With windforces around 10 Bft, Europe’s windparks at peak production and the Dutch Transmission System Operator running in overdrive to integrate all this green electricity, the TSO2020 Action, the first Synergy Action funded by the EU CEF program, was launched on September 13, 2017 in the Ae church in Groningen.
Hydrogen responsible officer in the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, Dirk Schaap, pointed to the need for synergies in financing the link between increasing renewable capacities and fuelling clean transport corridors; EU, national and private investment is needed to roll out the Dutch Fuel Vision.
TenneT CEO Mel Kroon, partner in the Action told the audience that you do not need to be a H2 believer anymore as hydrogen is proven an key enabler to integrate increasing renewable power into electricity nets. Together with TSO2020 coordinator and Gasunie CEO Ulco Vermeulen he announced the NorthSea Wind Power Hub, that will connect the electricity grid with the gas network through an electricity conversion and hydrogen production facility near the Doggersbank offshore.
EnergyStock, a full subsidiary of Gasunie will be installing a 1 MW electrolyser with an annual productioncapacity of 8500 hrs and @17kg/hr, totalling 145 ton H2.. Energy Stock gas storage facilities of 240.000MWh, at 80 – 130 bar in the salt caverns on the premises of EnergyStock, will allow large quantities of H2 to be stored underground. Interesting fact: Gasunie’s total of 100 mln m3 of gas storage space would match 22 mln Tesla Power Walls.
Karl Zaechmeister of the Austrian Rail Cargo presented the results of the BulkH2Rail project that analysed technical and economic feasibility. Liquid hydrogen costs could come down to 50 €cst per ton per km on distances between 300 – 1200 km.
(Photo: TSO2020 partners join with EU DGMOVE principle advisor Helmut Morsi to sign TSO 2020 into force)