Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Ruhr Region Pillars for the Future of Energy and Industry h2-netzwerk-ruhr e. V. Promoting hydrogen and fuel cell technology RECKLINGHAUSEN COUNTY WESEL COUNTY MARL OER- ERKENSCHWICK HAMM BOTTROP HERTEN GLADBECK DUISBURG OBER- HAUSEN GELSEN- KIRCHEN HERNE UNNA COUNTY BOCHUM DORTMUND MÜLHEIM AN DER RUHR ESSEN HAGEN HYDROGEN PIPELINE AIR LIQUIDE DEUTSCHLAND GMBH ENNEPE- RUHR COUNTY
Foreword Dear Reader, The firm belief that hydrogen and fuel cell technology would play an important role in our future energy system led to the founding of h2-netzwerk-ruhr in 2008. The founding members were convinced that the joining of regional interests was crucial to position the Metropole Ruhr as a pioneer in innovative energy systems based on hydrogen and fuel cell technology, thereby establishing sustainable economic structures. The move away from nuclear energy initiated by the German government in 2011 confirmed and supported our regional commitment, and it continues to do so. The Metropole Ruhr is now considered as a flagship region for the development and use of sustainable energy systems in Germany and beyond. The move away from nuclear energy and the roll-out of renewable energies as well as climate protection and energy efficiency ambitions have paved the way for hydrogen and fuel cells to be placed at the center of the future energy economy the first as an energy carrier and energy storage medium, and the second as a power supply option. The Ruhr is one of Europe s largest metropolitan regions and offers the perfect conditions for developing and demonstrating innovative, sustainable energy concepts and bringing them to market maturity. Hydrogen has been a key economic factor here in the Ruhr for many decades. Marl is the home of one of the largest hydrogen produc tion and filling plants in Germany. A 240 kilometer pipeline links Marl with numerous large-scale consumers and other producers in the Rhine-Ruhr region. These existing structures and the associated expertise provide a solid basis for developing the sustainable production and use of hydrogen. "Green hydrogen" is already being produced and stored in Herten and Bottrop. The use of such hydrogen as a fuel for transport opens up the possibility of establishing a comprehensive, sustainable energy supply system. Green Hydrogen and fuel cells are triggering a paradigm change in the energy sector that will provide the basis for high-growth business and new jobs in the region. This development is represented by a number of specific, globally active companies that are located in region, and it is actively supported by highly reputed local research institutions. At h2-netzwerk-ruhr, we shape the growth of the fuel cell and hydrogen economy in the Ruhr region and invite all like-minded parties to participate. We support projects and initiatives that advance market introduction of these upcoming technologies. We are available as partners for all aspects of hydrogen and fuel cells and related economic activity in the region. Please feel free to contact us! Volker Lindner Chairman, h2-netzwerk-ruhr e.v.
Hydrogen and fuel cells the pillars of future energy strategy The move away from nuclear energy introduced by the German government in 2011 foresees the establishment of a sustainable, progressive and intelligent energy supply system. The core of this innovative energy system consists of the cost-effective and efficient handling of energy and the comprehensive use of renewable energy sources in order to preserve environment and climate as well as to reduce primary energy consumption. The proportion of renewable energies in relation to the gross energy consumption is set to rise from around 20 per cent in 2010 to around 80 per cent by 2050. At the same time, the emission of greenhouse gases will be drastically reduced. In order to achieve these targets, technologies and processes will be required that make more efficient use The production of electricity and hydrogen from renewable energies has the potential to secure power supplies for future generations. Today, hydrogen is already ideally suited as a storage medium for renewable energy. Because power cannot be stored in the electricity network and the expansion of renewable energies means that unused power is increasingly frequently available, there is a need for solutions that use this surplus electricity and that store it on a temporary basis. Hydrogen can be produced using electrolysis, stored in caverns and tanks over weeks and months and reconverted into electricity using fuel cell systems, piston engines or turbines. The existing natural gas network could be used for storage purposes, too either by direct feed-in of hydrogen in limited amounts Surplus Renewable generation Load/consumption Electrolysis Fossil generation H2 as a raw material and fuel Electrolysis will convert surplus renewable energy into hydrogen (Fig. left), which can be used in hydrogen cars (center/right) for example. of the limited fossil energies, as well as those that facilitate the wide-ranging use of renewable energies up to transport applications. However, without storage it is impossible to guarantee the secure supply of regenerative energies. Hydrogen, as a clean energy source and storage option, and fuel cells, as highly efficient energy converters, are perfectly suited for this task. Fuel cell systems have great potential for improvement against conventional technologies in terms of energy consumption and emissions (air pollutants and noise). or after converting hydrogen and CO 2 into methane. Both are referred to as "power-to-gas". The hydrogen generated by means of electrolysis can also be used directly to power fuel cell vehicles or for chemical processes, which is sometimes referred to as "power-to-hydrogen".
