As a European innovator in heating technologies, the ELCO team has been working hard to develop products that will contribute to a sustainable future worldwide. Hydrogen will play a crucial role in the energy transition towards net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
If we are to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions worldwide by 2050, using fossil fuels to heat homes, offices and buildings is no longer an option.
That's why we need to look for alternative energy sources with little or no CO2 emissions – and hydrogen is one of the most promising options, especially for commercial and public buildings that are connected to the gas grid.
The three main classes of hydrogen are blue, green and grey, depending on how it is produced. The heating industry works with blue hydrogen, which has a third of the CO2 emissions of natural gas. It is produced from natural gas, usually by steam methane reforming (SMR) or autothermal reforming (ATR) with CO2 capture and storage. Green hydrogen is the most sustainable because it is produced using renewable energy generators (such as wind and solar farms) to split water into its component parts (hydrogen and oxygen) using electrolysis.
As a low-emission heat source, hydrogen can be integrated into the gas supply for boilers. Hydrogen is particularly attractive because there is no recognisable difference in the supply of many of its properties. A boiler will continue to be used for heating and hot water in a similar way to the past.
The first (planned) step towards the integration of hydrogen in heating systems is the introduction of a mixture with up to 20% hydrogen in the gas supply network. Test projects have already been carried out in the UK, among other places, in which current gas boilers were successfully operated with a 20:80 mixture. This proves that this mixture is a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative to natural gas.
The infrastructure for the hydrogen grid and the electricity grid, as well as large-scale seasonal hydrogen storage and small-scale day-night electricity storage, will all be essential to achieve a sustainable, reliable, emission-free and cost-effective energy system.
Hydrogen Europe outlines how supply can come from a mix of sources. The exact split of production methods may vary from application to application depending on cost assumptions and technological developments, but electrolysis, pyrolysis and steam reforming/autothermal reforming with carbon dioxide capture and storage (SMR/ATR with CCS) are likely to play crucial roles. Carbon dioxide capture is particularly important as it prevents harmful emissions from being released back into the atmosphere.
Hydrogen carriers (e.g. ammonia, synthetic methane, liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC)) can be used to transport and distribute renewable energy over longer distances without having to transport large volumes of gas. Their production requires further conversion, but they offer advantages such as a much higher energy density, better compatibility with end uses and lower costs. This is crucial for the integration of hydrogen into heating networks, as Europe will need to import its renewable energy from the best wind and solar locations worldwide to achieve its decarbonisation target.
Currently, the commercial boilers THISION® L PLUS, TRIGON® L PLUS and TRIGON® XL can already be operated with an admixture of 20% hydrogen, and further boilers will follow. The company's engineers are currently developing a new boiler that can run on 100% hydrogen. This will soon be installed in real applications as part of pilot projects in which the company is closely involved.
In addition, the THISION® S PLUS – the first series of wall-mounted boilers from ELCO approved for gas mixtures with up to 30% hydrogen – was launched on the European market in 2022.