MOscow (MRC) -- Burckhardt Compression is cooperating with GRZ Technologies, a spin-off of Laboratory of Materials for Renewable Energy from EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland, to develop a new hydrogen compression technology, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.
It will be deployed in hydrogen fuel stations, hydrogen energy storage systems and other applications and will make use of thermal active metal hydrides. Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier that offers carbon-neutral energy for industry and mobility.
The Static Hydrogen Compressor from Burckhardt Compression operates without moving parts but with thermal active metal hydrides. The Static Hydrogen Compressor is based on the GRZ’s HYCO laboratory scale metal hydrides compression solution that is already in use for small amounts of hydrogen. Burckhardt Compression will scale up the solution for the new, strongly developing market of hydrogen re-fueling stations and hydrogen energy storage systems. These compressors operate with metal hydrides and will be designed for high-pressure solutions of 200, 350 and 700 bar.
The noise and vibration-free compressor is hermetically sealed from the environment and therefore operates without any gas leakage and can be used in sensitive areas. As the compressor is also completely oil-free, it can be used for hydrogen energy storage purposes too. Furthermore, thanks to its minimal moving parts design, this new compressor technology will be low maintenance.
“The increasing demand for gases like hydrogen as a carbon-neutral energy source creates promising market opportunities for Burckhardt Compression. We are therefore monitoring and exploring these developments very closely and initiating research activities in the relevant areas of application at such an early stage,” says Marcel Pawlicek, CEO Burckhardt Compression.
As MRC infromed earlier, Saudi Aramco and Air Products inaugurated the first hydrogen fueling station in Saudi Arabia at Air Products’ new Technology Center in the Dhahran Techno Valley Science Park. The pilot station will fuel an initial fleet of six Toyota Mirai fuel cell electric vehicles with high-purity compressed hydrogen.
Aramco and Total launched their USD5-billion Amiral JV project in October 2018. The steam cracker will be fed with a mixture of 50% ethane and refinery off-gases. It will supply ethylene to a downstream 1 MMt/y polyethylene manufacturing complex and other petrochemical products. The project aims to fully exploit operational synergies with the adjacent refinery, owned by Satorp, another JV between Aramco and Total. Third-party investors, including Daelim and Ineos, will locate plants at the value park adjacent to Amiral with a combined investment of USD4 billion. A final investment decision is expected in 2021.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,093,260 tonnes in 2019, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments rose from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).
Saudi Aramco is an integrated oil and chemicals company, a global leader in hydrocarbon production, refining processes and distribution, as well as one of the largest global oil exporters. It manages proven reserves of crude oil and condensate estimated at 261.1bn barrels, and produces 9.54 million bbl daily. Headquartered in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, the company employs over 61,000 staff in 77 countries.
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