The Ruhr metropolitan region A longstanding history with hydrogen The energy sector has always played a significant role in the Ruhr region. These days Metropole Ruhr is one of the flagships of the German and European economies when it comes to the development and use of pioneering energy systems. Structural change in the Ruhr is paving the way for innovative energy technologies. Driven by local companies and public bodies, regional concepts are being developed and local projects are being initiated that demonstrate forward-looking solutions in practice which are well suited to be used also beyond the region s borders. For decades, hydrogen has been used in a variety of industries. In the Ruhr region it is produced, stored, bottled and distributed on large scale.
The Ruhr metropolitan region a longstanding history with hydrogen Established hydrogen infrastructures Expertise in research available at local level The worlds of politics and business are working handin-hand to produce an increasing amount of hydrogen from renewable energies or biomass in the future. Demonstration projects in the Ruhr region show how this can work. The region has a great deal of expertise associated with the added-value chain of hydrogen. For decades, world market leaders in the indigenous chemical industry, such as Air Liquide and Linde, have been producing and preparing hydrogen in industrial quantities. The chemical industry park in Marl (large photo, left) is one of the largest business parks in Germany and the starting point for a hydrogen pipeline measuring around 240 km. The path to market readiness for hydrogen and fuel cell technology calls for continuous advanced development. The industry works closely together with research institutions and universities in application-oriented demonstration projects. The densely populated Ruhr region has the requisite expertise in hydrogen and fuel cell technology. Scientific teaching at the universities in Bochum, Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg and Gelsenkirchen is complemented by the fundamental research at the Fraunhofer, Leibniz and Max Planck Institutes located in the Ruhr area. Left to right: Hydrogen production using the reformation of natural gas at Air Liquide, a fuel cell midi-bus in front of the Hydrogenics building, the mobile fuel cell test bench at the Centre for Fuel Cell Technology (ZBT). As well as supplying large industrial consumers, this pipeline network also provides the basis for the development of a hydrogen fueling station network for fuel cell vehicles. Hydrogen favors fuel cell technology The conditions that pertain in the Ruhr region are ideal for the development of fuel cell technology. The local engineering industry has the necessary skills to develop and integrate fuel cell systems. For example, in just a few years Hydrogenics GmbH in Gladbeck has succeeded in transforming itself into a market leader for fuel cell and electrolyser systems. In addition to basic research, this tightly knit scientific network covers all associated fields of development. In the Gas- und Wärmeinstitut (Gas and Heating Institute -GWI) in Essen, the Energy Institute of the University of applied sciences of Westphalia in Gelsenkirchen and the Center for Fuel Cell Technology (Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik ZBT) the Ruhr region has three excellent research bodies that are working intensively on hydrogen and fuel cell technology. For example, the ZBT has over 100 members of staff working to support the fuel cell industry on the way to market. The PBT for example is a certified test laboratory for the independent safety testing of fuel cell modules. www.wasserstoffstadt-herten.de www.zbt-duisburg.de
Hydrogen clusters Regional competences and structures The way in which hydrogen and fuel cell technology can be integrated in everyday life can only be examined in practical applications. The advantages for the environment and the benefits for operators and users must be demonstrated on the systems and devices under real conditions. In recent years, several projects involving hydrogen and fuel cell technology have been initiated and implemented in the Ruhr region through the joint efforts of politicians, industry and science. This has established expertise and structures that can now be used for the further commercialization steps, promoting a change in energy generation strategies far beyond the Ruhr region.
