Projects

HYDROSOL-PLANT

Thermochemical HYDROgen production in a SOLar monolithic reactor:construction and operation of a 750 kWth PLANT

Title of Programme FCH-JU-2012-1
Financing Code for Project 325361
Project start year - end year 2013 - 2016
Financing organisation SP1-JTI-FCH.2012.2.5: Thermo-electrical-chemicalprocesses with solar heat sources
Coordinator Aerosol and Particle Technology Laboratory (APTL)
Other partners

DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUER LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EV (DLR)

CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES ENERGETICAS, MEDIOAMBIENTALESY TECNOLOGICAS-CIEMAT (CIEMAT)

HyGear B.V. (HYG)

ELLINIKA PETRELAIA AE (HELPE)

Budget / APTL Budget 3,480,806 € / 945,945 €
Scientific Manager / Project researcher A. G. Konstandopoulos
Project website hydrosol-plant.certh.gr
Summary

The HYDROSOL-PLANT project is expected to develop, verify and operate all of the tools required to scale up solar H2O splitting to the pilot (750 kWth) scale. The work is based on the successful HYDROSOL series projects and mainly on the outcome of the current FCH-JU co-funded project, HYDROSOL-3D, dedicated to the provision of all main design specifications of such a pilot plant. HYDROSOL-PLANT comes thus as the natural continuation of such an effort for CO2-free hydrogen production in real scale. The main objectives of HYDROSOL-PLANT are to:

  • Define all key components and aspects necessary for the erection and operation of a 750 kWth solar plant for H2O splitting (heliostat field, solar reactors, overall process monitoring and control, feedstock conditioning, etc.)
  • Develop tailored heliostat field technology (field layout, aiming strategies, monitoring and control software) that enables accurate temperature control of the solar reactors.
  • Scale-up the HYDROSOL reactor while advancing the state-of-the-art (redox materials, monolithic honeycomb fabrication and functionalization) for optimum hydrogen yield.
  • Design the overall chemical process, covering reactants and products conditioning, heat exchange/recovery, use of excess/waste heat, monitoring and control.
  • Construct a solar hydrogen production demonstration plant in the 750 kWth range to verify the developed technologies for solar H2O splitting.
  • Operate the plant and demonstrate hydrogen production and storage on site (at levels > 3 kg/week).
  • Perform a detailed techno-economic study for the commercial exploitation of the solar process