Demo4Grid project partners install 3.2 MW pressurized alkaline electrolyzer

Demo4Grid project partners install 3.2 MW pressurized alkaline electrolyzer

Völs, December 21, 2021

With the successful installation of the 3.2 MW pressurized alkaline electrolyzer in the Austrian food production center of MPREIS, the Demo4Grid consortium has reached one of the most important milestones of the project. After five years of project duration, Demo4Grid – a hydrogen project funded by the FCH JU EU funding program and the Swiss government – will now move into the exciting implementation phase.

Commissioning of the pressurized alkaline electrolyzer is scheduled for spring 2022. The system will then produce green hydrogen for the food company MPREIS and provide grid balancing services under real operating and market conditions. The green hydrogen will be used directly on site: First, it will replace a fossil natural gas for heating a bakery oven. To improve the bakery’s energy efficiency, the waste heat generated as a by-product of the electrolyzer’s operation is also used. In the advanced stage of the project, the green hydrogen is also powering a hydrogen refueling station at the food production center to fuel fuel cell electric trucks. The first trucks of this type will be deployed for the MPREIS logistics fleet in early 2022.

The heart of the project – the pressurized alkaline electrolyzer – is supplied by Sunfire, one of the world’s leading electrolysis players. The German-based company is best known for its innovative SOEC high-temperature electrolysis, but acquired Swiss alkali electrolysis manufacturer IHT in the spring to expand its product portfolio. Sunfire’s pressurized alkaline electrolysers have been demonstrated in numerous industrial projects around the world. With a proven system runtime of more than 90,000 operating hours and a service life of more than 20 years, the previous generation of Sunfire pressurized alkaline electrolysers is one of the most reliable solutions on the electrolysis market. A more advanced technology will now be used for Demo4Grid.

During the production of green hydrogen from renewable electricity and water, the Sunfire pressurized alkaline electrolyzer has an operating pressure of up to 30 bar – without any necessary downstream compression. The technology is particularly suitable for industrial applications, which is why it fits perfectly into the Demo4Grid concept. “As part of the Demo4Grid consortium, we are excited to demonstrate our reliable pressurized alkali technology. We are convinced that green hydrogen, produced via the electrolysis process, will help many energy-intensive industries on their way to greater sustainability,” says Sunfire CEO Nils Aldag.

In addition to MPREIS and Sunfire, Inycom, FEN Systems – Green Energy Center Europe, Diadikasia Business Consulting and the FHA Foundation (Fundación Hidrógeno Aragón) are also part of the Demo4Grid consortium.

For more information about Demo4Grid, visit www.demo4grid.eu.

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