Hydrogen storage technology is promising.

In recent years, since the dwindling of fossil fuels and the greenhouse effect is revealed, as a clean, efficient and abundant secondary energy, the hydrogen has attracted the attention of more and more countries.

Professor of Tongji University, Shanghai hydrogen by using engineering technology research center, deputy director of the Zhang Cunman pointed out that the development of the hydrogen involving production, storage, transportation and use. Relying on the fuel battery technology, has the hydrogen has been widely used in transportation, electricity, heat, gas, and other areas of the society. However, the hydrogen system in the application process there is some technical constraints.

Four big challenges facing renewable energy development

In November 2014, the state council issued the action plan for energy development strategy (2014-2020) "(hereinafter referred to as" action plan "), clearly put forward by the year 2020, our country non-fossil energy accounts for a 15% energy consumption than the important. Among them, the conventional hydropower aim for about 350 million kilowatts, wind power capacity of 200 million kilowatts, photovoltaic power of 100 million kw.

Zhang Cunman, said professor hydropower are relatively mature in technology and operation mode, the development of wind power in the past two years also speed faster, by contrast, photovoltaic field face bigger pressure. At present, the use of renewable energy level is not high, and also clearly put forward in "action plan", to strengthen the power and power grid planning as a whole, scientific arrangement of peaking and frequency modulation, storage capacity.

In wind power, for example, since 2011, the growth rate of China's wind power and total installed capacity has become the world's first, by the end of 2014, the global wind power scale up to 365 gw, and interconnection of wind power in China reached 96 gw, accounts for a bigger share of. But at the same time, wind electricity rates have been high, in recent years wind power electricity rate were over 10%.

Zhang Cunman says professor of renewable energy in the process of development there are many challenges:

First, the conflict between due to resource distribution in our country is serious, power generation and power load disconnect. At present our country's wind power is concentrated in the northwest, north China, northeast three areas, 80% of the national wind power installed capacity. However, the power load is mainly concentrated in the economically developed, more consumption of east China, south China region. Therefore, to develop wind power, long distance power transmission is inevitable.

Second, because wind power is intermittent and randomness, so the lack of energy storage regulation of wind power can cause adverse effects to the grid security, especially when the wind power transmission ratio of more than 10% in the local power grid, the impact on the safety of power grid.

Third, the power grid construction is a long-term, complex, global, so compared with the generating speed of renewable resource, power grid construction planning development is relatively slow, prone to conflicts in the cross-regional operation, and in the short term is difficult to reconcile.

Fourth, the development of renewable energy directly with the traditional thermal power forms the competition. Has increased due to the power grid volatility of renewable power, the pressure of peak shaving valley is focused on the traditional thermal power, hydropower, cause the loss of power grid operation efficiency.

The hydrogen storage technology transmission problem

It is understood that Germany in the process of development of renewable energy, has encountered the problem of power generation, power center disconnect & ndash;& ndash; Germany are mainly concentrated in the north, the wind power plant and power centers concentrated in the south. In order to alleviate this contradiction, Germany will eventually power into hydrogen, and then into the energy links, instead of direct transmission in the form of hydrogen energy storage.

Zhang Cunman, says professor in actual application of hydrogen energy storage technology, production, storage, transportation, terminal use are essential. No matter use which kinds of renewable energy power generation, technically would prefer direct interconnection. But once the situation is difficult to transport, technology, or wants to make extra electricity stored. Different from the traditional battery energy storage, hydrogen energy storage through the way of hydrogen production by electrolysis of water, energy stored in the form of gaseous fuel, can be used in chemical industry, hydrogen battery cars, LPG stations, and more. Using this approach, on the one hand, is advantageous to the on-site application, on the other hand, with the help of natural gas pipe network technology can achieve long-range transport.

Professor Zhang Chengman admitted that the hydrogen storage system in the application process there is some technical constraint.

First of all, wide adaptability power fluctuations efficient electrolytic hydrogen production technology remains to be development. Whether hydrogen production efficiency, safety, or of the whole system integration technology, are now also need further adjustment; Second, as an industry, hydrogen storage is still need to implement low cost, large scale; Third, the need to improve the suitability of hydrogen energy storage system with wind farms and integration technology; Fourth, the coordination of hydrogen energy storage system with integrated power grid load control; Fifth, it is necessary to further development of large-scale, low-cost hydrogen transport technology; Sixth, hydrogen energy storage application terminal promotion technology; Seventh, we need to consider the cost of the whole hydrogen production technology and application of the economics of coordination.

The current situation of the development of hydrogen energy storage and feasibility analysis

At present, the hydrogen energy storage has been to many countries and regions as an important part of national energy system.

In Europe, now led by Germany included the hydrogen in the European Union's energy system, especially after 2013, Germany has run for more than a dozen hydrogen storage demonstration project; The United States in recent years vigorously promote the development of fuel cell; Japan, the advocates of hydrogen energy development and utilization and has invested a great deal of time and money; South Korea since 2000, also in this area began to power.

Be worth what carry is, Japan and Germany in the field of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have entered the commercialization stage. Honda, Toyota, BMW and other companies have introduced more than fuel cell vehicles, the future development of the situation is very good also.

From the domestic situation, the basis of the electrolysis of water hydrogen production technology in China is better, including parts control and integration of related industrial chain is also gradually formed. Zhang Cunman, said professor hydrogen storage technology barriers is higher, it is the core technology problems need to be solved in our country, to accelerate development.

In addition, professor Zhang Cunman believes that in the hydrogen energy storage is the most sensitive electricity price factors in the project. Due to our current price is relatively low, while hydrogen gas prices are relatively high. Even if is the use of hydrogen production from electrolysis of water way, also have a certain profit space. In addition, new energy such as wind power, photovoltaic power generation in our country there are certain subsidy, therefore the present development of hydrogen energy storage of the considerable economic efficiency, have a certain economy.

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