News

Will hydrogen be the main source of electricity of tomorrow or will wind farms and photovoltaic panels dominate the future? These sources are often treated separately today. However, these two currently developing areas – RES and hydrogen technologies – are striving for a unobvious cooperation. Green hydrogen can become necessary for stabilizing the power grid, which is not guaranteed by wind farms or photovoltaics. ILF Consulting Engineers Polska has prepared a technical feasibility study for a project that uses this non-obvious cooperation.

Complementary goods

The renewable energy sources produced 17.7% of all electricity in Poland in 2020, according to the ENERGIA [OD]NOWA report by ILF Polska. What is more, RES will also have an increasing share in Poland’s energy transformation – already in 2030 their contribution to the gross final energy consumption is to be no less than 32% in the power transmission & distribution sector – say data included in PEP2040. Green hydrogen, obtained in the process of electrolysis, may turn out to be necessary for proper functioning of power grids, when the economy will produce more and more electricity from RES, which it will not be able to store. Hydrogen will then act as a storage for energy that is returned to the system (e.g. as a fuel for transportation). The use of green hydrogen will correct the disadvantages of RES.

A disadvantage that reduces the possibility of a faster introduction of renewable energy sources into the energy mix of countries is, among others, their instability. The amount of energy produced by wind farms or photovoltaic panels depends on weather conditions on a given day. Unfortunately, we still do not have a technology that can effectively store the generated surplus – says Beata Nepelska-Kula, Projects Department Director, ILF Consulting Engineers Polska. One of the solutions is to “convert” the currently produced surplus of RES into stored energy in the form of hydrogen. ILF Polska has already worked on such a project, and has prepared a technical feasibility study for an electrolysis installation – she adds.

The electrolysis process, carried out using renewable energy, makes hydrogen production emission-free and climate-neutral. For this reason, such investments are also implemented in refineries, which, by using green hydrogen for refinery processes, makes traditional fuels made from crude oil more eco-friendly.

Electrolysis installation with the participation of ILF Poland

ILF Polska provided services for an investment aimed at launching the production of green hydrogen. It is to be the first such large electrolysis installation partially powered by its own renewable energy source. The produced hydrogen will be used primarily in the refining process and will replace the currently used hydrogen produced in the steam reforming process, which will significantly reduce CO2 emissions and will become a zero-emission fuel in the near future.

Green hydrogen, i.e. produced with the use of renewable energy sources, is a desirable fuel due to its emission-free character. We are glad that we had the opportunity to co-create the project which combines RES with production and storage of this fuel. For this investment we have prepared a feasibility study of an installation for the production, storage and use of green hydrogen at the refinery – explains Beata Nepelska-Kula, Projects Department Director, ILF Consulting Engineers Polska. Storage of energy from renewable sources in the form of hydrogen guarantees greater grid stability and may turn out to be crucial for further energy transformation of many economies in the world – she adds.