The electrification of the continent and the use of carbon-neutral electricity, as well as hydrogen as a fuel or feedstock, are key components of Europe’s net zero strategy.
The Hydrohub Innovation Program (HIP) was launched by the Netherlands-based Institute for Sustainable Process Technology (ISPT) in 2017 with the goal of advancing knowledge and technology for the industrial-scale, electrolysis-based production of affordable green hydrogen. In the Netherlands, ISPT is a preeminent center for open innovation in the process sector. The transition to a circular economy in 2050 is at the center of ISPT’s work.
The Hydrohub MegaWatt Test Center (HMWTC), one of the program’s projects, aims to create an open-innovation infrastructure for stress-testing water electrolysis technologies at a scale appropriate for industrial use. At Groningen’s EnTranCe – Centre of Expertise Energy of the Hanze University of Applied Sciences, work on the HMWTC began in April 2021. It has featured cooperation with Shell, HyCC, Yara, Gasunie, PlugPower, Groningen Seaports, University of Groningen, and Yokogawa in addition to ISPT, TNO, and Hanze University of Engineering Sciences.
The utility system, PEM electrolyser, and AE units were fully in place and prepared for the test center’s commissioning, according to an announcement made by ISPT in November 2022. Companies will be able to use the facility for large-scale practical tests after commissioning is finished.
Hydrohub Innovation Program and Yokogawa
The engagement and commitment of Yokogawa Europe to the project’s success has been substantial. Yokogawa Europe has provided materials, engineering services, and know-how for supervisory control and process safety by leveraging its distinctive knowledge and experience in plug-and-produce technologies for modular facilities and standardization frameworks like NAMUR’s Modular Type Package (MTP) and Open Process Automation Standard (O-PASTM). The company has also improved its expertise and comprehension of sophisticated integrated system control, particularly effective system ramp-up and ramp-down as well as secure operation at low load rates.
The goals of Yokogawa in terms of sustainability, which include assisting business in achieving net-zero emissions, a shift to a circular economy, and ensuring everyone’s well-being by 2050, are perfectly in line with the company’s research and ISPT’s mission.
