World’s first: Hitachi Energy powers up construction site with hydrogen genset

There’s an odd irony in utility-scale construction: working for the power company doesn’t always mean you have power. That lack of accessible grid power makes it tough to fully decarbonize some construction sites, no matter how committed they are to reducing emissions. That’s where Hitachi Energy’s new HyFlex hydrogen generator comes in, offering off-grid charging without the harmful emissions of diesel.

Hitachi Energy successfully deployed its first-ever customer HyFlex hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) generator in Rotterdam, Netherlands, where the generator will replace an equivalent diesel generator producing 500-kilovolt-amperes (kVA). In doing so, the HyFlex-powered construction site will save 200,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year, and reduce the company’s carbon-dioxide emissions by ~2,900 tons.

Like an automotive fuel cell, the HyFlex generator delivers electricity and usable heat with almost no noise, and each mWh of power requires about 70 kg of hydrogen (compared to just over 70 gallons of diesel for the same amount, which would produce more than 700 kg of CO₂).

“At Hitachi Energy, we are committed to providing innovative solutions and technologies that inspire the next era of sustainable energy,” explains Marco Berardi Head of Grid & Power Quality Solutions and Service, Hitachi Energy. “We recognize that the entire energy ecosystem needs to move in the same direction. We are proud to have showcased HyFlex in the Netherlands, thanks to a unique collaboration with key industry players.”

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Those industry players include Air Products, one of the world’s largest hydrogen suppliers, Dura Vermeer, a leader in sustainable and innovative construction solutions, and (of course) Hitachi Construction Machinery.

You’re not gonna believe this

Hitachi makes lots of stuff, and lots of different kinds of stuff. One kind of stuff it makes is highly capable construction equipment – just like the Hitachi ZE135 electric excavator. It’s just one of the big, battery-powered heavy equipment assets that’s set to be charged by the HyFlex generator on the Dura Vermeer site in Rotterdam.

The 15-ton Hitachi ZE135 ships with a 298 kWh battery and packs a 160 kW electric motor. The quiet, energy-efficient combination that’s good for up to six hours of continuous operation.

Hitachi plans to have a full zero-emission “ecosystem” on display at the Dura Vermeer pilot site, with plans to deploy similar low carbon ecosystems in noise-and pollution-sensitive areas like hospitals, critical data centers, disaster relief efforts, or shore-to-ship power applications.

No word on what Dura Vermeer paid for their HyFlex.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Hitachi, via Equipment World; FCW.

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