Projekt „GrInHy“ – Green Industrial Hydrogen
05.09.2016 | Salzgitter AG
The Salzgitter Group participates in an international research project aimed at generating energy-efficient hydrogen in the steel production process
The Salzgitter Group is participating with international partners in the “GrInHy” project – Green Industrial Hydrogen via reversible-temperature electrolysis. The project commenced in 2015 and has been promoted by the EU since the start of 2016. As part of GrInHy new ways of producing hydrogen are being researched with the aim of possibly making a contribution to lowering CO2 in steel production in the future.
Up until now, the options for harnessing renewable energies in the integrated steel works have been limited. Generating hydrogen with the aid of electricity from such sources may emerge as an option that can also be used in the various stages of steel production. At the same time, this opens up the possibility of lowering CO2, which is nevertheless not economically viable under today’s framework conditions.
A core component of GrInHy is the construction of one of the world’s most powerful reversible high-temperature electrolysers (HTE), as well as its operation in an industrial environment on the production site of Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH. These facilities are able not only to generate hydrogen (“H2”) and oxygen (“O2”) from water vapor in electrolysis operation but also electricity from fuel cell operation. The facilities are due to be commissioned in the summer of 2017.
Hydrogen produced with the aid of HTE can be partly used to substitute carbon as a reduction agent in a blast furnace or deployed in the existing annealing processes. In association with the integrated steel works of the Salzgitter Group, there is also the additional option of using the energy-efficient waste heat potential in order to achieve a high electrical efficiencies in H2 production.
The sustainably increased supply of wind power from Northern Germany suggests Lower Saxony as an appropriate location for use.
Among other aspects, the project’s success depends on the expansion of the distribution systems and on the legal framework conditions, an example being how the German Renewable Energies Act (EEG) develops. The associated technical and economic feasibility study is therefore part of the project that is being promoted with funds of €4.5 million from the EU and FCH-JU (Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking). The project is coordinated by Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung GmbH and includes 8 participants from 5 different EU countries.
More information on the project and the partners can be found at: www.green-industrial-hydrogen.com.
