Project TGH2

The research project, TGH2 – ThermoGreenHydrogen, demonstrates a sustainable concept for energy conversion, storage, and utilization. The project is divided into two interrelated areas, each with a distinct focus:

1. A R & D demonstration facility comprising a battery storage system and a PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) electrolyzer will be installed. The goal is to store electrical energy from renewable sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower, as well as unused industrial waste heat, either in batteries or by converting it into hydrogen using the electrolyzer. The conversion of currently unused industrial waste heat into electricity will utilize the thermoelectric effect. To achieve this, in the project  innovative thermoelectric demonstrators will be developed, which will be tested under real-world conditions at industrial sites within the JTP region. The electrolyzer is expected to efficiently and cost-effectively produce hydrogen from the aforementioned energy sources, which can subsequently be utilized within the JTP region.

2. Building on the experimental findings from the demonstration facility, a concept for the construction of a battery storage system combined with a PEM electrolyzer in the range of 100 – 200 MW will be developed using simulation tools. Forecasts for solar, wind, and hydropower generation, as well as the potential of unused industrial waste heat, will be incorporated into this concept. The integration of battery storage serves two purposes: to balance short-term fluctuations and to increase the operating hours of the PEM electrolyzer, thereby ensuring optimal performance. The concept, schematically illustrated in the following figure, represents a sustainable energy supply system with the installation of a PEM electrolyzer facility in the program region. Particular emphasis is placed on the economic aspects of such a facility and on utilizing all byproducts, such as oxygen and the electrolyzer’s waste heat, for district heating networks.