Power to Gas

RWE has officially commissioned its power-to-gas facility in Ibbenbüren. The state-of-the-art facility is part of a system solution used for the first time, which efficiently integrates the local electricity, natural gas, and district heating supply. The power-to-gas process is particularly suitable for storing large amounts of renewable energy. At the Ibbenbüren site, waste heat is now being utilized for the first time. The electrical output of the ITM Power PEM electrolyzer with three stacks is 150 kW. It is to be operated with electricity from an RWE-owned wind turbine. The hydrogen generated at a pressure of 14 bar is injected into a 12-bar high-pressure gas pipeline, whereby a limit volume content of 1% is not exceeded.

The gas composition is monitored using a novel hydrogen-sensitive gas chromatograph. The waste heat is used for natural gas preheating in the upstream gas pressure regulation station. “With an efficiency of 86 percent, the most efficient power-to-gas facility in Germany is located here in Ibbenbüren,” explains Dr. Joachim Schneider, Chief Technology Officer of RWE Deutschland. Of this, 15% is attributable to heat utilization, and as is customary in the gas industry, the calorific value of the hydrogen is considered the useful value. When referring to the heating value relevant for energy processes, the efficiency is 60%. RWE will gain insights from this facility that are of great importance for evaluating economic viability and the subsequent entry into commercial use for energy storage.