Periodic Reporting for period 1 - EPHYRA (Establishing European Production of Hydrogen from RenewAble energy and integration into an industrial environment)
Reporting period: 2023-06-01 to 2024-11-30
The climate crisis has highlighted the role of renewable energy sources and sustainable technologies. In a groundbreaking effort to tackle the challenges of decarbonisation, the EU-funded EPHYRA project is set to introduce a revolutionary renewable hydrogen production facility. This initiative aims to showcase the integration of a state-of-the-art electrolysis technology at an impressive scale of 30 MW, a first for Southeastern Europe. Operating within one of Europe's leading refineries and Greece’s largest privately-owned industrial complex, EPHYRA will harness the power of industrial symbiosis to drive a circular economy. By employing an improved electrolysis technology and leveraging industrial symbiosis principles, it aims to pave the way for a reliable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly hydrogen economy. Overall, the project aims at generating significant impact over the wider Southeast Mediterranean, at demonstrating the replicability of the industrially integrated concept and at becoming a pillar of the EU green hydrogen market uptake.
The work performed so far in the context of the project during the 1st reporting period (months 1-18) has focused on the following:
• Technology validation: An extensive evaluation process on the various electrolysis technologies has been conducted with Alkaline Electrolysis (AEL) and Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis technologies emerging as favorable options for the EPHYRA project due to their level of maturity, their cost-effectiveness, their proven track record and readiness for large-scale deployment.
• Tender process and vendor selection: Following the technology validation step, a tender was launched, followed by a rigorous assessment of each proposed solution, evaluating each vendor’s strengths and weaknesses, levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH), as well as other criteria defined in the Description of Action, tied to the equivalent SRIA KPIs. Following this process, METACON AB emerged as the preferred vendor, offering a 30 MW pressurized alkaline electrolyzer as a turn-key solution.
• Waste heat recovery: The coupling of the electrolyzer with an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for waste heat recovery has been studied. Various scenarios were considered, including different sources of waste heat for the ORC system. Decoupling the ORC from the electrolyzer and utilizing heat streams from other units within the Refinery emerged as the most optimal solution for the EPHYRA project as it fits within the project’s budget and balances efficiency and cost-effectiveness.. Indirect integration of ORC with electrolysis will be realized through energy management of the produced energy from the ORC machine (to virtually power the BoP of the electrolyser).
• Oxygen enrichment: The use of the oxygen produced as a co-product of electrolysis in different units of the refinery has been studied. It was determined that the produced oxygen can be supplied to the refinery’s Claus Unit (substituting the oxygen that is currently purchased by third parties) as well as its Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit.
• Water systems and sea water desalination: The potential of integration of non-fresh water and wastewater into the electrolysis process has also been examined. This includes two different processes: a) the desalination of seawater through a Reverse Osmosis and b) the plasma-based wastewater treatment to assess the degradation of its organic contaminants through an electrification approach.
• Digital twin and energy management system: A first version of a digital process twin aiming at optimizing plant operation, by maximizing consistency and efficiency while also minimizing total cost of ownership has been developed. This is coupled with an energy management system (EMS), which focuses on how best to combine the various energy sources in order to optimize electrolyzer operation and ensure that the produced hydrogen qualifies as renewable.
• Market analysis and business modelling: A comprehensive market assessment for large-scale renewable hydrogen production, focusing on replicability as well as the integration of green hydrogen into industrial operations, has been conducted. In addition, based on continuous back-and-forth with the refinery, a preliminary business model has been developed which will offer the basis for the upcoming go/no-go decision.
• Dissemination and communication: A comprehensive suite of communication and dissemination tools was developed to ensure effective outreach and engagement with stakeholders. focused on creating a robust online presence through the development of a dedicated project website, which serves as a central hub for project information, updates, and resources. Additionally, participation of partners in relevant events (e.g. European Hydrogen Week), as well as the preparation of scientific publications have also contributed to those goals.
• Technology validation: An extensive evaluation process on the various electrolysis technologies has been conducted with Alkaline Electrolysis (AEL) and Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis technologies emerging as favorable options for the EPHYRA project due to their level of maturity, their cost-effectiveness, their proven track record and readiness for large-scale deployment.
