[ cover story ] energy technologies , even when not taking the climate effects into account . It seemed clear to the Stiesdal Hydrogen team that the same approach could bring significant cost reductions and potentially make green hydrogen competitive with fossil hydrogen .
“ Standardization , modularization , and industrialization would be required at two levels : both at the electrolyzer level and at the system level ,” says Nielsen . Using well-known industrial approaches in the manufacturing of electrolyzers seemed doable , and this is actually already happening across most of the electrolyzer industry .”
At the system level , the picture was different . Hydrogen plants were still established according to the traditions of the chemical industry , with bespoke , nonstandardized plants requiring extensive engineering , elaborate site work , and significant management efforts . Typically , the establishment of a hydrogen plant would require 12 – 18 month of effort on-site , and the total plant cost would run into 2 – 3 times the cost of the electrolyzer equipment .
Applying the wind industry mindset at the system level
As Esben Baltzer Nielsen explains , the wind industry is at a very advanced stage of modularization , and standardized processes are applied not only in equipment manufacturing but also in deployment . Blades , nacelles ( the machinery at the top of the tower ), towers , and control systems are typically manufactured at different locations and are only assembled on-site . Complete module testing is carried out against simulated interfaces with the other modules , and no matching test is required as part of the installation process .
Esben Baltzer Nielsen , Head of Sales & Business Development at Stiesdal Hydrogen
Infrastructure work on roads , foundations , cable laying , substations , etc ., is carried out using standard specifications and drawings , and installation work is limited to assembly using bolted joints and the mounting of cables .
As a result of modularization and standardization , the total plant cost of an onshore wind farm is less than 1.5 times the cost of the wind turbine equipment .
“ We approached the design similarly to how we design wind turbines , creating it in main modules that are manufactured at different locations and assembled on-site ,” says Nielsen .
Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 17 | August 2024 11