Hydrogen clusters Regional competences and structures h2herten municipal hydrogen user center with innovative wind power electrolysis Bottrop, the Ruhr s city of innovation, opts for hydrogen Since April 2013, a wind power electrolysis plant has been in operation on the former Ewald colliery site in Herten, as part of a complementary energy system that supplies the municipal hydrogen user center located there with power and hydrogen completely from renewable energy sources.. The user center was opened in 2009 as Germany s first municipal technology center for hydrogen and fuel cell technology and provides ideal conditions in which small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as start-ups, can work and conduct research. As the Ruhr s city of innovation, Bottrop is acting as a role model for the climate-friendly renewal of the entire Ruhr region. Bottrop is to be the starting point for the conversion of the whole Metropole Ruhr into a low- energy region in the medium to long term. This also involves hydrogen and fuel cell technology for sustainable energy supply. Local energy company Emscher-Lippe-Energie (ELE) has fitted out two family homes with fuel cell heaters that supply electricity and heat. The two fuel cell power-heat At the user center in Herten (center) wind energy is converted into hydrogen using electrolysis. If necessary, this can be turned back into energy with fuel cells (left). On the right is one of Bottrop s micro-chp systems. The neighboring Hoppenbruch wind farm serves as the primary energy source. The energy system based on electrolysis and fuel cells complements the direct use of wind energy by deploying hydrogen as an energy storage medium, so that the user center s power supply can be completely assured at all times. Together with the Energy Institute of the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences, the project managers from the Science-to-Business Centre Eco2 run by Evonik Degussa GmbH as well as component suppliers and service providers from the region, an energy concept has been developed and implemented that sets the standard for the sustainable, decentralized energy supply of the future. cogeneration systems are being managed together with EON Ruhrgas, and the operating figures are jointly evaluated. A hydrogen-powered midi-bus is used to run a regular commuter service to the pyramid at the mine tip on Beckstraße. At the local sewage treatment plant it is tanked up with hydrogen to a pressure of 200 bars. At present it is possible to fuel the vehicle to a pressure of 350 bars. There are plans to use green hydrogen and to upgrade to 700 bars. www.wasserstoffstadt-herten.de www.icruhr.de
Hydrogen clusters Regional competences and structures Hydrogen production and use based on the example of the sewage treatment plant in Bottrop Hydrogen Natural gas Sewage sludge Hydrogen engine Digester gas Power and heat Hydrogen fuelling station Welheimer Mark Education Centre Emschergenossenschaft vehicle fleet
Hydrogen clusters: Regional competences and structures Bottrop s sewage treatment plant generates H2 from biogas On the move with hydrogen and fuel cells As early as 2008, Emschergenossenschaft, the largest sewage treatment plant operator in Germany, investigated the possibility of generating hydrogen from biogases as part of a research project in conjunction with the Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule (RWTH) in Aachen. The digester gas is then treated to produce so-called "bio natural gas" and hydrogen. The gas is used to supply a natural gas fuelling station. The hydrogen produced by steam reforming fuels the combined heat and power station in a nearby education center. www.eglv.de The European HyChain project tested the use of hydrogen as a fuel for mobility in the Ruhr region as far back as 2006. The Emscher-Lippe region got together with three other European regions to work on this demonstration project for fuel cell vehicles. Cargo bikes, small trucks and midi-buses are used in everyday situations. The necessary infrastructure was also provided, with two fuelling stations and a filling plant for hydrogen cartridges. The companies involved in this project, among them Gladbeck-based Hydrogenics GmbH, that converted the originally battery-driven Midi-buses, gained valuable experience for the development of their products through the testing of vehicles. Fuel cell micro-chp systems generate power and heat in Herten (left) or fuel midi-buses and bikes (center/right). The Masterflex cargo bike shown here is being developed in the user center. Power and heat from fuel cells www.hychain.org Since the end of 2012, the Herten municipal utilities company has been collaborating with 14 other power supply companies on the development of a virtual fuel cell power station. The company has installed two fuel cell micro cogeneration systems which are linked with 23 other systems installed in public and private buildings throughout Germany. The systems, which are fuelled with natural gas, can be centrally controlled according to actual needs. Further mobility projects Other mobility projects are to follow. h2-netzwerk-ruhr is working together with Energieagentur NRW to promote the establishment of fueling stations and the operation of emissions-free hydrogen-powered buses for public transport in the Ruhr region. It also supports the use of fuel cell vehicles in corporate fleets and public institutions. www.herten.de
Recklinghausen County Bottrop Duisburg Essen Bochum Dortmund Mühlheim Aachen Düsseldorf More than the sum of its parts around 30 members of the h2-netzwerk-ruhr association from Aachen to Dortmund exchange ideas, complement one another and pool their resources. h2-netzwerk-ruhr Introducing the network h2-netzwerk-ruhr sees itself as a regional interest group for hydrogen and fuel cell technology. Its members include local authorities and public institutions, businesses of various sizes, professional groups, education and research institutions and individual members from the Metropole Ruhr. Through its members, the network is involved in a variety of cooperation and promotional projects. It joins the interests of its members and represents them in front of political and industrial decision-makers. It also complements the public relations work of its members through the joint website.
