EWE AG press release dated 20 October 2023
all boldface in original
On Monday, energy service provider EWE will begin storing hydrogen in its house-sized test cavern in an underground salt dome in Rüdersdorf, Brandenburg. Filling the cavern will take eight days. EWE uses six tonnes of hydrogen for this, provided by standard industrial gas suppliers. By way of comparison, these six tonnes can fill up 1,000 hydrogen cars.
The hydrogen is filled around the clock over these eight days using a rolling delivery process with a total of six tankers. The continuous filling process ensures that the brine, which is still in the cavern from the construction of the cavity, is evenly displaced and brought to the surface. EWE transports this 500 cubic metre aqueous solution via an existing brine transport pipeline to the brine injection station in Heckelberg. The rock strata there are suitable for the injection of brine, a mixture of salt and water.
Hydrogen storage tests start
After the hydrogen filling, the extensive test operation and research begins as part of the project called "HyCAVmobil". In particular, the interplay between the storage and withdrawal of hydrogen will be tested.
In addition to operating the plant, the aim is to test the quality of the hydrogen after storage and prepare it for use accordingly. "This also includes proving how much moisture the hydrogen absorbs underground and how the drying system needs to be set. This is because a purity of almost 100 per cent is important for future applications, especially in the mobility sector," explains Hayo Seeba. EWE also wants to optimise the technical processes with which hydrogen can be successfully integrated into the German energy system.
Live data measurement in Rüdersdorf
As part of the tests, EWE is also receiving live underground data on temperatures and pressures for the first time to analyse the injection and withdrawal procedure. This is made possible by a fibre optic cable and pressure sensors that EWE installed during the construction of the cavern. According to EWE, this digital connection enables continuous measurements in the cavern.
Laboratory tests by the DLR in Oldenburg
Parallel to the on-site tests in Rüdersdorf, the Institute of Networked Energy Systems at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) is starting to test the quality of the hydrogen in the laboratory. The gas samples are taken both before the cavern is filled and during operation and analysed with regard to gas purity. An analysis of the brine will provide information about the possible microbial influence on the hydrogen quality. The results will be used to assess whether the stored hydrogen is directly suitable for use in fuel cell vehicles or whether purification is required for these or other applications after storage.
One year of research into transferability to large cavern storage facilities
The tests will take around a year. During this time, three different injection and withdrawal scenarios with different pressure changes will be tested. "In our tests, we want to simulate scenarios that are possible in the future. Sometimes a storage customer stores less and sometimes more hydrogen, sometimes less and sometimes more hydrogen is needed for applications. We play through all the operating possibilities that could occur later on due to a storage customer," says Hayo Seeba.
In a next step, EWE intends to utilise the findings from Rüdersdorf in a large-scale storage project in Huntorf, Lower Saxony. It is part of the large-scale connecting project "Clean Hydrogen Coastline". This brings together the production, storage, transport and use of green hydrogen in industry and heavy goods transport, thereby realising political demands. In February 2021, EWE applied for funding for this major project as part of the European IPCEI programme (Important Project of Common European Interest) and reached the second stage of the process in May 2021. The realisation of the project is dependent on funding approval from the European Commission, which is currently being reviewed at European level.
EWE's fundamental goal is to establish hydrogen storage. With 37 salt caverns in Huntorf, Nüttermoor, Jemgum and Rüdersdorf, EWE alone has over 15 per cent of all German cavern storage facilities that would be suitable for storing hydrogen in the future. This would mean that green hydrogen produced from renewable energies could be stored in large quantities and utilised as required and would become an indispensable component in achieving climate targets and diversifying and securing the future energy supply.
10 million investment in the climate-friendly energy future
The investment volume for the HyCAVmobil project totals around ten million euros - four million of which are EWE's own funds. EWE and DLR will receive the remaining sum as funding from the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure as part of the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology.
Media contact:
Nadine Auras
Tel.: 03341 / 382 - 103
Mobile: 0162 / 1331144
Mail: nadine.auras@ewe.de
nadine.auras(at)ewe.de