The production of green hydrogen is started by excess solar energy

The “Smart Honda Company” project enables the development and testing necessary for the optimization of a large-scale energy production system

Hydrogen is considered a promising energy vector due to its properties.
Can be stored and transported, and it quickly refuels. It is widely accepted that green hydrogen will play a crucial role in combating global warming.

Although hydrogen has been used in industry for decades, the market for green hydrogen has only just emerged.

A step forward has just been taken by Honda Europe, which has confirmed the development of
a green hydrogen production facility at the headquarters in Offenbach (Germany). This facility will harness excess solar energy from photovoltaic modules to produce green hydrogen via electrolysis.

This new investment marks the final operational phase of the “Smart Company” project, a testing ground to develop and test new technologies to maximize the use of renewable energy.

Currently, the Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) facility consists of multiple photovoltaic modules capable of producing a peak output of 749 kilowatts (kWp) of solar energy, a storage unit for reclaimed batteries for a second life,
the advanced two-way charger Honda Power Charger S+ (4G), Honda Power Manager smart two-way chargers and various electric and hydrogen vehicles. They are all connected to a Honda-developed power management system. The “Smart Company” project will allow on-site testing of the technologies and systems under development.

This year, Honda Europe and Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH will further enhance their collaboration
energy management system to also include the production and use of green hydrogen when surplus electricity is generated from photovoltaic panels. Instead of reducing renewable energy, excess electricity is converted into green hydrogen via electrolysis.

Decentralized generation of sustainable hydrogen from surplus electricity is an efficient way of using sustainable energy directly in the transport sector. In addition to the CO2-neutral operation of the vehicles, it also makes it possible to reduce the costs of hydrogen production. Anyway,
fluctuations in the availability of hydrogen and high costs energy from the refueling process limits this potential. To overcome these setbacks, a prototype refueling system for hydrogen-powered vehicles has been developed.

The key is in the refueling intervals, so that hydrogen-powered vehicles can refuel as needed and
in an efficient way in energy terms, depending on the availability of renewable hydrogen. The resulting benefits in terms of cost reduction and CO₂ emissions will ultimately boost the use of renewable hydrogen in vehicle fleets.

To verify the results and
validate the prototype of the refueling system of hydrogen, Honda Europe is currently preparing the necessary components at its facilities, including an electrolyser, a low-pressure hydrogen storage unit, a compressor unit, a high-pressure storage unit and a hydrogen refueling pilot station.

Source: La Verdad

Mary

I am Mary Fitzgerald, a professional journalist and author of the Today Times Live. My specialty is in writing and reporting on technology-related topics. I have spent the last seven years extensively researching and understanding the field of technology so I can properly inform my readers about developments in this ever-evolving world.