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Stabilisation of the national grid using a hydrogen pipe network
From the additional electricity generation capacity from wind and solar, ever larger amounts of electricity become unsellable, especially if some power stations are still classified as must run. With the advent of fuel cells in the hydrogen network a new element for the generation of electricity is added. These fuel cells can be operated in a highly dynamic way. Normally these fuel cells produce electricity for the owners energy requirements. But the fuel cells can also feed in electricity to the grid using a multiple of their rated power. An explanation for this can be found here. The end user can also employ excess electricity for his entire energy consumption - also for heating. Customers with a fuel cell already own an electrical heater. Because energy required for heating is larger than that required for electricity, there is a huge potential for balancing out. Similar to the concept of demand site management hydrogen is produced quasi without loss. The appropriate framework must be created for the customer, so that it is attractive for him to use excess electricity from the grid. In a number of coastal regions there is a massive excess of wind generated electricity, which cannot be directed to the grid. In some very sparsely populated areas there are not enough people who can use the available electricity entirely for their own needs. In this case electrolysis is appropriate, which converts this electricity into hydrogen. Sufficiently dimensioned pipework for hydrogen is available almost everywhere. As shown elsewhere, electrolysis is the better way for everyone in order to reduce costs of electricity and heating. The stabilization of the electricity grid uses elements of power-to-gas and demand-site-management. However in contrast to these concepts no shadow power stations are needed and no investments in electricity storage solutions. This concept also has no significant energy losses. Stabilization of the electricity grid is just a synergy effect of the hydrogen economy.
Even a single small town with a hydrogen infrastructure can contribute more to the stabilization of the electricity grid than a large pump-driven reservoir power station.
In this concept biomass stored ahead of the hydrogen factory is really the electricity storage solution. This allows the production of hydrogen to be adjusted exactly to demand. That works exactly as it was in the era of coal, when the power stations adjusted to electricity demand by the second. Using hydrogen it is just simpler, because it does not have to be exactly down to the second, because the pipe network itself stores energy for hours - and the cavern reservoirs for months.
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