Siemens Gamesa already supplies this type of low-cost energy to zero-emission vehicles with its project started in Brande, Denmark, through an island-mode wind turbine that can also be connected to the grid.
The automotive sector is clear that it must bet on the zero emission vehicle, that is, electric. But while those powered by the energy stored in batteries are currently leading the way in this race for sustainable mobility, hydrogen electric technology continues to advance in its quest to become the ultimate answer to the emissions problem.
And in this sense, the project initiated by Siemens Gamesa in the Danish town of Brande is vital, since it is the first with the capacity to supply green hydrogen to zero emission vehicles directly from the wind.
How green hydrogen is created from the wind
Siemens Gamesa’s prototype project uses a 3 MW wind turbine for the production of electrical energy. This wind generator produces enough clean electricity to power a 400 kW electrolyzer, which is responsible for dividing the water into its two components: oxygen and hydrogen. With this installation, the leading renewable energy company claims that between 50 and 70 vehicles can be powered per day.
Additionally, the company is also using this project to explore whether the integration of state-of-the-art batteries in this system can contribute to grid stability and help solve problems related to wind variability.
This is the Siemens Gamesa facility in the Danish town of Brande.
As reported by Siemens Gamesa, this combination also has the potential to expand the energy production of certain wind projects existing. Batteries can store excess energy in a way to power electrolyzers when there is no wind and more green hydrogen is produced. And in the event that the installation is connected to the grid, the batteries can distribute that renewable energy to the grid, which increases its flexibility.
“The combination of the battery, the turbine and the electrolyzer has the potential to enable the production of volumes of green hydrogen on an industrial scale in the short term”, says Siemens Gamesa.
A momentous innovation
Currently, the Danish company Everfuel is responsible for distributing the green hydrogen produced by the wind turbine to hydrogen stations in the Nordic country, thus allowing an increasing number of zero-emission vehicles, such as taxis, to run on 100% green fuel.
Siemens Gamesa considers that, “By providing low-cost green hydrogen, wind power can accelerate a carbon-free future and slow down climate change. Green hydrogen production on an industrial scale is essential to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 ‘.
Green hydrogen – produced from competitive and low-cost wind energy – is a versatile and 100% sustainable fuel that can be stored and transported for later use. It represents a huge opportunity for the energy transition: green hydrogen can be produced anywhere and is used in sectors that are very difficult to decarbonize, such as aviation and shipping, as well as in heavy industries, such as steel, chemicals and glass.
‘Green hydrogen is essential to decarbonize the energy supply and find a solution to the climate crisis. Our innovative solution will help drive the emerging clean fuels market, by integrating unprecedented amounts of renewable energy into the energy system. We are very proud to continue to move forward to make the energy transition a reality with this new step, which makes 100% green hydrogen available to consumers, “says Poul Skjærbæk, Innovation Director at Siemens Gamesa.