Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

SOLREF(SES6-CT-2004-502829)

Stephan MöllerDLR – German Aerospace Center

in the Helmholtz-Association

Solar Research

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

Solar Steam Reforming - Partnership� Seven participants from seven countries

1. Project achievements

aptaptLLABABCERTH/CPERICERTH/CPERICERTH/CPERIaptaptLLABABCERTH/CPERICERTH/CPERICERTH/CPERI

GermanyGermany

GreeceGreece

The NetherlandsThe Netherlands

SwitzerlandSwitzerlandUnited KingdomUnited Kingdom

IsraelIsrael

ItalyItaly

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

Project main objectives

� Develop an advanced 400 kWth solar reformer� Investigate various catalyst systems� Simulate mass and heat transport and reaction in

porous absorber� Perform thermodynamic and thermochemical

analyses to support the system design phase� Operate the reformer with gas mixtures which

represent the variety of possible feedstock on thesolar tower at WIS, Israel, producing partly-solarhydrogen

1. Project achievements

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

Project main objectives

� Evaluate new operation strategies� Pre-design of a 1 MWth prototype plant

Conceptual layout of a commercial 50 MWthreforming plant

� Assess on potential markets including costestimation and environmental, socio-economic,and institutional impacts

1. Project achievements

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

Milestones

1. Project achievements

date: 04/04 03/06 12/07 05/08 12/08

WP 1: Catalytic system

WP 2: Reformer

WP 3: Solar Operation

WP 4: Pre-design ofprototype plant

WP 5: Studies

absorbersegments

reformer

testing: start end

pre-designst

art o

f the

pro

ject

end

of th

e pr

ojec

t

strategy

Note:Note: Due to problems during the manufacturing of the reformer, the pDue to problems during the manufacturing of the reformer, the project isroject isdelayed. A duration extension of about one year is expecteddelayed. A duration extension of about one year is expected –– already included above.already included above.

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

Progress� Catalyst development

� Noble metal content of the final selected catalyst system couldbe reduced by 80% in comparison to the SOLASYS catalyst.

1. Project achievements

� Highly active for steam reforming and highly absorptivefor concentrated solar energy.

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

vessel

absorber inletmain absorber

insulationdistributor

gas channel inletgas collector outlet

front flangeextension

window

Progress

� Reformer (400kWth, 10 bars,900°C)

� Different concepts have beeninvestigated.

� Mass of front flange wasreduced by 40%.

� The mass flow through theabsorber is regulated.

� Metal components and theabsorber are manufactured andthe final assembling will takeplace until the end of 2007.

1. Project achievements

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

Progress

1. Project achievements

� Market potential� In Algeria about 72,000TWh/y can be used for solar H2

production! (yellow and red area, along existing NG-pipelines)� That is more than enough to produce today’s H2 amount (world-

wide) completely in a renewable way!

AreaArea in km²in km² Solar PotentialSolar Potential AlgeriaAlgeriawithinwithin 50 km of gas50 km of gas pipelinepipeline

DNI inDNI inkWh/m²/ykWh/m²/y

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

� H2-production via reforming using concentratedsolar energy� Partly solar H2� Production costs of less than 14 €/GJH2 or 1.7 €/kg H2

(large scale, solar-only) are possible.� Carbon-dioxide-lean or neutral depending on the methane

source (NG, biogas, etc.) w/o CO2 sequestration� Catalyst development for solar reforming

� highly active� good absorptivity of the concentrated solar radiation� cost effective

2. Alignment to IP

Implementation

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

� The process heat provided by combustion of fossilfuels in the conventional case can be providedcompletely by concentrated solar energy usingsolar-thermal concentrating systems.� Saving of (fossil) fuels up to 38% (based on LHV and reforming

efficiency of 75%), because fossil fuels can be used up to 100%only for chemical issues. Note: The savings are higher whenCCS is applied!

- High level policy objective regarding security of energy supply� Reduction of CO2-Emissions.

- High level policy objective regarding reduction of GHG emissions

SOLREF – MotivationWhy solar steam reforming?

2. Alignment to IP

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

2007

2010

2015

2020

2025

Transition processespartly renewable H2 frome.g. solar steam reforming

CO2-free processesrenewable H2 from e.g. solar thermo-chemical cycles or solar HT steamelectrolysis

pilot plant

basicresearch

appliedresearch

first commercialplant - few MWs

appliedresearch

pilot plant first commercialplant - few MWs

IDA 2 – Portfolio of ActionsSuggestion: Include Solar Reforming!

� It is the most convenient way to start today the renewable H2 society� Inexpensive in comparison to renewable H2� Precursor for the scaling-up of CO2-free processes such as solar

thermo-chemical-cycles

lessonlearned

lessonlearned

lessonlearned

2. Alignment to IP

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

IDA 2 – Portfolio of ActionsSuggestion: Include Solar Reforming!

SolarSolarreformingreforming

Graph taken from theIMPLEMENTATION PLANStatus 2006 – adapted

2. Alignment to IP

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

3. Cross-cutting issues

� Education: Students, PhD students� Dissemination:

� Installation of a project website. http://www.solref.dlr.de� Publications in scientific and popular press� Presenting scientific results at conferences� Organisation of media events and

workshops/colloquium� Participation at trade fairs

Communication

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

4. Enhancing cooperationand future perspectives

� Cooperation on EU-level and international levelexisted/exists. E.g. with INNOHYP CA, HySafeNoE and SolarPACES.

� Informal network exists with Japan and Australiawith the aim to realise common projects.

Cooperation

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

� Potential interactions with projects ororganisations in the field of development ofinnovative reformers using concentrated solarenergy as process heat in only-solar or hybridmode.� Maghreb-Europe project (CETH, France),� DLR/NEAL (New Energy Algeria, agency for renewable

energies)

4. Enhancing cooperationand future perspectives

Cooperation

Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Review Days 2007, Brussels 10th-11th October

Vision 1

10

Installed capacity in MWth

20122008

SOLREF

2020years

single sitedemonstration

1 MW pilot plant

Solar ReformingAn important stepinto a renewable hydrogen production.