The plant is a test system which will provide suggestions for how hydrogen can be used for future renewable energy storage in Greenland, as part of the H2KT project. Nukissiorfiit procured the mobile plant from H2 Logic; it is now in operation outside the power utlity’s headquarters in the capital, Nuuk.
The purpose of the test plant is to gain experience with the production, distribution, and use of hydrogen as an energy carrier. This will help with investigating opportunities to increase the proportion of renewable energy in Nukissiorfiit’s overall energy production.
‘In many periods of the year we have a reserve capacity at the hydro power plant that provides energy for the city of Nuuk,’ says Svend Hardenberg, energy director at Nukissiorfiit. ‘The idea is to use this capacity to produce electricity and split water into hydrogen and oxygen in the test hydrogen plant.’
The plant will also function as a demonstration plant that is to increase the public awareness for hydrogen and fuel cells. Therefore the plant is equipped with large applied graphics on the exterior that explains about the plant and its technical composition and purpose.
The test plant uses electricity from hydro to electrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is stored for later conversion into electricity and heat in a fuel cell, on demand. The excess heat from both hydrogen production and the fuel cell can be used for heating, while the electricity can be supplied to the grid or used in the Nukissiorfiit office building.