BMWi

The Energy Export Initiative is conducting a new study to analyse the potential of supplying power to mines using renewable energies. The emerging mining nations of Mali and Senegal serve as an example of how this can be done.

The mining of industrial and precious metals, rare earth elements and precious stones is a very energy-intensive process. Pressure is growing on international mining companies to make greater use of renewable energies to power mines. Pollutive power generators run on heavy fuel oil, diesel and gas have traditionally been used to supply remote locations that are not connected to national grids – until now. Initial projects carried out using solar and wind energy to provide the base load supply to mines have been a success.

“The mining sector in Africa offers huge market potential for German companies. As one of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters, it at the same time offers huge potential for the use of environmentally friendly energy technologies,” says Christina Wittek, Head of Division for the Energy Export Initiative at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). (GTAI/Si.)

The German government has set itself the goal of rapidly expanding its renewable energies as part of the energy transition. Sun and wind, however, are subject to fluctuations in relation to the weather, and are not geared towards demand and market requirements. To offset these fluctuations and guarantee that the power supply can meet demands, high-performance energy-storage systems will be needed in the future. Pioneers of battery storage technology are entering the “Innovative Solid Battery” project outline in the “Living Labs for the Energy Transition” ideas competition staged by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and want to replace conventional lithium-ion batteries with new technology.

High Performance Battery Technology GmbH, headquartered in Bonn, the Essen-based company STEAG GmbH, the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and five further partners from the fields of science and industry have joined forces and submitted a corresponding project outline to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs. The federal government wants the “Living Labs for the Energy Transition” competition to promote energy storage in the electricity sector. The storage is to be tested in a real-world environment and enable integration of renewable energy into the energy system.

As an operator of six large-scale battery systems, STEAG is already leading the way. The energy company has been developing vital expertise since 2016 as one of Europe’s largest storage operators. STEAG’s storage batteries are already being used to offset frequency fluctuations in the grid, caused by the increased supply of volatile renewable energies. Within seconds, the large-scale storage batteries can extract excess energy from the grid, or feed the required energy into it.

The objective of the “Innovative Solid Battery” project is to develop and test a new battery technology to replace the conventional lithium-ion battery. “The high-tech batteries boast an extremely impressive and unique combination of performance data,” says Günther Hambitzer, CEO and chair of the board of High Performance Battery Holding AG, based in Switzerland. They are non-flammable, deep-discharge-proof, long-lasting, and there is no raw material shortage. They also have an almost constant capacity with almost constant internal resistance, considerably better for the environment than conventional lithium-ion batteries (50 % less CO₂ equivalent over their life cycle).

The project findings will be used in a wide range of applications:

• network stability and flexibility options;
• stationary network buffering for electromobility as an infrastructure to support charging stations;
• home storage;
• applications for an uninterruptible power supply; and
• power tools and consumer electronics.

“The battery size can range from container storage with a capacity of several megawatt hours down to small batteries of fractions of a kilowatt hour,” concludes Hambitzer. (STEAG/Si.)

With the phase-out of nuclear power production in 2022 and the planned end of coal-fired power generation in 2038, one thing is certain: Wind and solar energy will be the main pillars of electricity supply in Germany in the future. However, both renewable energy sources are subject to weather-related fluctuations. As an energy medium, hydrogen can balance out these fluctuations and thus become an important building block for a successful energy transition. For this reason, Essen/Germany-based STEAG GmbH’s power station site in Völklingen-Fenne, Saarland/Germany, is to be expanded to include the “Fenne HydroHub”, where hydrogen is to be produced on an industrial scale.

STEAG GmbH, Siemens AG, the Institute for Future Energy and Material Flow Systems (IZES gGmbH), and the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI GmbH) are entering the “Fenne HydroHub” project outline in the “Living Labs for the Energy Transition” ideas competition staged by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). Through this competition, the German government is aiming to accelerate the expansion of hydrogen technologies and the establishment of integrated energy solutions, and make them ready for the market.

Electricity-based hydrogen production (electrolysis) based on renewable energy sources will play a key role. Electricity from wind and solar power is used to split water into oxygen and so-called “green hydrogen” by electrolysis. The hydrogen can then be used as a substitute for fossil fuels, making energy production CO₂-free. For energy-intensive industries such as steel and chemicals, the use of hydrogen can be a decisive step towards better environmental compatibility and climate neutrality.

With the “Fenne HydroHub”, the four partners in the project want to create a prototype that can also be constructed at other locations across Germany. In addition to reducing CO₂ emissions, this will also create new jobs. A decision as to whether the partners can submit a firm application for funding in the second phase of the competition is expected at the end of June 2019. The project partners estimate an investment volume in the mid two-digit million range.

The Fenne energy hub provides optimum conditions for gathering experience in the operation and commercial use of the electrolysis process in an industrial laboratory. Not only does the site have the necessary electricity, gas, heat and storage infrastructure, it is also home to qualified employees who are already actively shaping the energy transition with their expertise. In addition, there is the geographical proximity to the Saarland steel industry as a possible customer for hydrogen. Furthermore, a link is to be established with the transport sector for hydrogen-powered vehicles.

The four partners are breaking new ground in Fenne, where the interaction of various components and systems is being tested on an industrial scale for the first time. A new electrolyser, a large hydrogen storage tank and a new high-temperature heat pump come together with an existing large-scale battery system, a mine gas engine cogeneration plant and an electrode boiler at the energy hub. This means that all the necessary connections to electricity, heat and gas networks are available and usable. In addition, STEAG is considering the construction of a combined cycle power plant at the Fenne site, in which hydrogen can be converted back to electricity on a large scale in a gas turbine. (STEAG/Si.)

Since 1st February 2019, Andreas Feicht has been the new Secretary of State for Energy in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), Berlin. Feicht was previously head of the Wuppertaler Stadtwerke.

On 1st August 2015, Ulrich Benterbusch, who had been Managing Director at the German Energy Agency (dena) Berlin since October 2014, returned to the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), where he is managing sub-department II B, Heating and Efficiency in Industry and Private Households and Sustainability Mobility.