Electrical Power & Protection


Mitsubishi taps Emerson for hydrogen hub automation

Technews Industry Guide: Sustainable Manufacturing 2022 Electrical Power & Protection


Mitsubishi Power Americas has selected Emerson to automate the world’s largest green hydrogen production and storage facility. The industry-leading hub will help integrate renewable energy by producing and storing green hydrogen for long-duration energy storage. Mitsubishi Power will leverage Emerson’s hydrogen production experience and automation software expertise to increase safety, lower costs and simplify maintenance throughout the lifecycle of the facility.

Excess renewable energy generated during the winter and spring is difficult and costly to store in its native state for use during the peak summer season and, as a result, is wasted. The Advanced Clean Energy Storage hub will use renewable electricity to power electrolysers to produce green hydrogen. The produced hydrogen will be stored underground in salt caverns so that it can be dispatched when required to generate clean electricity from hydrogen-fuelled turbines, which will help stabilise the grid with sustainable sources and create a new pathway to decarbonisation of the western United States.

“Generating, storing and transmitting electricity with zero carbon emissions is critical to meeting the world’s sustainable power generation needs,” said Michael Ducker, senior vice president of Hydrogen Infrastructure for Mitsubishi Power Americas and president of Advanced Clean Energy Storage I. “Emerson’s hydrogen expertise and digitally connected architecture design will help shorten the time to start-up, while also developing a safe, reliable and easily scalable transmission system to meet our goals for renewable energy production and storage.”

The Advanced Clean Energy Storage hub will convert renewable energy through the 220 MW electrolyser bank to produce up to 100 tons of green hydrogen per day. The facility will have storage for 300 GWh of energy in two salt caverns. By comparison, the battery storage capacity across the United States is 2 GWh via lithium-ion batteries. The Advanced Clean Energy Storage hub has space for up to 100 caverns.

This first-of-its-kind integrated facility will provide short- and long-duration hydrogen storage for use during peak seasons and throughout the year at the nearby 840 MW Intermountain Power Project (IPP Renewed). IPP Renewed will use 30% hydrogen fuel (by volume) in Mitsubishi Power M501JAC gas turbines at start-up, transitioning to 100% by 2045. Emerson and Mitsubishi are collaborating on digital solutions for IPP Renewed to optimise plant performance, improve reliability and create cleaner, more reliable power.

“One of the most complex issues in power distribution is successfully managing variability of demand and supply to reduce stress on the grid,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson’s power and water business. “Mitsubishi Power has successfully leveraged the digital automation stack to develop an innovative, sustainable way to solve that problem, enabling providers to consistently use peak-production renewable energy in peak-consumption hours.”

Mitsubishi Power will use Emerson’s Ovation integrated control and safety platform to optimise the hub’s production efficiency and help ensure safe operations. The Ovation platform will provide reliable control and monitoring of the renewable hydrogen production process and emergency shutdown, fire and gas protection.

The platform will also gather and contextualise data from the plant’s wide variety of third-party systems to help eliminate complexity and risk. Emerson’s PACSystems RSTi-EP I/O will provide easier field connectivity and help facilitate project changes without extending timelines or increasing cost, while AMS Device Manager will help monitor the health of plant assets to improve safety, reliability, efficiency and sustainability.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Rail electrification and EV solutions for integrated transport systems
Electrical Power & Protection
A comprehensive range of solutions for rail electrification and electric vehicles is available from leading technology provider ABB, contributing significantly to integrated and sustainable transport systems.

Read more...
PPS delivers containerised distribution board for Western Cape hybrid power project
Electrical Power & Protection
South African electrical enclosure specialist Power Process Systems has successfully completed the design, fabrication and commissioning of a 4000 A containerised distribution board for a wind/PV solar hybrid renewable energy project on a site in the Western Cape.

Read more...
The choice of a thermal carrier is critical for optimal processing
Electrical Power & Protection
Historically steam, fuelled by coal, has been the most prevalent thermal carrier in South African industry. However, times are changing, with the manufacturing and processing sector needing to review the energy reticulation systems and thermal carriers currently in use.

Read more...
ABB’s blueprint for a net zero future
Electrical Power & Protection
ABB’s Mission to Zero is a strategic initiative aimed at achieving a sustainable future characterised by zero emissions, zero accidents and zero waste.

Read more...
How South Africa’s transformer manufacturing industry can fill a gaping infrastructure gap
ACTOM Electrical Machines Electrical Power & Protection
South Africa’s energy transition is accelerating the demand for power transformers. However, this shift toward renewable energy is exposing a critical infrastructure gap: a severe shortage of transformers.

Read more...
General-purpose 350 W AC-DC power supply
Electrical Power & Protection
The TDK-Lambda GUS350 series of compact single-output general-purpose power supplies addresses the need for an economically priced product while maintaining reliability and quality.

Read more...
Ground-breaking battery tester
Comtest Electrical Power & Protection
Midtronics offers the proven MVT handheld battery tester. This revolutionary tool, powered by MDX-AI, is set to redefine the standards of battery diagnostics and testing in the automotive industry.

Read more...
Green hydrogen could be the missing link in powering the future of technology
Electrical Power & Protection
Green hydrogen has numerous applications across multiple industries. It also has the potential to provide a clean energy source to power future technology, with far-reaching implications for both industry and society.

Read more...
Energy audits pave the pathway to sustainability and savings
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical Power & Protection
Energy audits serve as essential tools for businesses looking to reduce costs and meet environmental targets. By analysing energy consumption across systems such as lighting, HVAC, ICT and water infrastructure, audits identify inefficiencies and quantify carbon footprints, enabling data-driven decisions for operational and financial optimisation.

Read more...
Passive fire protection for lithium-ion battery risks
Electrical Power & Protection
In response to the growing threat posed by lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery fires, a breakthrough passive fire protection solution is now available in South Africa.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved