Europe Forms Power-to-Gas Alliance

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Eleven leading European companies from the gas and energy sectors have joined forces to develop Power-to-Gas (P2G) technology which will allow for the conversion of renewable power into gas.

The North Sea Power to Gas Platform will focus its efforts in the North Sea and surrounding countries where the generating capacity of offshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) power is growing rapidly. The group is aiming to take any surplus renewable energy - which would otherwise be wasted - and convert it into gases which can be used for a variety of purposes, from power generation to transportation, domestic heating, and as feedstock for the chemical industry. For instance, hydrogen - and with further processing , methane - can be produced from surplus wind energy by a process of electrolysation. The hydrogen produced can be stored in the existing natural gas network for later use.

The Platform estimates that offshore windfarms on the North Sea could reach around 100,000-megawats (MW) by 2030, while solar PV capacity installed in the countries surrounding the North Sea is expected to increase from 35,000 MW last year to about 60,000 MW in 2020.

"The establishment of the North Sea Power to Gas Platform is an important step in the transition towards a sustainable energy system", explained Lukas Grond, P2G expert at DNV KEMA and secretary of the Platform. "I am pleased that this group of reputed companies has joined forces to bring this technology a step further into the global energy market."

The P2G Platform is made up of testing & certification company, DNV KEMA, Fluxys Belgium and Hydrogenics (Belgium); Energinet.dk and Maersk Oil (Denmark); Alliander, Gasunie and TenneT (Netherlands); ITM Power and National Grid (U.K.); and Open Grid Europe (Germany).

The share of electricity from renewable sources in the European electricity mix is increasing, the group explained. However, power from wind and solar can fluctuate wildly and matching that with demand can be 'challenging.' The group is aiming to use the long-established gas pipeline infrastructure.

"It can accommodate large volumes of electricity converted into gas, in case that the supply of renewable power is larger than the grid capacity or than the electricity demand," stated P2G Platform. "As a result, P2G enables the share of renewables in the energy mix to increase, making this innovation an important topic in achieving a carbon-neutral gas supply in 2050".

The Platform will be working with the European Gas Research Group (GERG), the Mediterranean Power2Gas Platform (currently being established), as well as shipping companies, NGO's, utilities, energy technology providers, Transmission System Operators and Distribution System Operators.

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