He green hydrogen It has become one of the greatest hopes of large industries that use heat as the main source of energy to achieve decarbonization goals. The recent Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC) has increased Spain’s objective for 2030 to 12 gigawatts (GW) in electrolyzers.
A career to develop and, above all, make the production of this energy feasible and competitivein which the Valencian technological institutes of Redit This technology is playing a fundamental role in the industrial development, with the support of the Valencian Institute of Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i). A strategic energy that also has investment projects in the Valencian Community, such as the pole planned by BP in its Castellón refinery with 2,000 million euros of investment, the spearhead of HyVal, the Hydrogen Cluster of the Valencian Community in which the Generalitat Valenciana itself participates.
He Energy Technological Institute (ITE) is one of the main protagonists in the development of sustainable technological solutions for the production and use of renewable hydrogen. One of ITE’s strategic R&D&I lines is precisely renewable H2, where it has high-capacity infrastructure and laboratories. In them he works on optimizing the operation of the hydrogen pilot plant from renewable energy sources and linked to energy storage in batteries, with initiatives such as the Hystec project.
His impetus has led to the improvement of the test bench for the characterization of cells and stack electrolysis, which allows a sensitivity analysis of the most critical variables in the renewable hydrogen production process to be carried out in parallel. With it he searches optimize plant performance and contemplates different component degradation scenarios. This will allow significantly reduce hydrogen production costs throughout the useful life of the facilitiesthus improving the economic viability of this renewable technology
One of the most notable advances of the Hystec project has been the development of Sustainable electrodes made from forest biomass remains for use in fuel cells PEM type (proton exchange membrane). A milestone to reduce the carbon footprint in hydrogen production and, at the same time, promote the circular economy by take advantage of agroforestry waste.
Thus, Hystec has managed to improve the efficiency and sustainability of fuel cells, reducing dependence on critical raw materials and replacing them with more environmentally friendly materials. By using biomass in the manufacture of these electrodes, normally the use of components that generate greenhouse gas emissions is avoidedwhich contributes to much cleaner energy production.
To develop the project, ITE works with companies from different sectors, including groups with extensive experience in the energy sector, such as Laurentia Technologies R&D, Grupo Dominguis Energy Services (GDES), Hydros Power, AboWind, Regenera Levante and Inmatex.
From generation to transportation
If the generation of green hydrogen is one of the great challenges, its extension also raises the need to develop its transportation networks, both by pipeline and by other means. That’s where he works the Technological Institute of Plastics (Aimplas) with the project H2MAP, which addresses the development of technology for the generation and storage of hydrogen, which makes this fuel safer and more accessible. An initiative in which the Valencian technology center works in collaboration with the companies Plastire, Reboca and Porous Material in Action.
The main objective is, on the one hand, to obtain energy vectors, such as hydrogen, through dehydrogenation processes. On the other hand, the institute specialized in materials works on the development of new polymeric compounds that allow their storage, transportation and distribution. That is, they improve the performance and safety conditions of the pipes and other equipment used for their future networks and storage.
“This project focuses on the generation of hydrogen from an innovative point of view, using catalysts and from ammonia, and its transport through pipes made of polymeric materials that allow it to be distributed without significant losses. In this way, it is committed to research in new technologies aimed at the decarbonization and electrification of the industry, as well as the use of clean energies to advance towards the industrial energy transition”, explained Jaime Lozano, researcher in construction and renewable energies at Aimplas.
The biogas experience
Hydrogen is not the only green alternative for many Valencian industries that currently have natural gas as their basic fuel. Biomethane is the main natural substitutesince it can also be injected into the network and used for transportation, which makes it a vector for the future that also already has plants in operation. Precisely sectors such as agri-food and water purification, with which it has solid experience the technological center specialized in food Ainiaare the ones who have developed this alternative the most.
The project UPBIOMET+ It is intended to optimize the methane conversion process in digesters of agroindustrial biogas plants and in plants involved in the integral water cycle. For example, in the treatment of sewage sludge, so that the amount of energy obtained from the anaerobic digestion of the sludge is greater, and allows the wastewater treatment plant to be supplied with energy to a greater extent.
In addition to obtaining biogas with a higher percentage of methane, the aim is to reduce operational costs and gaseous waste, as well as develop optimization strategies for the process of converting biogas into biomethane to promote future advances.
In this way, the technological institute develops a new anaerobic digestion technology to optimize biogas by transforming CO2 into extra CH4, that is, carbon dioxide into biomethane. The first results obtained have achieved an increase of between 20 and 30% of biomethane, thanks to the conductive materials in which research has been carried out to improve performance.
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