There is a problem with the use of renewable energies: not always when the wind and the sun produce electricity is so much electricity needed - and not always when the demand for electricity is high is the sun shining or the wind blowing. Converted into hydrogen, energy can be stored. 2G Energy AG has developed combined heat and power plants that can run on hydrogen.
2G Energy AG from Heek is one of the leading international manufacturers of combined heat and power (CHP) plants for decentralised generation and supply of electricity and heat using CHP technology. 2G's product portfolio includes plants with an electrical output of between 20 kW and 4,500 kW for operation with natural gas, biogas and hydrogen.
The problem with renewable energies: sometimes the wind and the sun produce electricity even though it is not needed. And on other days, the demand for electricity is high, but neither the sun is shining nor the wind is blowing. This is why storage technologies are needed to bridge this time between generation and consumption. One possibility is power-to-gas technology: surplus electricity is used to produce a fuel gas such as hydrogen by means of electrolysis, which can be stored.
The combined heat and power plants often used in Germany use the principle of cogeneration: they simultaneously generate mechanical energy and usable heat. Can cogeneration plants also be operated with hydrogen produced from renewable sources? 2G Energy AG from Heek asked itself this question - and developed a solution.
2G Energy AG has developed gas engines that are used in hydrogen-powered combined heat and power plants. The highlight: CHP plants that have been operated with natural gas or biogas can be converted to hydrogen with little effort. This makes it possible to change the fuel even in plants that have already been installed. This is because all hydrogen-powered cogeneration units from 2G Energy are based on 2G's established gas engine technology. They are already being operated successfully by thousands of customers all over the world.
The company also provides its customers with the existing, close-knit service infrastructure: extensive digital, predictive maintenance and monitoring and control options for the installed CHP units. In this way, the running times of the plants can be increased around the globe.
Hydrogen produced and stored in a regenerative way can be converted into electricity and heat on demand in combined heat and power plants from 2G Energie. The solution developed is economical and can also be used for cogeneration plants that have already been built. In this way, seasonal fluctuations in electricity generation and consumption can be compensated for. Thanks to its flexibility, hydrogen CHP technology contributes significantly to the security of supply and the success of the energy transition. The first customer projects for hydrogen-powered CHP plants have already started.
As a regional joint initiative, Enabling Networks Münsterland supports companies and universities in the Münsterland region in developing innovations, implementing them and finding the right partners for the project. In order to show how innovative and at the same time cooperative Münsterland already is, the project also went in search of innovative cooperation projects from the region. The results are presented on this page. The Enabling Networks Münsterland project is funded by the European Union and the NRW Ministry of Economics as part of the ERDF call "Regio.NRW".
