the whole of Germany, the company has installed its own wind power facilities with a total output of more than 130 megawatts. GP JOULE has designed and built MW-class wind power stations since The entire spectrum is covered - from space acquisition, planning, approval and funding through to yield-optimised technical and commercial operation. Additional wind power stations were put into operation in Photovoltaics: GP JOULE has installed open-space photovoltaic projects with a total output of well over 470 megawatts. With solar parks in Germany, France, Italy, Canada and the USA, GP JOULE demonstrates its expertise at a range of project sites, creating smart and economical facility concepts. Biomass: GP JOULE's energy portfolio not only includes wind and solar power. In collaboration with its partners, the company has been responsible for networking more than 120 households, business customers and in some cases entire local communities with its district heating and biomass projects, in particular in the north and south of Germany. This reflects a key step away from a mere power turnaround towards a true energy policy turnaround on an intelligent, decentralised basis. page 5 12

6 Service for Solarparks, biogas and windpower plants: OPERATION & MAINTENANCE. GP JOULE wants to make sure that any energy investment made into the future pays off, and guarantee profits for any renewable asset operator, owner or investors. GP JOULE takes care of the commercial (financial, contractual, etc.) and technical management for wind, photovoltaic and biomass projects, whether these be third party or GP JOULE s own projects. COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT Thanks to a strong economic background in renewable asset management, GP JOULE can ensure that a project achieves the predicted yields and your capital is managed sustainably. GP JOULE s commercial management services take into consideration forward-thinking electricity management, long-term corporate planning, financial and tax concepts implementation, financing optimization, as well as detailed reporting and contract management with utility/ppa partners. TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT Following the successful commissioning of any renewable plant, GP JOULE can take over the complete technical monitoring and maintenance not only from behind the screens, but also on-site. GP JOULE operates two state-of-the art control centres, to monitor solar, wind and biogas projects. Thanks to roundthe-clock staffing at the control facilities, as well as live networking supported by webcams, weather stations and performance monitoring systems, roundthe-clock monitoring of your renewable power plant is guaranteed. GP JOULE service teams track the plants continuously and carry out any necessary curative maintenance work necessary, in order to ensure that they remain in perfect condition and continue to perform at their best. In addition to the on-going monitoring of the plants and management of any faults or potential damages, the technical management service team tracks the preventative maintenance and ensures that the regular monitoring deadlines are met in accordance with equipment warranties. GP JOULE is first contact for all technical questions and works, in close cooperation with the commercial management team to manage the feed-in-tariff or PPA obligations. page 6 12

7 H-TEC SYSTEMS Hydrogen storage for economical use of excess power Who is H-TEC SYSTEMS? H-TEC SYSTEMS is a subsidiary of GP JOULE with its headquarters in Luebeck. Since 1997, the company has worked has employed a 30-strong team working on innovative solutions to store electric power as hydrogen using PEM electrolysis so as to compensate for the grid fluctuations that occur in the generation of wind and solar power. In addition, PEM electrolysis forms the interface between the power market and numerous applications in the heat market, climate-friendly mobility, the gas market and industrial applications of hydrogen - all dedicated to bringing about a true energy turnaround. What actually is electrolysis? Electrolysis is the opposite of the chemical process that occurs in a fuel cell: while the latter involves oxygen and hydrogen combining to form water, releasing power and heat at the same time, electrolysis splits water into oxygen and hydrogen using electrical current. How does the technology work that H-TEC SYSTEMS has developed? Electrolysers are the key components for energy storage concepts that combine renewable energy and hydrogen technology. The PEM electrolysers enable electricity to be converted into hydrogen at a 75% efficiency rate. For this purpose, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen by means of electrical current. The PEM method used is especially effective since PEM electrolysis enables load changes to be applied promptly in response to shifts in the power supply. The hydrogen generated can be stored and used in various ways: as fuel for a combined heat and power plant, to power a fuel cell, or as fuel or a reserve supply in an existing natural gas network - and it can also be converted back into electric power at any time. What is the H-TEC PEM electrolysis stack? The centrepiece of the electrolysis unit is the H-TECH-PEM electrolysis stack the core expertise of H-TEC SYSTEMS. The splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen is carried out in up to 100 cells, allowing the performance of the stacks to be scaled flexibly. The cell design allows for particularly low and cost-efficient material usage in bulk production. The hydrogen leaves the stacks at a pressure of 10 bar and is thus especially easy to store. page 7 12

8 Pilot project featuring power-to-gas-to-power combinedcycle power plant: hydrogen and biogas as a "power gap filler" One of the main issues in implementing the energy policy turnaround is that it is still very difficult to store significant quantities of the energy generated by photovoltaics and wind power. To solve this problem, GP JOULE has developed a model of a so-called "power gap filler", combining high-capacity hydrogen electrolysers and biogas technology to create an efficient temporary storage mechanism. How does this work? By integrating polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysers in a biogas system. PEM electrolysis converts excess power from solar and wind energy into hydrogen and stores it. If additional power is required for the grid, the hydrogen can be converted back into electricity via a CHP and fed into the grid. This enables renewable power to be made available for use as required, independently of weather conditions. page 8 12

