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Projets on hydrogen
NATURALHY
Gasunie, a Dutch gas company, is running this European project. The goal, here, is to study shared transport and distribution facilities for natural gas and hydrogen (holding about 15% hydrogen and 85% natural-gas on average).
This sizeable project counts roughly 40 partner organizations from several European Union countries. The list includes:
- oil and gas companies (Gasunie, Total, BP Gas Marketing, Gaz de France, etc.),
- research centers (IFP, CEA, the Danish Gas Technology Centre, and Compagnie d'Etudes des Technologies de l'Hydrogène),
- universities (University of Warwick, University of Leeds, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, École Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Metz, etc.).
IFP is focusing on research into polymer distribution network permeability, head-loss characterization, lining aging and steel embrittlement due to molecular hydrogen. This project is scheduled to draw to a close in 2008.
>> Further information: Naturalhy project website
CACHET
CACHET stands for Carbon Capture via Hydrogen Energy Technology. This project’s goal is to develop hydrogen production technology to considerably reduce the cost of capturing CO2 from natural gas. Pairing CO2 capture and storage with hydrogen production processes is one of the main options for reducing CO2 emissions in Europe. The damper on using available technology to do so, however, is the cost. Scant integration between hydrogen power plants and vehicle fuel cell applications is another hindrance. This project aims to overcome that by building integrated zero-CO2 cogeneration and vehicle-hydrogen plants.
CACHET will be developing four promising technologies:
- HyGenSys advanced natural-gas steam reforming (led by IFP),
- Redox technologies (led by Chalmers),
- membranes (led by ECN),
- enhanced water gas shift (led by Air Product).
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HyGenSys The HyGenSys process (a registered IFP trademark) taps steam-methane-reforming reactions in compact convection-heated reactor-exchangers coupled with gas turbines. This new concept substantially enhances thermal integration, paves the way for hydrogen and electricity cogeneration, and facilitates CO2 capture. HyGenSys averts substantial steam production by enhancing reaction-section efficiency. Coupling a high-efficiency reactor-exchanger with an electricity-generation turbine cycle makes this process particularly attractive. IFP is leading the work package in charge of HyGenSys development within the CACHET project. It indeed instigated the new concept which will be developed in partnerships, inter alia, with Technip (mechanical aspects) and Siemens (the turbine). |
>> Further information:
- Cachet website
- Press release (12 Octobrer 2006): Cachet: New european research program on capture and geological storage of CO2
DYNAMIS
Dynamis, a European FP6 project, began in 2006. Its goal is to demonstrate the feasibility of the HYPOGEN concept for large-scale production of hydrogen from fossil fuels.
Hydrogen has emerged as a promising answer to the questions that the energy sector around the world is grappling with – provided it is paired with a CO2 capture and geological storage solution.
The Dynamis project will assess the various options for large-scale hydrogen production, focusing on the technological, economic and societal issues. SINTEF is coordinating this project’s 30 partner oil and gas companies, electric utilities, research institutes and service providers, and their efforts to pool their experience in CO2 capture and geological storage.
IFP’s main role in this project is to select power-plant technologies, and CO2 capture and storage options, which it sees as an effective contribution to curbing greenhouse-gas emissions.
>> Further information: Dynamis project website
Roads2HyCom
Ricardo, a British firm, is leading this FP6-funded European project which is coordinating, reviewing and monitoring research and development in the fields of fuel cells and hydrogen. This project was officially launched on 15 October 2005 and will last three years.
It counts 29 partner research centers and industrial firms working on eight work packages. IFP is coordinating WP4, which involves assessing potential technological developments for hydrogen production and applications, and identifying research risks and opportunities awaiting hydrogen applications down the road.
Work during the first year led to a series of reports about this technology’s state of the art, the expectations of various communities (laboratories, local and regional authorities, potential users, etc.) and who is doing what in terms of research across Europe. Partners have also mapped out existing production capacity and infrastructure.
>> Further information: Roads2HyCom project website