On 26 and 27 March 2025, ESTIA took delivery of its hydrogen station, delivered and installed by H2Gremm as part of the European SUDOE SHAREDH2 project. Following delivery, the station was installed on the ESTIA campus with the participation of several students as part of their work experience programme.
Equipped with an electrolyser, a fuel cell, a compressor and storage cylinders, the station will use the school’s surplus photovoltaic production to produce hydrogen.
The consumption profiles of the buildings and the production profiles of the solar panels already installed are such that in summer there is a considerable surplus of energy that is not consumed, while in winter consumption far exceeds production. The building is already equipped with a 97 kWh battery, which improves day/night cycles, and the hydrogen station will improve annual cycles.
With a power of 2.5 kW, the installed electrolyser will produce up to 1 kg of hydrogen per day in summer. It will be stored under pressure in bottles provided for this purpose in summer, when photovoltaic production is highest. Two uses are planned: on the one hand, the fuel cell will convert this hydrogen into electricity to power the building in winter, when the building’s consumption is highest. Secondly, a refuelling station for a PRAGMA hydrogen bicycle has been installed, promoting sustainable mobility on campus, alongside the electric bicycle refuelling stations that already exist or are currently being installed.
This is an innovative project, whose installation is accompanied by an awareness campaign for employees and students, as well as safety measures. In addition to signage, a communication and information campaign is being prepared to promote the smooth integration of the device into campus life.
Operational testing is underway, with the aim of connecting the station and putting it into service in May 2025. The launch will be accompanied by integration into the existing microgrid energy management system to optimise the operation of the entire building.
In the long term, the SUDOE SHAREDH2 project aims to analyse the feasibility and profitability of H2 station installations for local low- or medium-power energy communities. Transferability studies will also be carried out for the project partners.
The CTP is a partner in this project together with the Technological Institute of Castile and León (Spain), which is leading the project, the Higher Polytechnic School of Ávila of the University of Salamanca, the City Council of Bembibre in Spain, the Regional Energy Agency of Alta Extremadura in Portugal, the Regional Energy and Environment Agency of Northern Alentejo and Tejo in Portugal, the Association of Livestock Farmers of Dordoña, the Higher School of Advanced Industrial Technologies ESTIA, the DERBI Association and Capital Energy Services SL.
More information: https://interreg-sudoe.eu/noticias-proyectos
