The critical path of the project is made of the electrolyser delivery and commissioning at the several sites, completion of the permitting process (again, at every site), readiness of every site for the trials.
The project has completed the first two milestones on time (MS1 “Initiation and set up” and MS2 “Design Input review”) and passed a complex phase for the identification of the electrolyser supplier and to undertake the procurement of the electrolyser. The procurement of the electrolyser was particularly challenging due to the market status (high demand for electrolysers while suppliers are mainly startups in a scale up phase) and the risks connected with the transportation of the electrolyser and its operations in five different countries.
Originally, the project plan was based on the assumption that the IDs would jointly provide funds for the procurement of the electrolyzer. However, the allocation of ownership of an asset to these five different entities is not directly feasible under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) guidelines. To solve this problem, the industrial demonstrators (IDs) agreed that Steklarna would take over the procurement of the electrolyzer and assume the role of owner and buyer. Steklarna also acts as the lessor of the electrolyzer for the other industrial demonstrators. Consequently, both the project budget and the resulting measures had to be adjusted by means of an Addendum to the Consortium Agreement to take these developments into account.
Thanks to the successful completion of the Addendum, Steklarna, acting on behalf of the Consortium, has signed at the end of September the purchase order with the identified supplier (Cummins).
Other remarkable results:
- preliminary tests with hydrogen supplied in cylinders by trucks at Steklarna Hrastnik’s premises were successfully executed at the end of November, preceded by the issuance of the safety plan;
- all the demonstration sites have engaged in design, procurement and permitting activities for the following trials tests (other two with H2 in bottles, then six with hydrogen from the electrolyser)
- the team has been very engaged in dissemination and communication activities; website, newsletter, and communication material have been prepared and delivered, four presentations in public events have been held (among the others, Women in H2 in Germany and Process4Planet Panel projects in Brussels), two (2) PhDs female have been hired by the academic partner NTNU, two (2) papers have been accepted, on Risk-based maintenance, presented in November 2023 for the Conference HAZARDS33 in Birmingham.
