With a volume of 70 TWh/a, Germany is Europe’s largest user of hydrogen – a good amount utilized in industry. Its use corresponds to around a fifth of the total amount across the entire continent. Over 600 billion cubic metres of hydrogen are used in industry worldwide, mostly generated from fossil sources. In Germany, 5 per cent already comes from green sources.
Hydrogen is indispensable in industry – whether as an energy source or storage, for coal hydrogenation, as a reducing agent in metal-processing, in ammonia production, as a cooling agent or even in food production. There are already many proven and reliable applications.
Until recently, fossil energies were mainly used for hydrogen production, as they were cheaper than green electricity until now. Due to the new geopolitical situation and the resulting increase in the cost of fossil energies, the production of even green hydrogen is becoming more and more attractive. In the course of European and German decarbonisation goals, hydrogen will also be used more and more in energy-intensive sectors of the industry.
Industrial consulting for hydrogen: HydroHub uses funding wisely
Europe – and the German federal government in particular with its National Hydrogen Strategy – are providing considerable funding to reach the targets of the Paris Climate Agreement. Germany has set itself the goal of ideally fully transitioning by 2050. To achieve this, the National Hydrogen Strategy stipulates high investment in research, development and manufacturing in order to enable the necessary technologies for promptly ramping-up the market for a sustainable application of hydrogen in industry.
Industrial users of hydrogen in the industry can benefit from these support measures. Draw on HydroHub’s expertise for this, in compliance with the guidelines for funding options. We advise how exactly the funding can make your project financially viable, and the steps necessary to achieve this. Anyone who takes action now can benefit from the funding, and thus drive the transition to green hydrogen more cost-effectively.
In addition to decarbonising high-emission sectors, the German federal government’s funding also seeks to make Germany the world’s leading provider of hydrogen technologies.
A foreseeable ten-fold increase in output – a sample application for hydrogen in industry
One of the first examples for reducing CO2 footprints by switching from grey to green hydrogen at an industrial scale is BP, based in Lingen in Germany’s Emsland region. According to information issued by the group, BP and Ørsted are planning to build a 50-megawatt electrolyser with associated infrastructure. Renewable electricity from offshore wind parks in the North Sea are to be used to generate one tonne of hydrogen per hour – the amount needed to produce fuels at a refinery. As such, around 20 per cent of the hydrogen currently generated from fossil natural gas could be replaced from 2024 onwards. There is already talk of a tripling in output, and potentially even a ten-fold increase in future.
Hundreds of specialised services for hydrogen usage in the industry
As a leading technology consultant and service provider, we at HydroHub ensure our customers’ hydrogen projects are safe and sustainable. The portfolio ranges from technical, legal and financial due diligence, to function tests of the tiniest system components, requirements specifications and customer specifications, to concepts for start-up and assembly work.
Wherever hydrogen can be integrated into an application, our services are already helping protect against risks and optimise the energy process chain: for hybrid supply, networking, distribution and storage, as well as for electric re-conversion. Depending on how hydrogen is applied in the industry, safety mechanisms required for handling hydrogen differ significantly. Hydrogen cannot be used without a safety plan in the industry, which should thus be planned and implemented in the medium term in order to ensure process profitability for the long term.
Identifying, assessing and handling technical hazard sources and risks have been part of the TÜV NORD GROUP’s central tasks for over 150 years. We have developed profound expertise in all areas of industry, and today offer hundreds of specialised services, particularly for hydrogen in the industry. Our services will assist you from your initial project idea to logically thought-out cyclical solutions for dismantling and disposal concepts.
Experience has shown that it is the very first conversation that indicates how productive a partnership can be. Please briefly describe your project to us, and we’ll assemble a team of experts for you.
Areas of application for hydrogen in industry
The areas of application for hydrogen are already enormously diverse today. The possible application of hydrogen in the industry also goes beyond established processes: for example, the steel industry can become largely CO2-free with the help of hydrogen as an energy supplier. A look at the facts shows that the use of hydrogen in industry is already technologically mature in many places. The remaining hurdles are often of a regulatory and economic nature. We can also advise you on this and support you with our engineering services.
Contact us and find the best application of the future molecule for you with us as your partner!