PRODUCTION OF (RENEWABLE)

HYDROGEN FOR MOBILITY

Xenophon VerykiosDepartment of Chemical Engineering

University of Patras&

HELBIO S.A.

Penkroft: What would engines burn instead of coal if coal was depleted in

America?

Harting: Water! Water which would have been split into its components

with the use of electricity, and which will then become a powerful and

manageable source of energy. Yes, my friends, I believe that one day water

will be used as fuel, that its constituents, oxygen and hydrogen, used alone or

in combination, will offer a never-ending source of heat and light of such

intensity which coal is not capable to offer….. Water (hydrogen) will be

the coal of the future.

Jules Verne, The Mystery Island, 1874

HYDROGEN WILL NE THE COAL OF THE

FUTURE ?

ΝΟx, SOx, HC, CO, CH4, PM, CO2

Atmospheric pollutants

Acid Rain

Corrosion

Greenhouse effect

“Local” & “global” pollutants generated by combustion of fossil fuels

HumanHealth

Variation of “local” atmospheric pollutants with time

Global CO2 emissions, 1970 - 2013

Variation of “greenhouse gas” emissions with time

Alteration of atmospheric CO2 concentration AND

global mean temperature

Global Fuel Mix

• Hydrogen can help the world meet the challenges of the transition to a

renewable energy era in two ways:

1. By being a renewable energy carrier itself. Hydrogen can

be used in fuel cells to produce electricity with very high

efficiency and zero emission of pollutants.

2. By providing a means of cost-effective, long term storage of

renewable energy. Excess renewable energy can be

converted to H2 via electrolysis and stored or transported.

Why Hydrogen ?

H2 + ½ O2 H2O + energy

Where can hydrogen originate from?

➢ From fossil fuels ( natural gas)

-CO2 sequestration

➢ From renewable sources

- renewable electricity (wind, solar)

- biomass

Production of renewable hydrogen

Renewable energy

Wind

Hydroelectric

Photovoltaic

Biomass

Energy cultivations

Waste materials of agricultural

and forestry activities

Organic solid wastes

Advanced methods

Thermochemical water splitting

Photosynthesis

Photocatalytic water splitting

Electrolysis

Conversion

(Various

methods)

Storage and

transportation of Η2

Pressurized gas

Liquid

Solid (metal hydrides)

Combustion

Fast pyrolysis(450-650οC)

Pyrolysis(1500οC)

Gasification(650-1200οC)

Hydrothermolysis(250-600οC)

Fermentation

Anaerobic

digestion

Biomass

Heat, CO2, H2O

Bio-oils, gases, C

Gases (C2, H2), C

CO, H2, CO2, CH4

C, Gases CO2

Ethanol, CO2

CH4, CO2 (Biogas)

Main products

Biomass conversion processes

Plant cultivationAnaerobic

Digestion

Reformation

of ethanol

Fuel Cell

BiomassSolid residue

Aqueous broth

8-10% ethanolCH4, CO2

55% ethanol

CO, H2

CO2

CO2

Solar Energy

CO, H2

Fertilizer

Saccharification /

Fermentation

Reformation

of biogas

Distillation

Shift Reactor

Heat

Heat

Heat

Residues of agroindustries

and cultivations Heat

Selective

oxidation of CO

Post Combustion

Municipal solid waste

(organic fraction)

CO2, CO, H2

CO2

CO2, H2

Electricity

Heat

Heat

Production of H2 and electricity from biomass

“Green” Energy from Biomass

AlternativeEnergySourceCenter

Recycling or Disposal of Inorganic

Matter

Separation

Agricutlural Products

Compost

Energy Plants

Farm Residues

Energy Plants

Agro-Industries

Paper

Remnants from

Agro-industries

Organic Matter

Solid Waste

Electricity Heat

CITY (KOZANI ?)

Hydrogen Bio-fuels

FC Vehicles Islands & Remote Areas

Fuels

Landfill with gas collection

system and flare

Biogas can be produced via the anaerobic fermentation or digestion of organic

matter due to microbiological action of bacteria. The digester’s feedstock can

be any biodegradable raw material.

