Periodic Reporting for period 5 - REFHYNE (Clean Refinery Hydrogen for Europe)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-01-01 al 2024-06-30
The overall objective of the REFHYNE project was to deploy and operate a 10 MW electrolyser in a power-to-refinery setting. REFHYNE is a first-of-a-kind project at the forefront of the effort to supply green refinery hydrogen for Europe. It has installed and operated a 10MW PEM electrolyser at Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rheinland.
The electrolyser provides bulk quantities of hydrogen to the refinery’s hydrogen pipeline system (currently supplied by two steam methane reformers). The electrolyser will be operated in a highly responsive mode, helping to balance the refinery’s internal electricity grid and also selling Primary Control Reserve service to the German Transmission System Operators. The combination of hydrogen sales to the refinery and balancing payments create a business case which justifies this installation. The REFHYNE business model is replicable in markets with a similar regulatory structure to Germany. However, to expand this market to a GW scale, new business models will be needed. These will include valuing green hydrogen as an input to industrial processes (to meet carbon policy targets) and also on sales to H2 mobility markets. The REFHYNE project will gather real world data on these models and will use this to simulate the bulk electrolyser model in a range of market conditions. This will be used to produce reports on the conditions under which the electrolyser business models become viable, in order to provide the evidence base required to justify changes in existing policies. A campaign of targeted dissemination will ensure the results of these studies reach decision makers in large industrial sites, financiers, utilities and policy makers. The REFHYNE PEM electrolyser has been designed as the building block for future electrolysers up to 100MW and beyond. REFHYNE includes a design study into the options for a 100MW electrolyser at the Rhineland refinery, which will help prepare the market for deployments at this scale.
REFHYNE validated the business model for using large-scale electrolytic hydrogen as an input to refineries and created an evidence base for the policy/regulatory changes needed to underpin the required development of this market. As the REFHYNE project concludes, it has delivered on most activities and objectives set out at the commencement of the project. The final phase of the project has seen the successful operation of this ITM produced system, the gathering of operational data and further dissemination of emerging project results.
The electrolyser provides bulk quantities of hydrogen to the refinery’s hydrogen pipeline system (currently supplied by two steam methane reformers). The electrolyser will be operated in a highly responsive mode, helping to balance the refinery’s internal electricity grid and also selling Primary Control Reserve service to the German Transmission System Operators. The combination of hydrogen sales to the refinery and balancing payments create a business case which justifies this installation. The REFHYNE business model is replicable in markets with a similar regulatory structure to Germany. However, to expand this market to a GW scale, new business models will be needed. These will include valuing green hydrogen as an input to industrial processes (to meet carbon policy targets) and also on sales to H2 mobility markets. The REFHYNE project will gather real world data on these models and will use this to simulate the bulk electrolyser model in a range of market conditions. This will be used to produce reports on the conditions under which the electrolyser business models become viable, in order to provide the evidence base required to justify changes in existing policies. A campaign of targeted dissemination will ensure the results of these studies reach decision makers in large industrial sites, financiers, utilities and policy makers. The REFHYNE PEM electrolyser has been designed as the building block for future electrolysers up to 100MW and beyond. REFHYNE includes a design study into the options for a 100MW electrolyser at the Rhineland refinery, which will help prepare the market for deployments at this scale.
REFHYNE validated the business model for using large-scale electrolytic hydrogen as an input to refineries and created an evidence base for the policy/regulatory changes needed to underpin the required development of this market. As the REFHYNE project concludes, it has delivered on most activities and objectives set out at the commencement of the project. The final phase of the project has seen the successful operation of this ITM produced system, the gathering of operational data and further dissemination of emerging project results.
The first two years of the project centered on designing the electrolyser system and integrating it into refinery operations, involving close collaboration between ITM and Shell to ensure safety and compliance. From 2020 to mid-2021, the 10 MW electrolyser system was assembled and integrated at the refinery. Post-inauguration, testing and issue resolution were conducted, with over 1200 hours of operation and 21 tons of hydrogen produced. Technical challenges, including balance of plant components, led to the replacement of the electrolyser stacks with a more efficient design. Shell now operates the plant daily, having produced over 300 tonnes of hydrogen.
