Celebrating Project "Remote" In Norway

A success story of a Cummins (formerly Hydrogenics) Green hydrogen project to support renewable energy production & storage in remote communities, where Cummins provided the fuel cells and the electrolysers

DEMO NORWAY– Froan Island – (Norway): isolated micro-grid application; RES based on hybrid system with PV+Wind generators; residential loads + fish industry available on-site; avoided costs for new sub-marine power line; almost complete substitution of fossil fuels (RES > 95%). End-user: Trønder Energi (TE), utility.

The REMOTE systems realise a Power-to-Power concept, composed by low-temperature electrolysers (both alkaline and PEM), Lithium-ion batteries and pressurised hydrogen tanks for the energy storage section, and PEM fuel cells to produce electricity from the stored hydrogen. The hybrid battery-hydrogen solution exploits the cost-effective long-term storage capability of hydrogen that avoids the oversizing of battery, which is optimally sized for the short-term storage on a daily basis. All the components are integrated by converters and power electronics and operated by an Energy Management System. Data acquisition systems are installed to monitor the performance of each demonstrator.

Achievements and impacts

Numbers from the field are demonstrating the effectiveness of the hybrid storage. The systems are successfully operating with all the RES profiles and weather conditions, proving the capability of self-starting in very low temperatures at the Rye site. Here, in the first six months of operation, 60% of the local renewable electricity has been delivered to the user through the Power-to-Power system, that is effectively tackling the mismatch between renewable generation and demand. The demonstrator in Norway also won the technical challenge of the off-grid start-up of the wind turbine.

And the impacts go beyond the numbers of efficiency and emissions. Indeed, the system can be operated and maintained by local trained personnel with remote support – augmented reality smart glasses have been successfully tested at Rye as remote support tool – thus minimizing the need for in-person external support and creating local workplaces.

Besides the technical demonstration, REMOTE project is investigating the replicability of the concept – also outside EU – by addressing the environmental life cycle analysis and developing market and business analysis. Alternative scenarios in which the system provides green hydrogen as fuel for mobility or other applications outside the Power-to-Power chain are also being analyzed. With thousands of populated islands and mountain communities around the World that rely on diesel generators to produce electricity, the concept of REMOTE can potentially reach millions of people, for a potential installed capacity estimated in two GW/year and investments of 340 M€/year.

Technical, environmental, economic analysis documents, and more, can be found at the project website.

The REMOTE project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 779541. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe research.