Sewage Digester

Digester

What is Biogas?

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000Lu

xem

burg

Gre

ece

Finland

Por

tuga

lSwed

enAus

tria

Denm

ark

Belgium

Ireland

Neth

erland

s

Spa

in

Italy

UK

Ger

man

yFra

nce

Biogas production potential by 2020

Data source: Solagro/EurObserver–Biogas Energy Barometer, August 2004

EU country

Pote

ntial/

kto

eBiogas production potential in European countries

• Hydrogen can help the world meet the challenges of the transition to a

renewable energy system.

• Hydrogen enables large-scale renewables integration through cost-effective

long term storage.

• Hydrogen can be the fuel to zero emission vehicles, trains and ships.

• Hydrogen can act as strategic reserve and buffer.

• A range of companies are investing into large-scale hydrogen projects in the

energy sector.

• Adopting hydrogen could help a wide range of industries make progress

toward national and global CO2 reduction targets.

Hydrogen as energy carrier

Hydrogen applications in e-mobility

Passenger cars

Public transportation: Busses

Aviation

Ferry boats and yachts

Public transportation: Trains

Fuel Cell cars are coming – hydrogen filling stations are being built NOW!

15

10

5

0

100 1409020 60 70 1108030 40 50 120 130 150

FCEVBEVCapex 2030, $ thousands

kW-h

Comparison of CAPEX of electric vehicles and hydrogen

vehicles

• More than 80 million zero emission (hydrogen) vehicles

will be on the roads.

• One in ten trains sold for currently non-electrified

railways will be powered by hydrogen,

• Hydrogen will be used in large scale in CHP

applications. The “H21 Leeds City Gate” project in the UK

is planning to progressively convert all households to 100%

hydrogen before 2030. More cities to follow.

• 250 to 300 TWh of excess solar and wind power could

be converted to hydrogen.

• 10 to 15 million tons of chemicals and/or liquid fuels

could be produced using hydrogen and carbon.

EU Hydrogen Vision 2030

9

11

16

22

9

2050

78

14

28

10

4030202015

8

Global energy demand supplied with hydrogen, EJ

Transportation

Industrial energy

New feedstock

CCU, DRI( )

Building heat

and power

Power generation,

buffering

4

1

5

6

7

Existing feedstock uses10

Hydrogen demand by 2050

What needs to be done

Building the hydrogen economy would require annual investments of about

$20 to 25 billion for a total of about $280 billion until 2030 (the world

already invests more than $1.7 trillion in energy each year).

Momentum for hydrogen must accelerate. About 20 countries – led by

Japan, Korea, Germany, U.S.A., and China – are initiating the

market scale-up through public-private partnerships and targeted

incentives.

Major technological / economic breakthroughs must be realized and major

step-ups are required by all stakeholders.

HELBIO HYDROGEN GENERATOR – 50 NMCHOperating on NG, LPG or Biogas

PROMETHEUS – 5 (5 kWe+ 7kWth CHP System for houses, buildings and telecoms)

PREDICTION

“The most important source of atmospheric pollution is the

production and consumption of energy

“The world energy demand will triple by 2050 and the

demands for “cleanliness” will be three times those of today”.

Thus, the world must discover the means to solve its

energy issues with respect to quality and quantity

of energy.

SUPPOSITION

Fuel Cell & H2: Applications

Telecommunication stations

Marine

Trucks

Trains

Renewable Energies

Solar

Wind

Hydro

etc.

Biomass

Issues

Intermittent

Intermittent

Local/seasonal

Collection

Transformation

Possible solutions

Storage

Storage

Liquids or gases

Possible means

Hydrogen

Hydrogen

Hydrogen

Jeremy Rifkin :The hydrogen Economy

“The creation of a renewable energy regime, stored in the form of

hydrogen, distributed via an energy Internet, and connected to plug-

in, zero-emission transport, opens the door to the TIR”