Full-scale Demonstration of Replicable Technologies for Hydrogen Combustion in Hard to Abate Industries: The Aluminium use-case

Project Information

H2AL

Grant agreement ID: 101137610

DOI

10.3030/101137610

EC signature date 7 December 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 7 005 639,25

EU contribution

€ 5 993 812,38

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - H2AL (Full-scale Demonstration of Replicable Technologies for Hydrogen Combustion in Hard to Abate Industries: The Aluminium use-case)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen is a promising way to reduce carbon emissions in hard-to-abate industries (HTAIs) that require high-temperature heat, like the aluminum sector. As the infrastructure for hydrogen expands, so will the demand for industrial burners and furnaces that can run on it. By 2030, these units need to be able to operate on 100% hydrogen and still meet the same emissions standards as natural gas burners. However, this transition faces multidimensional challenges related to technology, safety, scalability, and economics. The H2AL project is a holistic initiative designed to overcome these obstacles by using a hybrid methodology that combines digital tools and advanced experimental techniques. The project's main goal is to develop and validate a set of technologies, including an integrated hydrogen burner and support systems, for heating furnaces. The project aims to demonstrate these technologies at full scale by retrofitting an existing furnace at an aluminum ingot and scrap recycling facility, with the demonstration running for at least six months and including a 100-hour trial at 100% hydrogen. A critical part of the project is also investigating the impact of hydrogen combustion on refractory materials and the final product quality, as well as developing guidelines to help other industrial sites replicate the results in a cost-effective and safe way.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In its first 18 months, the H2AL project has made significant progress. The project is on schedule and within budget. Key achievements include:
• Technology Analysis and Safety: A baseline analysis of the technology was completed, and a safety assessment was performed on the demonstration site. A hydrogen bunker and storage area have been defined, and documentation has been submitted to the local fire department for approval. A company has also been identified to ensure the modified furnace receives its CE mark.
• Burner and Refractory Development: A modeling framework for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations was created to help design efficient, low-NOx burners for hydrogen. Experimental testing was performed on refractory materials to study the effects of high-temperature, hydrogen-rich atmospheres, leading to a selection of optimal materials for the furnace. A scaled-down prototype burner (150 kW) with an oscillating flame was successfully designed, built, and tested.
• Full-Scale Implementation: The main process parameters of the demonstration furnace were obtained, and a 3D model was developed for simulations. Two full-scale 1 MW burners with oscillating flames and their refractory blocks have been designed and constructed, and a pre-demonstration test has been completed.
• Techno-Economic Analysis: An assessment of EU aluminum plants was conducted to gauge their interest in hydrogen. The analysis found that, for now, on-site hydrogen self-production is likely not the most economically viable solution due to current energy costs. The project has also defined "archetypes" of EU aluminum foundries to help with the replication of business models and identified other metallurgical sectors where the project's technology could be used.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project's findings push the boundaries of current knowledge in several key areas:
• Refractory Materials: The research provides new scientific insights into how refractory materials behave in high-temperature, hydrogen-containing environments. The project discovered that some commonly used refractories, especially those with high levels of calcium oxide (CaO) and calcium fluoride (CaF2), are sensitive to these conditions, undergoing silica depletion and alumina mobilization. This work contributes to a new material database for refractories used with hydrogen combustion technologies.
• Combustion Mechanisms: The project developed and validated a new CFD modeling framework, the PaSR model, that offers a deeper understanding of hydrogen combustion. This model has superior predictive capabilities for designing efficient, low-NOx burners and has confirmed that adding hydrogen to fuel mixtures improves flame stability and increases peak temperatures.
• Burner Technology: A scaled-down oxy-fuel burner prototype (150 kW) was designed and successfully tested. The burner uses "Dilujet Swing Technology" to create an oscillating flame, ensuring uniform temperatures and preventing hot spots. Extensive testing with pure hydrogen showed stable combustion and no safety incidents, validating the technology for hydrogen use.

Aluminium production along the value chain in Europe

Alignment of the H2AL project results with the expected outcomes and impacts