• Tender process and vendor selection: Following the technology validation step, a tender was launched, followed by a rigorous assessment of each proposed solution, evaluating each vendor’s strengths and weaknesses, levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH), as well as other criteria defined in the Description of Action, tied to the equivalent SRIA KPIs. Following this process, METACON AB emerged as the preferred vendor, offering a 30 MW pressurized alkaline electrolyzer as a turn-key solution.
• Waste heat recovery: The coupling of the electrolyzer with an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system for waste heat recovery has been studied. Various scenarios were considered, including different sources of waste heat for the ORC system. Decoupling the ORC from the electrolyzer and utilizing heat streams from other units within the Refinery emerged as the most optimal solution for the EPHYRA project as it fits within the project’s budget and balances efficiency and cost-effectiveness.. Indirect integration of ORC with electrolysis will be realized through energy management of the produced energy from the ORC machine (to virtually power the BoP of the electrolyser).
• Oxygen enrichment: The use of the oxygen produced as a co-product of electrolysis in different units of the refinery has been studied. It was determined that the produced oxygen can be supplied to the refinery’s Claus Unit (substituting the oxygen that is currently purchased by third parties) as well as its Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit.
• Water systems and sea water desalination: The potential of integration of non-fresh water and wastewater into the electrolysis process has also been examined. This includes two different processes: a) the desalination of seawater through a Reverse Osmosis and b) the plasma-based wastewater treatment to assess the degradation of its organic contaminants through an electrification approach.
• Digital twin and energy management system: A first version of a digital process twin aiming at optimizing plant operation, by maximizing consistency and efficiency while also minimizing total cost of ownership has been developed. This is coupled with an energy management system (EMS), which focuses on how best to combine the various energy sources in order to optimize electrolyzer operation and ensure that the produced hydrogen qualifies as renewable.
• Market analysis and business modelling: A comprehensive market assessment for large-scale renewable hydrogen production, focusing on replicability as well as the integration of green hydrogen into industrial operations, has been conducted. In addition, based on continuous back-and-forth with the refinery, a preliminary business model has been developed which will offer the basis for the upcoming go/no-go decision.
• Dissemination and communication: A comprehensive suite of communication and dissemination tools was developed to ensure effective outreach and engagement with stakeholders. focused on creating a robust online presence through the development of a dedicated project website, which serves as a central hub for project information, updates, and resources. Additionally, participation of partners in relevant events (e.g. European Hydrogen Week), as well as the preparation of scientific publications have also contributed to those goals.
The most significant exploitable results so far can generally be classified as follows:
• Green Hydrogen Electrolyser: The selected solution uses pressurized alkaline electrolysis and is aligned with the SRIA KPIs to a satisfactory extent. It is the first-of-its-kind green hydrogen production system in South-East Europe. The system will be used internally, contributing to significant decarbonization of refinery operations.
• Circular economy: The project has studied several concepts of circular economy that can be integrated into the ecosystem surrounding the electrolyser. These include a waste heat recovery system that will feed the produced energy into the electrolyser, the utilization of the oxygen produced as a by-product of the electrolysis process and then potential use of non-fresh desalinated water and wastewater as feedstock for the system. The model will be expanded focusing on industrial symbiosis and circular economy practices across energy-intensive industries.
• Digital twin: A first iteration of a digital twin framework to optimize electrolyser operations, energy management, and hydrogen demand-supply dynamics has been developed in the context of WP3. The partners aim to create an integrated tool for industrial hydrogen systems, offering process simulation and optimization services.
• Green Hydrogen Electrolyser: The selected solution uses pressurized alkaline electrolysis and is aligned with the SRIA KPIs to a satisfactory extent. It is the first-of-its-kind green hydrogen production system in South-East Europe. The system will be used internally, contributing to significant decarbonization of refinery operations.
• Circular economy: The project has studied several concepts of circular economy that can be integrated into the ecosystem surrounding the electrolyser. These include a waste heat recovery system that will feed the produced energy into the electrolyser, the utilization of the oxygen produced as a by-product of the electrolysis process and then potential use of non-fresh desalinated water and wastewater as feedstock for the system. The model will be expanded focusing on industrial symbiosis and circular economy practices across energy-intensive industries.
• Digital twin: A first iteration of a digital twin framework to optimize electrolyser operations, energy management, and hydrogen demand-supply dynamics has been developed in the context of WP3. The partners aim to create an integrated tool for industrial hydrogen systems, offering process simulation and optimization services.