The first green hydrogen production test plant in Furnas (Furnas Centrais Elétricas) was inaugurated on Wednesday (8) at the Itumbiara hydroelectric plant (MG/GO).
The project combines the construction of photovoltaic solar power plants, both fixed on the ground (800 kWp) and floating structures (200 kWp), as well as energy storage plants using lithium batteries and green hydrogen, which perform generation and storage of hydrogen from the electrolysis of water.
The inauguration ceremony of the project, part of the strategic R&D project of ANEEL (National Electric Energy Agency), was attended by the Minister of Mines and Energy, Bento Albuquerque, and the company's president, Clovis Torres.
Named “Development of synergy between hydroelectric and solar sources with seasonal and intermittent energy storage in hydrogen and electrochemical systems – SHSBH2”, this R&D project is the result of a partnership between Furnas and the company Base Energia Sustentável, associated with Unesp (Paulista State University); Unicamp (University of Campinas); Senai (National Industrial Learning Service); University of Brandenburg (Germany) – academic institution with experience in hydrogen storage; and PV Solar, a partner company experienced in implementing photovoltaic systems.
The use of reservoirs for the production and storage of photovoltaic energy represents another step in the use of a renewable source, such as sunlight, in a sustainable and economically viable way. This work allows the company's plants to be transformed into hybrid units, generating hydroelectric and solar energy.
The generation of green hydrogen is a technology that has already been mastered, so part of the innovation of this project is the study of how to store and dispatch the electricity generated to meet the demand of the electrical system, which varies throughout the day, and the insertion of electricity in the SIN (National Interconnected System).
The Itumbiara Hydroelectric Plant was chosen because it presents the best rates for photovoltaic solar generation, in relation to the other units in Furnas, and because it has a suitable reservoir for installing photovoltaic panels on floating structures.
The solar energy generated at the new plant will total 1.000 kWp. To install the photovoltaic plant, BASE Energia Sustentável used 10 SMA Sunny High Power SHP75-10 inverters, 8 of them in the ground plant and two in the floating plant, located closest to the dam. Two SMA Inverter Manager IM-20 monitoring systems are also being used, in addition to 11 SMA String Combiner Box 100MB16F230.
Check out the equipment and details of the R&D project at the Itumbiara Hydroelectric Plant:
- 10 SMA Sunny High Power SHP75-10 solar inverters;
- 2 SMA Inverter Manager IM-20 monitoring systems;
- 10 SMA String Combiner box 100MB16F230;
- 1 WEG 600 kWh battery bank;
- 1 Hydrogenics Alkaline Electrolyzer;
- 1 Hydrogenics Fuel Cell;
- 2.564 Trina Solar Panels 390W each, totaling 1MWp;
- 1 Set of Politec fixing structures fixed to the ground;
- 1 Set of floating structures developed by BASE.
Initially, the production will not be sold, but destined for the unit's Auxiliary Services System, such as lighting, sockets, ventilation, etc. The transmission of this energy will leave the plant to the 13,8 kV bus of the Hydroelectric Plant's own substation through the aerial and underground networks.
After proving the efficiency of the project and its collaboration in the diversification of the Brazilian energy matrix, Furnas may choose to include the Itumbiara project in its electricity generation matrix.
