HydrASys: Hydrogen-Autonomous Energy System

At a glance

• Autonomous measuring facilities at sea are predominantly supplied with power by small wind turbines and PV systems, but also often have an emergency backup generator running on diesel. These generators are not only associated with time-consuming and expensive maintenance efforts, but are also a source of CO₂ emissions due to the burning of fossil fuels.
• In the HydrASys research project, the project partners are developing a system suitable for industrial applications employing pure hydrogen as an energy carrier for autonomous measuring facilities in the offshore sector.
• Fraunhofer IWES, the project coordinator, is responsible among other things for setting up and testing the HydrASys prototype.

The challenge

There are countless measuring devices such as measuring buoys and platforms employed off the coast of Germany to record meteorological and hydrological data. In addition, long-term measurements are also required for the further expansion of offshore wind energy to compile the necessary data base for future projects. These measuring devices are generally supplied with power from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy. However, PV cells and small wind turbines can be damaged by storms and the pounding of waves. For this reason, many measuring stations also have an emergency backup generator, usually running on diesel. However, diesel generators require regular servicing. In addition, they are susceptible to needing repairs, and a breakdown usually results in cost-intensive offshore deployments, which are often only possible in good weather conditions. The associated CO₂ emissions and the risk of oil and fuel leaks in the sensitive marine ecosystem are also key factors to bear in mind.

As such, changing the emergency power supply of the measuring devices over to green hydrogen seems a logical solution. The major challenge in this respect is the storage of large quantities of green hydrogen for operation over a time period as long as possible. Conventional 300 bar pressurized containers are only capable of storing a fraction of the required energy quantities in the buoy, as space is often very limited.

The solution

This is where the HydrASys joint project comes in. The project partners are developing a system suitable for industrial applications employing green hydrogen as an energy carrier for autonomous measuring devices in the offshore sector. The focus is on an innovative storage technology based on an underwater metal hydride storage system permitting a higher volumetric storage capacity than conventional pressurized or liquid storage systems. In addition, a further aim is to develop a refueling system suitable for industrial applications and allowing refueling from on board a vessel.

Fraunhofer IWES, the project coordinator, is responsible among other things for setting up and testing the HydrASys prototype. The implementation of the storage system into the lidar measuring buoy developed at the institute will prove the suitability of the system for the intended use in practice.

The added value

HydrASys will contribute to rendering the offshore wind industry more climate-friendly. For example, the three research platforms FINO I to III have been exclusively powered with diesel to date, which causes high CO₂ emissions. In addition, there are countless generators running on fossil fuels installed in various systems at sea.

At the same time, HydrASys will help to solve the hydrogen industry’s “the chicken or the egg” problem. The research project will ensure a wider range of uses for hydrogen and expand the circle of consumers, thus rendering the production of green hydrogen more interesting from both an economic and an energy perspective.