Being independent of fossil fuels by 2035: that is our goal. To achieve that goal, Nedmag intends to use hydrogen as a fuel. Therefore, we collaborate with partners to learn more about hydrogen and how we can use it in our processes. At the end of 2021 we expect that one of our installations can run on hydrogen.
Hydrogen: a green and renewable fuel
During the combustion of natural gas, CO2 is produced. When hydrogen burns, only water vapor is produced. This makes hydrogen an excellent (potential) environmentally friendly fuel. In addition, hydrogen can be produced with green electricity. It is high time to explore what hydrogen can mean for Nedmag!
Testing hydrogen at our plant
Until now, hydrogen is hardly used as a (primary) fuel. It is, however, added to other combustion processes, which is often possible without having to make major adjustments to installations and processes.
Nedmag will implement an unique pilot in 2021, which is part of a larger two-year international research project. We are going to develop a combustion process on an industrial scale, whereby natural gas and hydrogen can be burned in any desired ratio at any time. The reliability and capacity of the installation remain the same and the nitrogen emissions (NOx) also remain within the standard.
All preparatory work is currently being carried out. This is followed by the construction of a test setup and the further optimization of the installation. At the end of 2021, we expect the test to be successful; our installation can run on hydrogen!
Together with partners
We can’t make an installation suitable for burning hydrogen by ourselves. Luckily, we have found other innovative parties who want to invest in a sustainable future. These partners are: DNV GL, Monarch, Weishaubt and Tempco / Lamtec. In addition, we can eventually purchase hydrogen from Energystock and learn from their knowledge of hydrogen (installations).
The result: a regional transition
With the completion of this project, we are able to replace more than half of the natural gas required at our salt mining location with hydrogen. And other industries in central and eastern Groningen can also benefit from our test in the future. Nedmag has its own gas pipeline from the main gas network. This pipeline is a good candidate for becoming part of Gasunie's green hydrogen network. Other industries in the region can also make use of this network through taps. This way, we want to make the province of Groningen a leader in the field of sustainable energy.
Using hydrogen as af fuel in the nearby future will be a bumpy road. Green hydrogen is still too expensive and not available in large quantities. However, we do not plan on waiting for things to change, because in 2030 CO2 emissions must be reduced by almost 50%. That is why Nedmag has an energy transition plan on its way to 2035:
