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Honda R&D Europe confirm next stage of Smart Company concept with installation of green H2 production system
Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) have confirmed the development of a green H2 production facility at its base in Offenbach, Germany. This latest installation will harness surplus solar energy from photovoltaic arrays to make green H2 through electrolysis.
This new investment marks the latest stage in the operation’s Smart Company concept, a testbed with the purpose to develop and test new technologies aimed at maximizing the use of renewable energy.
Overview of Smart Company concept
Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH and the Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH inaugurated the Smart Company concept in 2017. This special facility aims to:
- Develop simulation models and methods for large-scale energy system optimization.
- Develop and test Honda technology under European market conditions.
- Assess new business models and research new smart energy management solutions.
- Define and develop integrated Energy Management Systems and smart e-mobility applications.
The site combines a total of 749 kilowatts peak (kWp) of self-generated solar energy from multiple photovoltaic arrays, a second life battery storage unit, advanced uni-directional Honda Power Charger S+ (4G), bi-directional Honda Power Manager smart chargers, and several electric and H2 powered vehicles. All of which are connected to an Energy Management System developed by Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH. The Smart Company will allow for the testing of developing technologies and systems on site.
Onsite production and use of green H2
This year, Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH and Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH will further enhance its Energy Management System to also include the production and use of green H2 whenever surplus electricity is produced from photovoltaic arrays. Instead of curtailing the renewable energy, surplus electricity is produced into green H2 through electrolysis.
The decentralized generation of renewable H2 from surplus electricity is an efficient way to directly use renewable energy in the transport sector. In addition to CO2-neutral operation of the vehicles, it also enables low H2 production costs. However, this potential is limited by the fluctuating availability of H2 and the high energy costs from the refueling process. Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH has therefore developed a refueling concept for H2 vehicles.
The focus here is on refueling windows, which allow H2 vehicles to be refueled in a needs-based and energy-efficient manner, depending on the availability of renewable H2. The resulting CO2 and cost reduction potentials ultimately represent an incentive for the use of renewable H2 in vehicle fleets. Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH’s refueling concept is funded by Electromobility program of German Federal State of Hesse (HA project no.: 1002/21-04) with a support of HA Hessen Agentur GmbH.
To verify findings and to validate the H2 refueling concept, Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH is currently installing necessary hardware including an electrolyzer, a low-pressure H2 storage unit, compressor equipment, a high-pressure storage unit and an experimental H2 refueling station within its premises.
Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH is partnering with ARTELIA, Wenger Engineering GmbH, H-TEC Systems and Noord-tec for installation of hardware allowing for flexible production and use of H2. The Smart Company will be updated within the first half of 2023.
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