Greenland’s First Hydrogen Plant Underway

29th March 2010

The plant is a test system which shall help provide suggestions for how hydrogen can be used for future renewable energy storage in the country. H2 Logic A/S from Denmark has developed and delivered the hydrogen plant which is owned and operated by the national energy company Nukissiorfiit.

It was the three year old Andreas Anuik Hardenberg, who had the honour of placing the key in the lock when the first hydrogen plant opened in Greenland with the presence of representatives from the Greenlandic Government. It is the national energy company Nukissiorfiit that has procured the mobile plant which is now installed and in operation outside the company headquarter in Nuuk, the capital of the country. The plant is developed and supplied by H2 Logic A/S from Denmark. Purpose of the test plant is to gain experiences with production, distribution and use of hydrogen as energy carrier and thereby investigate the opportunities for increasing the renewable energy share in the energy production from Nukissiorfiit.

”In many periods of the year we have reserve capacity at the hydro power plant that provides energy for the city of Nuuk. The idea is to use this capacity to produce electricity and split water into hydrogen and oxygen in the test hydrogen plant,” explained the energy director from Nukissiorfiit, Svend Hardenberg in his speech at the plant inauguration. “In periods with larger energy consumption, typically during winter, we convert the hydrogen to electricity and heat in the fuel cell system in the test plant. This way the hydrogen functions as a battery that stores energy for later use whenever needed. 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.”

Also at the hydrogen plant inauguration was the member of the Greenland Government for Houses, Infrastructure and Traffic, Jens B. Frederiksen. Among others he stated in his speech that: “Dependency of fossil fuels makes it necessary to conduct long term investments in new technology, knowledge build-up and a strong believe in new development opportunities such as hydro, wind, solar and hydrogen energy technologies. The Greenlandic Government has since 2006 earmarked funds on the national budget for research and development of renewable energy. This is also the initiative that has supported this hydrogen plant and in the future is to put focus on energy supply for arctic regions.”

Around 60% of the energy – electricity and heat – that Nukissiorfiit produces today for the entire country comes from hydro power. The remainder is produced by use of expensive and polluting diesel. Especially the small settlements are depended on diesel power, and where many of them do not have the opportunity for establishment of other means of renewable energy in larger scale. Further diesel power is also used as reserve power in cities that today is supplied with energy from hydro power plants.

With a continuous increase of production capacities of hydro power plants in combination with an aim for hydrogen and fuel cells, it may in long term be possible for Nukissiorfiit, to completely avoid use of diesel for electricity and heat production. Further the hydrogen can be used as fuel for the transportation sector and with the excessive potential for hydro power that the country posses, export of hydrogen may be a long term opportunity.

The test plant produces hydrogen by using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is stored for later conversion into electricity and heat in a fuel cell, whenever needed. The excess heat from both the hydrogen production and the fuel cell can be used for heating, while the electricity can be supplied to grid or used in the office building of Nukissiorfiit.
The plant also includes a compression and distribution system that enables storing of the hydrogen under pressure in distributable bulks. This way the hydrogen can be distributed to other cities and settlements in Greenland where it can be used for local energy production. The plant is also prepared for a future upgrade with a hydrogen refueling station, enabling use of hydrogen as fuel for transport.

The next phases of the project are already under planning. One of the ideas is to distribute hydrogen from the plant to a nearby settlement or alternately move the entire plant, as it has been designed to be moveable.