Hydrohub MegaWatt Test Center
Green hydrogen can make an important contribution to the energy transition. It is paramount though, that the production costs go down. Dutch companies and knowledge institutions join forces on Zernike Campus. In the new Hydrohub MegaWatt Test Center that is being build near EnTranCe, the do research after cost efficient innovations on a pre-commercial scale.
The experimental MegaWatt Test Center is being build this spring at EnTranCe – Centre of Expertise Energy of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. The goal of the project is to run a series of studies to test basic operations, identify the window-of-operation and explore limitations in stress-tests to understand the optimal operation window and limitations of equipment. Another aim is to develop an open-innovation ecosystem in which the MegaWatt Test Center supports further advanced technology development for electrolysis.
Advanced process control has been implemented in other industries successfully to improve efficiency and optimize multiple parameters simultaneously by considering the interaction, process dynamics and buffering and release of mass and energy in reactions. In this case of the flexible production of the green hydrogen, this is a totally new way of process control for electrolysers. It is expected that by applying advanced control strategies 2 to 3 % operational efficiency gain can be achieved. The research proposed in this project is aimed to research, model, and test this potential efficiency gain on the PEM unit. Hanze Hogeschool will be responsible to support the field measurements, the hardware and model development. TNO will develop the advanced control model which will be done in an interactive process with the Hydrohub partners.
Planning
The construction of the Hydrohub has started in April 2021. According to planning, the test center will be open in 2022.
