Other renewable energies - 04/24/2012

ELYGRID Project launches the website

ELYGRID Project exhibits its website, www.elygrid.com, which is conceived as a tool to provide general information of the project, involved partners and main actions developed.

ELYGRID Project website was presented on last March, 13rd with the main goal of providing information related to the project that could be useful for hydrogen sector companies, with emphasis on alkaline electrolysers. In addition to technical information, it will be possible to find information about events and news related to the project or consortium information.

ELYGRID project started 5 months ago, last November, with the Kick-off meeting at Hydrogen Foundation in Aragon facilities in Walqa Technology Park (Spain). The goal of the meeting was to start the project with the main actions that must be carried out in 2012. There was time to visit the Hydrogen Foundation facilities, making emphasis on the alkaline electrolysis equipment under pressure.

ELYGRID Project aims at contributing to the reduction of the total cost of hydrogen produced via electrolysis coupled to renewable energy sources, mainly wind turbines, and focusing on megawatt size electrolyzers (from 0,5 MW and up). The objectives are to improve the efficiency related to the complete system by 20% (10% related to the stack, and 10% electrical conversion) and to reduce costs by 25%. The work will be structured in 3 different parts, namely: cell improvements, power electronics, and balance of plant (BOP). Two scalable prototype electrolyzers will be tested in facilities which allow feeding with renewable energies (photovoltaic and wind).

The partners of the project are: Fundación para el Desarrollo de las Nuevas Tecnologías del Hidrógeno en Aragón (FHa-Spain), Industrie Haute Technologie (IHT-Switzerland), Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt (EMPA-Switzerland), Helion S.A.S. (France), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (FZJ-Germany), Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V. (VITO-Belgium), Lapesa Grupo Empresarial (Spain), Instrumentación y Componentes, S.A. (INYCOM or I&C-Spain), INGETEAM Energy (Spain), Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA-France.)

ELYGRID project has a budget of 3.752.760€, granted of 2.105.017€ by Seventh Framework Program, inside the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking.

ELYGRID project tries to reduce the hydrogen production costs by renewable energies so that it can be competitive against hydrogen produced by fossil fuels. Besides, it can increase the management of renewable energies, especially wind power.