UK Power Networks has begun the early development stage of a project that could provide backup power for communities, by using hydrogen produced locally at times when there is excess power being generated. It is working with hydrogen specialists The First Element, and engineers Frazer Nash Consultancy on the hydrogen backup system, dubbed SHARED (Smart Hydrogen and Resilient Energy Decarbonisation), which would combine an electrolyser, fuel cell and hydrogen storage.
The initial six-month project phase is focusing on developing the first of a kind unit, identifying the types of rural locations where it could be used, and testing the design requirements. If the project is successful, later phases would include test deployment.
Currently the alternative to such a system is diesel generators, which typically have to be transported on a lorry to rural locations. In the new concept the electrolyser produces hydrogen when demand for electricity is low, such as overnight. This hydrogen is then stored on site and converted into electricity through the fuel cell when needed. The system would be monitored, allowing for quick action when needed and reducing the need for engineers to travel to site.
The plan is for a modular design that can be scaled up to support a single home up to an entire village, and for periods up to several days. In this initial phase the team is looking at two module sizes, a 10kVA and 100kVA equivalent unit. They could be housed in a standard ISO containers or in the type of cubicles which are currently used for packaged distribution substations. The semi-permanent installation could be removed if additional electricity network development took place in the future.
David Francis, head of investment management and innovation at UK Power Networks, said: “SHARED gives us a chance to bring our rural customers the benefit of a more reliable power supply, and in a low carbon environmentally-friendly way. By using low cost hydrogen that can step in automatically during a power cut, we are exploring the potential to restore power in seconds”.