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Fuel Cells There is excitement in the power generation sector surrounding the potential for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and their role in stationary energy storage. Solid oxide fuel cells convert the chemical energy stored in the incoming fuel to electric energy and thermal energy (heat), without the need for combustion. While the SOFC technology was developed to run on hydrogen, it can operate on a variety of fuels, including natural gas and biomethane, and the systems can be scaled from a few kilowatts to several megawatts. As a bonus, the waste heat that is a byproduct of electricity production can be captured and used for other purposes, such as space heating or water heating, further enhancing the system’s energy efficiency. SOFC systems are highly scalable. They take the form of single cells that come together to form stacks and stacks that come together to form the power generation modules. They can be moved between different locations and scaled, meaning they can be adapted to the existing infrastructure. Similar to batteries, fuel cell technology is also transferable from other industries such as the automotive sector and can be adopted within the power generation sector. As a major challenge in adoption of fuel cell or hydrogen technology, so is the availability of fuel. SOFCs are relatively expensive and the availability, production and infrastructure to support abundance of ‘green’ hydrogen fuel. All current technologies can produce ‘grey’ hydrogen which carries a carbon footprint in its production process. Over the next decade, one of the key focus areas in the industry is the generation of ‘sustainable green hydrogen fuel’ and building an ecosystem to transport it through the world’s networks. There are several key players in the market focused on fixing this problem. A recent market report by PWC suggests that the global green hydrogen market is expected to grow from an estimated $160 billion in 2022 to $263.5 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 10.5% between 2022 and 2027. According to a recent report from Blackbridge Research and Consulting; a number of key players including Shell, Adani Group, Linde and Sinopec are focused on the hydrogen generation market. In addition to this, Cummins are producing their modular and scalable water hydrolyser solutions which are key enablers for the new hydrogen economy and a new era in the industry [13] .
Alternative Technologies Batteries Battery technology is constantly improving, and researchers are developing new types of batteries that are more efficient, have higher energy densities and are longer lasting. With the automotive industry taking the lead in battery development; there is a distinct overlap on the lower end of the power generation market, where technology could be well suited from the automotive industry. However, the reliability of the system, power density and charging time remain a challenge for the power generation industry that relies on uptime as a key principle. Some other challenges confront the battery industry: storage time, degradation and recycling. Due to these restrictions; battery or energy storage systems remain constrained to very limited use (< 2 hours) in applications such as peak shaving, bridging power and ramp rate control. This technology can currently aid a primary backup power source but cannot reliably displace the mainstream options. Lithium-ion battery arrays can smooth out the gaps in wind or solar generation but only for a few hours at a time, typically between four and eight. Longer-lasting alternatives will be needed to handle grid services when the grid is saturated with wind and solar. One of the most promising energy storage technologies to emerge in recent times is thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells. In these ‘heat batteries’, a storage material is heated up and TPV technology converts the very long, low-energy infrared radiation emitted by heat to electricity when it is needed. In the U.S, TPV pioneer Antora is using an array of insulated solid carbon blocks as the heat storage medium and claims its systems can provide days’ worth of power. The complex chemistry of batteries and the lack of an efficient recycling infrastructure presents a consideration around the expense of disposing of, than to manufacture. [12] ALASTAIR MCQUEEN: RECYCLING IS THE BIG CHALLENGE Batteries are definitely seen as a green alternative but when it scales up, the focus will be on recycling and the ‘greenness’ of the battery lifecycle. Also, batteries are sensitive to temperature, they degrade in efficiency after a few years and there’s a concern over efficiently recovering the materials they use and how they can be recovered.
30 | Winter 2025 POWERLINE
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