The rapid expansion of renewable electric generation capacity, and the retirement of coal and uncompetitive nuclear power stations, is creating electricity market volatility – dramatic time-of-day and seasonal swings in electric power rates. The dynamically evolving decentralized power generation market, combined with a lack of widespread commercial electrical storage capacity, is creating supply/demand mismatches that enable flexible electricity-using technologies to arbitrage value differentials. Advanced large-scale electrolysers offer the capability to utilize an electric generation plant’s curtailed or undervalued power to make hydrogen at highly attractive costs. Electrolysers enable utility companies to store low or zero value electricity in the form of hydrogen, often referred to as “power-to-gas”. In times of peak demand the stored hydrogen can be used to generate clean electricity using fuel cells or gas turbine generators to meet demand without relying on added fossil plant generators. Hydrogen gas can be stored in tanks or injected directly into a natural gas grid to achieve the necessary storage capacity. Coupling hydrogen production with natural gas infrastructure could provide the necessary scale for utilities because natural gas grids can store vast amounts of fuel gas.
Nel Hydrogen is a true market and commercialization leader in electrolysis technology, with a 90+ year history of providing reliable and safe hydrogen generation solutions for the industrial and power generation markets. Nel Hydrogen pioneered grid scale electrolysis, and it is rapidly gaining acceptance for emerging energy applications such as grid services and long duration shifting of energy resources.
This webinar will discuss the commercial readiness of grid scale electrolysers, and the potential use cases for hydrogen in the power-to-gas market sector.
