Bulgaria’s first hydrogen charging station is already part of the infrastructure of the HITMOBIL – Technologies and Systems for Clean Energy Generation, Storage and Consumption Centre of Competence with the Academician Evgeni Budevski Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences said in a press release.
The hydrogen charging station, manufactured by the Austrian company EDC-Anlagentechnik, is certified as a relocatable facility. This makes it possible, in principle, to use it for demonstration purposes at other sites outside its main location within the Institute’s Field Laboratory 6 in Sofia.
Setting up the Integrated Energy Systems Field Laboratory 6 is nearing completion. It will carry out pre-industrial scale research on the production of energy from renewable energy sources, its storage in various battery and hydrogen systems, its supply to battery and hydrogen electric vehicle charging stations and to the electricity grid. This is part of the activities of HITMOBIL’s Experimental Development Module.
HITMOBIL is launching Bulgaria’s hydrogen vehicle refuelling infrastructure. Hydrogen is produced by electrolysis, with a daily capacity of 8 kilograms per day. The hydrogen produced on-site is fed directly into the hydrogen charging station, where it is compressed to the pressure necessary for refuelling. The station has two charging outlets: 350 bar and 700 bar. The two standard pressures cover the charging capabilities of cars, light trucks and heavy trucks, and the use of high-pressure buffer tanks enables charging within minutes. For larger consumption, the hydrogen charging station can use hydrogen from cylinder groups produced from other sources.
The laboratory is capable of experimenting with varying combinations of RES generation modes. For this purpose, a photovoltaic park with fixed panels and sun tracking structures has been built and a wind generator emulator has been installed to enable the research to proceed seamlessly in an urban environment.
The renewable energy produced in the experimental field laboratory will be stored in both familiar technologies (lead-acid batteries, lithium batteries and supercapacitors) and innovative technological solutions such as flow batteries and inertial flywheel systems and also in the form of green hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water.
The Integrated Energy Systems Field Laboratory 6 will be presented at a HITMOBIL closing news conference at the Institute on December 21, 2023. The first live demonstrations for visitors are planned for the spring of 2024, when the laboratory, which is unique for Bulgaria and the region, will reach its full functionality.
The HITMOBIL project is implemented under a grant from the EU-co-financed Operational Programme Science and Education for Smart Growth.
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