The Netherlands – H2B2, a global hydrogen energy technology business, and PowiDian, a French technology firm with expertise in hydrogen system integration, are cooperating to equip the upcoming Rijnstate hospital in Elst, The Netherlands, with a system that will cover up to 60% of the facility’s energy demands.
H2B2 will deliver an EL20N electrolyzer to PowiDian in March 2023 as part of a P2P system to supply electricity by mixing solar PV and hydrogen. P2P systems leverage the potential of renewable energies, in this example, solar photovoltaic energy, by minimizing its principal barrier: certain production peaks are squandered due to energy production not matching demand.
The project will also contain a 100-kW fuel cell and two Powidian-supplied storage tanks with a capacity of 100 kg of H2.
During the day, the hospital will thus use the electrical energy generated by the photovoltaic panels. If the production exceeds the needs of the center, the H2B2 electrolyzer will convert it to hydrogen, which will be stored in tanks. During the night, or when the PV power source is insufficient to operate the hospital, the fuel cell will convert the stored hydrogen into electrical energy.
Decarbonizing healthcare
This collaboration between H2B2 and PowiDian with the Rijnstate hospital is one of the first examples of how the healthcare industry is also participating in the decarbonization transition. The project will save 42,000 m3 of gas every year for a total savings of around 600,000 m3 over the following 15 years. During this time, 2 million kg of CO2 will not be emitted.
The hydrogen plant at the Rijnstate hospital is part of the Green Deal reached between the Dutch government and the healthcare industry. Within this framework, the hospital has established a goal of using 49% renewable energy by 2030 and 95% by 2050, as well as encouraging environmental sustainability in the surrounding areas.
