EnergyBiz - September/October 2007 - (Page 92) Research into hydrogen production, storage and use is essential to the development of fuel cells to be used in distributed power settings. SourcE: PAcific northwESt nAtionAl lABorAtory hydrogen’s potential. For example, one interesting development is systems that combine wind with hydrogen. The idea here is to offset the unpredictable nature of wind by using it to create hydrogen that can be squirreled away and used to meet power demands when there is neither wind nor sun. One such project is Denmark’s Lolland Hydrogen Community, which opened in May. The project is Denmark's first full-scale hydrogen-energy plant and testing facility. It is also the European Union’s first full-scale hydrogen demonstration facility for residential fuel cells that generate heat and power. The facility is in Nakskov, on the island of Lolland, where wind power is abundant. Wind power is used to split water into oxygen and hydrogen through electrolysis. The hydrogen is stored in low-pressure storage tanks and fuels two fuel cells. In a couple of years, the plan is to install residential micro CHP units in 35 homes. Organizers claim this will be the first hydrogen-powered community in Europe. In the United States, Xcel Energy and the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory are conducting a project whereby electricity from wind turbines drives electrolyzers to produce hydrogen, which is then compressed and stored. A pilot facility was set up to get a better understanding of the operational issues with hydrogen production, compression, storage and use. When the facility opened last December, Richard Kelly, Xcel Energy chairman, president and chief executive, noted the synergies of using wind to create hydrogen. “Converting wind energy to hydrogen means that it doesn’t matter when the wind blows since its energy can be stored on site in the form of hydrogen,” Kelly said. “By marrying wind turbines to hydrogen production, we create a synergy that systematically reduces the drawbacks of each.” In particular, the intermittent wind power is converted to a stored fuel that can be used anytime. At the same time, the technique provides a climate-friendly method to create hydrogen to power homes. Similar synergies can be had combining solar and hydrogen production. For many, these wind and solar systems offer an intriguing way for electric utilities to jump into the hydrogen marketplace. aw service ad PSSE ENERGYBIZ CR.indd 1 www.energycentral.com 4/2/07 3:34:23 PM E n E rgyB i z 93 http://www.usa-siemens.com/PTI http://www.usa-siemens.com/PTI http://www.energycentral.com
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