As the REFHYNE project concludes, it has delivered on most activities and objectives set out at the commencement of the project. Despite significant challenges, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent European energy crisis on the build and development phase of the project, the REFHYNE consortium has managed to overcome these issues to deliver a successful project. The first-of-a-kind nature of the project resulted in the need to overcome barriers and bridge knowledge gaps between industrial partners during the design phase, providing the opportunity for partners to deviate from traditional industry rules. Strong collaboration and an emphasis on supporting the project team allowed for a successful transition from design into manufacturing. This culminated in the inauguration of the electrolyser taking place on 2nd July 2021, making it the first plant to use this technology at such a large scale in a refinery. The final phase of the project has seen the successful operation of this ITM produced system, the gathering of operational data and further dissemination of emerging project results. The project has held several roundtables and workshops with stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain to demonstrate the business case and share project results. A final event was held on the 19th June 2024 to commemorate the end of the project and share results and outputs with a targeted group of invited audience members. REFHYNE has been a flagship project for the industrial decarbonisation sector, testing and validating the business model for the use of green electrolytic hydrogen in a refinery setting. REFHYNE has already led to significant improvements in both the construction and operations of new multi-MW size electrolysers. This project will continue to pave the way for other such projects in the sector, and its success is thanks to the collaboration of project partners and the support of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
The REFHYNE project has successfully disseminated the project outcomes through a comprehensive and strategic communication approach. Over the course of six years, the partners have been dedicated to building a relevant and engaged audience to share project results and promote the uptake of green hydrogen technologies in industrial settings. The project has generated significant interest and discussion among its target audiences. Even after the project's conclusion, partners continue to receive regular inquiries and requests, indicating sustained interest. This ongoing engagement will ensure that the project's impact extends beyond its official end, contributing to the future growth of the hydrogen sector and the transition to a net-zero landscape across Europe
As the REFHYNE project concludes, it has delivered on most activities and objectives set out at the commencement of the project. Despite significant challenges, such as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent European energy crisis on the build and development phase of the project, the REFHYNE consortium has managed to overcome these issues to deliver a successful project. The first-of-a-kind nature of the project resulted in the need to overcome barriers and bridge knowledge gaps between industrial partners during the design phase, providing the opportunity for partners to deviate from traditional industry rules. Strong collaboration and an emphasis on supporting the project team allowed for a successful transition from design into manufacturing. This culminated in the inauguration of the electrolyser taking place on 2nd July 2021, making it the first plant to use this technology at such a large scale in a refinery. The final phase of the project has seen the successful operation of this ITM produced system, the gathering of operational data and further dissemination of emerging project results. The project has held several roundtables and workshops with stakeholders across the hydrogen value chain to demonstrate the business case and share project results. A final event was held on the 19th June 2024 to commemorate the end of the project and share results and outputs with a targeted group of invited audience members. REFHYNE has been a flagship project for the industrial decarbonisation sector, testing and validating the business model for the use of green electrolytic hydrogen in a refinery setting. REFHYNE has already led to significant improvements in both the construction and operations of new multi-MW size electrolysers. This project will continue to pave the way for other such projects in the sector, and its success is thanks to the collaboration of project partners and the support of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
The REFHYNE project has successfully disseminated the project outcomes through a comprehensive and strategic communication approach. Over the course of six years, the partners have been dedicated to building a relevant and engaged audience to share project results and promote the uptake of green hydrogen technologies in industrial settings. The project has generated significant interest and discussion among its target audiences. Even after the project's conclusion, partners continue to receive regular inquiries and requests, indicating sustained interest. This ongoing engagement will ensure that the project's impact extends beyond its official end, contributing to the future growth of the hydrogen sector and the transition to a net-zero landscape across Europe
REFHYNE is a first-of-a-kind project at the forefront of the effort to supply green refinery hydrogen for Europe. The project has installed and operated Europe’s first 10MW PEM electrolyser. The project began in January 2018 with the aim to validate the business model for using electrolytic hydrogen as an input to refineries and prove the revenues available from the replacement of hydrogen produced through steam methane reforming and the generation of greenhouse gas quotas. These revenue streams will become even more relevant as the German regulation on renewable fuels of non-biological origin is fully implemented. This ambitious project has worked to improve the state of the art in all aspects of a business case for hydrogen production for refinery applications, in addition to exploring and assessing the business model for green hydrogen in other settings.
The REFHYNE project has experienced an enormous interest from a range of relevant sectors, from all kinds of industries, political levels, education and research society. Over the course of 6 years, the partners have been dedicated to building a relevant and engaged audience to share project results and promote the uptake of green hydrogen technologies in industrial settings. The project has generated significant interest and discussion among its target audiences. This ongoing engagement will ensure that the project's impact extends beyond its official end, contributing to the future growth of the hydrogen sector and the transition to a net-zero landscape across Europe
The REFHYNE project has experienced an enormous interest from a range of relevant sectors, from all kinds of industries, political levels, education and research society. Over the course of 6 years, the partners have been dedicated to building a relevant and engaged audience to share project results and promote the uptake of green hydrogen technologies in industrial settings. The project has generated significant interest and discussion among its target audiences. This ongoing engagement will ensure that the project's impact extends beyond its official end, contributing to the future growth of the hydrogen sector and the transition to a net-zero landscape across Europe