A hydrogen fuel cell power plant is a type of fuel cell power plant (or station) which uses a hydrogen fuel cell to generate electricity for the power grid. They are larger in scale than backup generators such as the Bloom Energy Server and can be up to 60% efficient in converting hydrogen to electricity. There is little to no Nitrous oxide or Sulfur oxides produced in the fuel cell process, which is produced in the process of a combined cycle hydrogen power plant. If the hydrogen could be produced with electrolysis also known as green hydrogen, then this could be a solution to the energy storage problem of renewable energy.[1][2]

Shinincheon Bitdream Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant

The Shinincheon Bitdream Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant in Incheon, South Korea can produce 78.96 MegaWatts of power. It opened in 2021 and is one of the first large scale fuel cell power plants for the grid, rather than just a backup generator. The plant will also purify the air by sucking in 2.4 tons of fine dust per year and filtering it out of the air. It will also produce hot water as a by-product that will be used to heat houses locally, also known as district heating.[3][4]

Cogeneration or combined cycle

Fuel cells produce a lot of hot water and a cogeneration or combined cycle could be used for further benefit or to produce more electricity with a steam turbine, increasing the efficiency to >80% using a Phosphoric acid fuel cell.[5][6]

Water uses

Further studies are needed to see if the water is potable. Places that are dry and have water shortages could use the water for agriculture or other greywater uses.[7][8] Another use would be to use the hot water by-product for High-temperature electrolysis for more hydrogen fuel.[9]

High temperature electrolysis at nuclear power plants

Theoretical thermal water splitting efficiencies.[10]
60% efficient at 1000°C
Steam reforming of hydrocarbons to hydrogen is 70-85% efficient[11]

High-temperature electrolysis at nuclear power plants could produce hydrogen at scale and more efficiently. The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy has demonstration projects to test 3 nuclear facilities in the United States at:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hydrogen Fueling for Power Generation".
  2. ↑ "Hanwha's Groundbreaking Power Plant Shows How Hydrogen Can Fuel A 'Circular Economy' - FuelCellsWorks".
  3. ↑ "South Korea: World's Largest Hydrogen Fuel Cell Power Plant Opened by Korean Southern Power (KOSPO)".
  4. ↑ "World's largest hydrogen fuel cell power plant was built in Korea". ANI News. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "The truth about hydrogen fuel cell - a future beyond cars?". YouTube.
  6. ↑ "FC comparison chart" (PDF). energy.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "Can Drinking Water Come from Hydrogen Fuel Cells?".
  8. ↑ Tibaquirá, Juan E.; Hristovski, Kiril D.; Westerhoff, Paul; Posner, Jonathan D. (2011). "Recovery and quality of water produced by commercial fuel cells". International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 3rd International Workshop in Hydrogen Energy. 36 (6): 4022–4028. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2010.12.072.
  9. ↑ https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/articles/fuel-cells-doe-chp-technology-fact-sheet-series-fact-sheet-2016
  10. ↑ https://inldigitallibrary.inl.gov/sites/sti/sti/4480292.pdf
  11. ↑ https://www.hindawi.com/journals/cpis/2013/690627/
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