Hydrogen in industrial processes
Hydrogen produced from renewable sources, besides meeting the industrial demand for natural gas and coal as a valid alternative energy source, is also used as a raw material in numerous industrial applications. Thanks to its experience along the entire hydrogen supply chain, Kiwa can support many industrial sectors in improving the sustainability of energy-intensive processes, using hydrogen both as an alternative energy source and as an industrial raw material.
Current and potential uses of Hydrogen in the Industrial Sector
Hydrogen is already used in the production of ammonia, which is needed to make fertilizers and plastics. Oil refineries also use hydrogen to remove sulphur from crude oil (hydrotreating) and to convert heavier hydrocarbons to lighter hydrocarbons (hydrocracking) to get more gasoline from crude oil.
In the chemical industry, blast furnaces and refineries, many processes require a high temperature to obtain the necessary reactions. Currently, such temperatures are achieved by the combustion of natural gas. Hydrogen also burns at high temperatures and is a viable alternative in applications requiring temperatures above 250°C.
Power to Gas Systems
Sustainable power generation from renewable sources does not have a constant pace, so energy supply and demand are not always in balance. Power to Gas (P2G) systems allow excess energy to be stored. This solution is particularly appropriate for seasonal storage, where energy storage is more useful than battery storage (which is more suitable for short-term storage). The hydrogen produced in a P2G system could be used in a controllable gas plant to generate power as needed.
Kiwa services for Hydrogen industry
Kiwa, thanks to our experience in the gas sector and the wide knowledge obtained in recent years at national and international level, can support the industrial sector with the following services:
- Certification Pressure Equipment Directive, Inspection and Certification (PED)
- Non-destructive testing
- Testing and Certification to ensure quality, safety and performance of high-pressure components, e.g. process and storage tanks
- Independent verification of safety regulations for industrial Hydrogen handling and storage
- Economic and Technical feasibilities for the development and optimization of hydrogen use in the industrial hubs, including demand and supply matching and optimization
- Quality, Safety and Technical assessment on Power2x technologies
- Economic and Technical feasibilities of Hydrogen conversion into different Hydrogen carriers (e.g., hydrocarbons, methanol, ammonia etc)
- Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive, Inspection and Certification (TPED).
- Environmental safety of hydrogen plants
- Risks Assessments for hydrogen projects
- Support for retrofitting for burners to H2 and/or enriched air combustion