h2-netzwerk-ruhr Introducing the network Educational work and public relations The benefits of membership of h2-netzwerk-ruhr e. V. We stimulate public interest and inspire the experts of tomorrow. Our educational work for schools (senior high school level) ranges from the production of teaching materials in collaboration with the zdi center MINT.Marl in calling for participation in the "Fuel Cell Box pupils competition run by the Energieagentur NRW to the organization of our own competitions: Germany s first H2 kart race in 2011 is particularly worth mentioning, when seventeams of trainees from the region competed in vehicles that they had converted themselves into fuel cell karts. - Exchange of information and contact with businesses, official authorities, universities and other bodies in the Ruhr region and beyond - Expert representation of interests in front of decisionmakers from the worlds of business, politics and science - Project initiation and development, including funded projects - Support for press and public relations work of the members (press releases, brochures, website, presentations, etc.) - Acces to workshops and conferences www.h2-netzwerk-ruhr.de h2-netzwerk-ruhr supports educational programs like the Fuel-Cell-Box competition run by Energieagentur.NRW (left) or the H2 Kart Race (center). Right: The commissioning of wind power electrolysis in Herten. Specialist events and conferences for network members provide an opportunity to exchange the latest information and help promote the development of the market beyond regional boundaries. The network s activity helps shape the political, economic and social conditions in the Metropole Ruhr such that forward-looking energy systems on the basis of hydrogen can be established, and that the region is recognized abroad as a significant cluster for hydrogen and fuel cell technology. The network can be contacted through its offices in Herten. It distributes information covering all aspects of hydrogen and fuel cell technology in the Ruhr region. Imprint Published by: h2-netzwerk-ruhr e. V. Doncaster-Platz 5 45699 Herten Phone: 0 23 66 / 188971 E-Mail: info@h2-netzwerk-ruhr.de Responsible for publication: Dipl.-Ing. Volker Lindner (President) h2-netzwerk-ruhr e. V. is a not-for-profit organization and is registered with the District Court of Recklinghausen. Concept and layout: RDN Agentur für Public Relations GmbH & Co. KG Anton-Bauer-Weg 6 45657 Recklinghausen Date: August 2013 Photo credits: Regionalverband Ruhr (Basic map, title, p. 10), Daimler AG (p. 3 m.), Stadt Herten (p. 3 r., 5 m., 6, 9 l, m), Hans Blossey (p. 4), Air Liquide Deutschland GmbH (p. 5 l.), Hydrogenics GmbH (S. 5 m.), Zentrum für Brennstoffzellentechnik (p. 5. r.), ELE (p. 7 r.), Emschergenossenschaft (p. 8,) HyPower GmbH (p. 9 r.). All other photos h2-netzwerk-ruhr
How to contact us: h2-netzwerk-ruhr e. V. Doncaster-Platz 5 D-45699 Herten Phone: +49 / 23 66 / 188971 E-Mail: info@h2-netzwerk-ruhr.de www.h2-netzwerk-ruhr.de