A world first in Lochem, Gelderland. As part of a pilot project, Energiecoöperatie LochemEnergie is heating monumental homes in the Berkeloord district using hydrogen. The hydrogen flows into the homes via the existing gas network.
Making homes more sustainable involves a lot of attention to (hybrid) heat pumps and heat networks, among other things. As both heating methods are low-temperature systems, good insulation of the home is an important requirement. However, adequate insulation for heating using low-temperature systems is not always possible. Especially in older homes, the possibilities are often limited and such systems are not suitable.
Interesting alternative
Hydrogen could be an interesting alternative for older homes. “Hydrogen is a high-temperature system and can be a sustainable alternative. During the pilot in Lochem, we are gaining experience with hydrogen via the existing natural gas network and with the new technology of hydrogen boilers, in preparation for a natural gas-free future,” writes Alliander on its website. Alliander is leading the pilot project, which will run for three years.
The demand for a green alternative to natural gas came from residents themselves and was shared via Energiecoöperatie LochemEnergie. A large group of interested people signed up. From this, an initial cluster of 12 homes was selected.
Technical inspection
LochemEnergie and Remeha subjected these homes to a technical inspection. This included identifying current gas consumption, heat loss and concrete insulation possibilities. It was also analysed whether Remeha's hydrogen boilers could meet the expected heat demand. Based on the results, a dozen homes were definitively selected for the pilot project.
The hydrogen used by the homes comes from the Stijgoord industrial estate, just outside the district. This is where tubetrailers deliver the hydrogen. The parties then transport the hydrogen from the industrial estate via the existing natural gas grid to the twelve homes.
Green hydrogen as starting point
The starting point here is green hydrogen manufactured from renewable energy. However, there is currently not enough of this available. The project therefore runs on grey hydrogen.
In preparation for the pilot project, Alliander and Kiwa realised a demonstration house in Lochem. This Hydrogen Experience Centre forms a test environment for various components. In addition, the location serves as a training site for both mechanics and breakdown engineers.
In addition to Alliander, LochemEnergie and Remeha, the project also involves Belangenvereniging Beschermd Stadsgezicht Berkeloord (BBSB), Kimenai Installatiebeheer and Westfalen Gassen Nederland.
Many hydrogen developments
There have been many developments in the field of hydrogen in recent years. For example, technology multinational Wilo, a manufacturer of pumps and pumping systems, in October inaugurated a hydrogen plant at its headquarters in Dortmund, Germany. Wilo sees hydrogen as one of the key technologies for achieving the Paris climate goals.
However, consider Bosch as well, which announced an investment of up to 500 million dollars in the development of electrolysers as part of its Mobility Solutions division. With this move, the company is focusing on the production of green hydrogen. Bosch is investing specifically in the development of components for electrolysers. These devices split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Large-scale import and storage facilities
Hydrogenious, a pioneer in the field of liquid organic hydrogen (LOHC), also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in October with tank storage company Evos and the Port of Amsterdam. In the MoU, the parties state their intention to jointly establish large-scale hydrogen import and storage facilities in the Port of Amsterdam. These facilities will consist of a large-scale LOHC separation plant (dehydrogenation process) and associated infrastructure. In the long term, this is expected to result in a production capacity of around 100 to 500 tonnes of hydrogen per day.
TNO is also making headway in the field of hydrogen. In October, TNO researchers presented a new method for hydrogen production that requires 200 times less iridium, whilst achieving 25 to 46 per cent of the performance of the current generation of electrolysers. This is significant, as iridium is a scarce material.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Image: Rony Michaud via Pixabay
