Regional energy self-sufficiency with wind power and green hydrogen

The "Green H2 Hub Haren" research and development project, which was initiated by CEC Haren GmbH & Co. KG and commissioned by the electricity and gas distribution network operator Westnetz GmbH, is located in the town of Haren in Lower Saxony. The aim is to create a decentralized hydrogen location that produces green hydrogen from wind energy and stores it in conjunction with regional usage perspectives - particularly in the mobility sector and in agriculture. The town of Haren (Ems) is planning an independent supply from renewable energies and is acting as a pioneer for similar projects in other rural regions.

The success factor underlying the project for the full supply of the region from renewable energies is sector coupling. A decisive approach here is the stabilization of wind energy through PEM electrolysis systems with connected storage. Hydrogen is produced using two Quest One ME450 PEM electrolysers and opens up new fields of use for this energy in the form of power-to-gas or power-to-fuel. The electrolysers are powered by the 16 wind turbines of the nearby Fehndorf-Lindloh community wind farm.

Two battery storage systems are used to utilize the surplus electricity at short notice and feed it directly into the grid. In this case, two lithium-ion batteries with an output of 2 MW and a capacity of 4 MWh, which absorb the power peaks of the wind power. In addition, the two electrolysers with a total output of 2 MW convert surplus electricity beyond short-term storage into hydrogen and feed this into the natural gas grid. An energy management system optimizes the storage for Haren's own supply.

Energy storage using hydrogen in the gas grid has the great advantage that large quantities can be stored over a longer period of time. The gas network also enables easy transportation to the end consumer.