GKN Hydrogen commissions hydrogen-powered energy storage system in Italy
GKN Hydrogen, a global technology leader in metal hydride hydrogen storage, has successfully commissioned an innovative energy storage solution to provide emergency power for the communication facility on Ratsberg in the municipality of Toblach (South Tyrol, Italy).
At the beginning of August 2023, the Provincial Office for Civil Protection within the Civil Protection Agency placed the order, as the communication facility from the 1980s was too small and previously had no emergency power.
The innovative and decentralized solution from GKN Hydrogen will ensure a sustainable and reliable emergency power supply. The primary challenge for the client is to maintain communication with public institutions during weather-related power outages, thereby ensuring the uninterrupted safety of the population.
In such situations, the hydrogen-powered energy storage system from GKN Hydrogen will be used. The system is designed for a continuous electrical output of 10 kW and provides emergency power for up to four days or 96 hours. This is sufficient to operate the communication tower without interruption until the normal power supply is restored. The hydrogen, produced using grid electricity and electrolysis, is stored almost loss-free as a solid in metal powder for years. When needed, an integrated fuel cell converts the stored hydrogen back into electricity, which then operates the communication facility.
Matthias Innerbicher said, “This successfully implemented project represents our first reference in the area of emergency power supply for critical infrastructures. It is a significant step towards a sustainable and emission-free emergency power supply and serves as a use case for future projects to support critical infrastructures, such as rescue services and firefighting operations. The system can be remotely controlled and updated by our service team, ensuring operational readiness at all times. This is particularly important in such remote locations.”
