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National Grid has completed a ten-week trial of a hydrogen-powered backup generator for the modified 400kV substation at its Deeside Centre for Innovation in North Wales.
The company was testing the feasibility of using hydrogen-powered units (HPUs) as direct replacements for the diesel generators currently used to provide backup power for substation equipment such as cooling fans, pumps and lighting.
The unit supplied by GeoPura came in a transportable shipping container and can produce up to 100kW of power continuously and up to 250kW for 45 minutes.
National Grid said it was used 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to run the low-voltage equipment needed for its innovation projects and site operations at the “state-of-the-art” substation. It was fuelled with 100% green hydrogen stored in cannisters.
The company currently uses a combination of diesel engines and batteries to provide backup power at its 250 substation sites. Although they are rarely used and have less than a 1% of operating per year, National Grid said if hydrogen-powered generators replaced the 66 diesel engines at these sites, they would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 500 tonnes – or 90% – during a black start restoration of the transmission network.
Prem Ranjan, test engineer at Deeside Centre for Innovation, said: “The HPU has been tested for different load profiles including typical critical substation equipment. The trial results for electrical performance and environmental aspects along with hydrogen management at our substations will now be examined as viable zero-emission alternatives to diesel backup generators.”
Andrew Cunningham, managing director at GeoPura, said:” Backup power plays a critical role in the UK’s electricity transmission system, and this is a fantastic example of how hydrogen can be used to eliminate harmful environmental emissions in the event of a primary power loss.
“We are thrilled to have supported National Grid to undertake this comprehensive testing programme, providing a reliable, critically backed, zero-emission alternative to high polluting diesel generators.”
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