9 Why hydrogen? Hydrogen contains a high concentration of energy which can be used in different ways. Since hydrogen can be mixed with natural gas, it can be fed into existing gas distribution systems and temporarily stored in considerable quantities. It can also be transported over long distances. Using fuel cells or combined heat and power plants (CHP), it is also possible to convert hydrogen back into electric current or heat. What is more, hydrogen can be used as a raw material in industry or as a climate-friendly fuel in the mobility sector for vehicles powered by fuel cell. What is the state of implementation? The first phase of the "power gap filler" pilot project went into operation at GP JOULE's headquarters in Reussenkoege at the end of May 2015 (official designation: 200 kw H2 Biogas Project). Here we can demonstrate how hydrogen generated from excess renewable energy can be temporarily stored. If necessary, the hydrogen can be converted back into electric current in a CHP, together with the biogas in the biogas system, and then fed back into the grid. The overall efficiency rate in terms of power and heat utilisation is up to 95%. The second stage has been undergoing implementation at the Reußenköge site since December Soon, PEM electrolysis stacks will be connected with a total output of 200 kw. Who is involved in realizing the pilot project? GP JOULE's project partners on the "power gap filler" project - involving installation of 40 5kW H-TEC electrolysis stacks (with a nominal output of 200 kw and production of up to 40 standard cubic metres of hydrogen per hour) - are GP JOULE subsidiary H-TEC SYSTEMS and the company North-Tec based in Bredstedt. What are the other benefits of this technology? Firstly it provides a storage solution for renewable energies and a method of load balancing in the power grid that is both flexible and needs-oriented. Secondly it generates a number of synergy effects. For example, the conversion of electricity into hydrogen gives off heat which can be fed into the heat grid. When converted back, the hydrogen can be combusted along with biogas in the CHP at a ratio of 30:70 - significantly enhancing the overall efficiency of the system and saving raw materials. This combination also permits optimum use of the existing gas and heat infrastructure. What is more, the concept gives biogas facilities a new role within the system: they no longer run at full load for 8,700 hours a year and with a high rate of raw material page 9 12

10 consumption but instead are deployed flexibly on a regulatory basis. This also saves biomass as a resource. What technical hardware is required? The power gap filler is based on an electrolysis unit comprising 40 5-kW PEM electrolysis stacks, each of which is supplied by a central water processing unit and power supply and featuring a control unit. Everything is housed in a compact technical container. What is the next step? After the pilot phase, the technology will be transferred to the megawatt level: the future CHP consisting of PEM electrolyser and biogas plant will be five times the size of the pilot plant. The electrolysis stack is to have a power input of one megawatt which is converted into hydrogen. For this purpose, the Federal Ministry for the Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) has granted research funding of EUR 2.1 million. Essentially, planning for this megawatt-scale project can build on the insights gained from the pilot project. However, for the core of the project the stack completely new components have to be developed. The project has a total investment volume of EUR 5.9 million. Development is scheduled to last two years, with another year for testing and marketing. Successful commissioning of the ME100/350 PEM-electrolyser Beginning July 2017 GP JOULE successfully commissioned the first ME100/350 PEMelectrolyser in a 20 container at their facilities in Reussenkoege. At a glance: production of 100 kg hydrogen (H2) per day or 47 m3/h under nominal load (225 kw) Maximum load 350 kw Nominal system efficiency 74% Operating pressure - unpressurised 30 bars Nominal energy consumption 4,9 kwh/m3 H2 purity Degree 5.0 page 10 12

11 The sensible use of renewable energy in emission-free mobility The joint hydrogen mobility project in North Friesland. The joint project Acceptance through value creation hydrogen as the link between renewable energy generation and its use in the transport, industrial and heating sectors (see the figure on the right) demonstrates that excess power from renewable energy sources can be stored temporarily as hydrogen via PEM electrolysers and then cost-efficiently harnessed for applications, particularly in the mobility sector. Within the scope of this joint project, the parties plan to install five PEM-electrolysers at suitable locations in northern Schleswig-Holstein. The specific locations will be determined based on parameters such as the existence of a heat sink and a high rate of curtailing and/or shutting down green power plants, which are particularly found in the districts of North Frisia, Dithmarschen and Schleswig- Flensburg. Thanks to the highly efficient PEM electrolysis stacks, the extracted, storable hydrogen already contains 75 % of the supplied energy after the electrolysis processes. The remaining 25 % of the input energy is turned into process heat. In order to make the production of hydrogen more energy-efficient, the process heat is extracted from the process by means of a heat exchanger and fed into the existing local heat networks. As a result, connected households and businesses can be supplied with climate-friendly heating. In so doing, this form of integrated energy allows wind power plants entire energy potential to be full y used in a sensible manner and as a result, make a considerable contribution to cutting CO2 emissions across all sectors. page 11 12

12 The hydrogen produced is stored and subsequently transported to two hydrogen filling stations in the cities of Husum and Niebuell. To ensure that the filling station continues to accept the hydrogen and that there is enough demand for the hydrogen stored there, every day two fuel cell buses from the joint project are used for public transportation in the district of North Frisia. In addition to supplying hydrogen for transportation in North Frisia, hydrogen filling stations also play an important role in the potential future fuel supply for heavy-duty and rail transport as well as shipping (via the Port of Husum) at a later point in time. Supplying hydrogen for the regional public transportation system s emission-free fuel cell vehicles also illustrates the region s potential for carbon-neutral value creation and demonstrates how much additional value can be created from renewable energy through the application of integrated energy technologies. Furthermore, the ability to use hydrogen-powered buses for public transportation allows the region s citizens to use renewable energy personally and directly experience the innovative use of renewable energy in the mobility sector. As such, one of the project s focal points is the ability to experience the energy revolution emotionally, but also on opportunities for citizens to participate in it financially as well as regional value creation. The project is highly innovative and important, particularly for Schleswig-Holstein, since citizens acceptance of energy infrastructure is key to the implementation of the energy revolution. The first buses should be on the road with the stored energy from excess wind and solar power beginning in 2018, says Ove Petersen, founder and CEO of the company, adding: Buses will soon not be the only consumer of green hydrogen. In the future we ll see sales markets in rail, shipping, and freight transport, among other sectors, and my dream is to one day drive across a field in a hydrogen tractor! says Petersen. page 12 12