Hydrogen cost could equal 50-cent gasoline, with renewable energy: study

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11. Or maybe not

http://www.energy-storage.news/news/rwe-launches-power-to-gas-storage-system

[font face=Serif][font size=5]RWE launches power-to-gas storage system[/font]

By John Parnell | Aug 20, 2015 12:30 PM BST

[font size=3]German utility firm RWE has launched a power-to-gas storage system, which it claims has achieved efficiencies as high as 86%.

The plant uses excess electricity from the local grid to create hydrogen via an electrolyser bult by UK firm ITM Power. The hydrogen is pumped into the natural gas network and heat from the process is drawn by a district heating system. The hydrogen can be called on to generate power when it is needed.

The plant in Ibbenbüren North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) could be the first of many with RWE executives lining up to extol its virtues.


[font size=1]The plant in Ibbenbüren North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) could be the first of many. Source: ITM Power[/font]

“In order to be able to pick up excess electricity from renewable sources onto our grid, we need alternatives to conventional grid expansion methods. This was the driving force behind our decision to embrace this new technology,” said Dr Joachim Schneider, CTO, RWE Deutschland. “The hydrogen that is created by electrolysis can be stored and later used to generate power. The benefit of this form of electricity storage is the enormous infrastructure already offered by the natural gas network – which has huge storage capacity and a high-performing network.”

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