Development and manufacture of Renewable Energy Storage solutions

What is the key challenge for decarbonizing industry and meeting our climate goals? Renewable energy generation is increasing but it cannot offer the security and stability of traditional energy without a dependable storage system. Power-to-Gas technology and Renewable Energy Storage systems are at the core of the EU’s efforts to make renewable energy dependable and secure enough to make the transition. In this article we discuss recent developments and the ways in which Antonius is working with companies to develop and efficiently manufacture Renewable Energy Storage applications.

The Paris climate agreement of 2015 has united countries for the purpose of keeping the world’s temperature increase below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and try their hardest to keep it to 1.5°C. In December 2019, the European Commission has presented a set of policy initiatives aiming at ensuring the European Union becomes climate neutral by 2050. The pathways that would lead to this objective have one challenge in common: how do we securely store renewably generated energy?

Importance of renewable energy storage

The market that we call Renewable Energy Storage (RES) is looking to reliably store energy produced by renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic and onshore or offshore wind power. This type of energy production is not predictable enough to offer adequate levels of supply at all times, so the energy that is being generated needs to be stored to allow for later use. Power-to-gas technologies (PtG) seem  to be a key development that will allow us to store energy safely. Using the renewably produced energy to generate hydrogen or methane that can later be used to generate energy also offers significant advantages compared to battery technology.

Now that PtG is proven to be an important technology, the European Commission writes:

An appropriate deployment of energy storage technologies is of primary importance for the transition towards an energy system that heavily relies on variable RES technologies to be a success – (source: https://op.europa.eu)

Renewable energy storage using liquid air, hydrogen or ammonia

The key concept of renewable energy storage is the use of renewably generated energy to generate a compound that can later be used to generate electricity. The least complex is the so-called Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) where air is cooled until it liquifies so that it can later be restored to its gaseous state to turn a turbine. That same energy can also be used to generate hydrogen by the electrolysis of water, using it in a combustion engine or fuel cell to generate electricity when needed. Ammonia also looks promising; it can be the state in which hydrogen is transported since it requires less cooling and is therefore cheaper to transport than hydrogen itself. Ammonia is possibly also a good alternative fuel for large ships, further limiting the climate impact of transportation. Hydrogen is considered by many to be the most promising compound for use in a PtG process.

Storing energy: pressure vessels

Pressure vessels are at the core of storing and transporting renewable energy. Whether it is at a ship, at PtG locations or at transfer stations, pressure vessels are necessary every step of the way. Antonius has been manufacturing vessel heads for decades and has a wide range of experience with (exotic) materials, shapes,  design codes and construction. For this new and rapidly developing market, Antonius is helping companies develop applications to store and retrieve  substances effectively. Working with Antonius, companies can confidently move their proven RES process forward and work on getting their solution to market.

But our work is not limited to the production of pressure vessels. Antonius has been expanding its services and is now offering engineering and project management services that add significant value for our customers. By working directly with process engineers, for example, we provide invaluable insights into the manufacturability and consequences of design choices concerning, among others, material selection and construction. Together, we arrive at the optimal design for the specific renewable energy storage solution that is being developed. Which means that your product will be produced more cost-efficiently and has a good time-to-market.

Working with Antonius

“Our production capabilities are unique in Europe,” says Rob Derix, Commercial Director of Antonius. “Combined with our knowledge of materials, construction and production processes we are the partner for customers looking  to get their product to market. We help them consider manufacturability early on in the development process, manufacture prototypes, and take responsibility for series production. Our services are tailored to the demands of customers that are themselves working on the most difficult challenges, we take care of the rest.”

Would you like to know more about Antonius’ approach and capabilities? Please contact Rob Derix and his sales team through sales@antonius.nl or +31 (0)475 439 000.