For a successful energy transition, a change from conventional technologies which are mainly based on the combustion of fossil fuels towards new, more efficient technologies based on CO2 neutral and green energy sources, is indispensable. The most popular energy source of this kind is power from renewable sources such as wind power and photovoltaic. It is therefore logical to push forward technological development on that basis.
In order to achieve CO2 neutrality, an electrification of the transport, household, industry and agricultural sectors is necessary. While heat pumps replace oil heaters and electrify the households sector and E-mobility starts replacing petrol and diesel engines, the industrial sector still produces 72 % of process heat by means of fossil fuels, mainly gas.
OTTO JUNKER SOLUTIONS have addressed this challenge and developed a Power-to-Heat plant which, by means of electrical resistance, manages to heat up air to temperatures of up to 1,200 °C. Apart from the direct use of hot air, i.e. in drying processes or the heat treatment of metal, the generated heat can also be used for a number of subsequent processes, such as the transfer to thermal oil by means of a heat exchanger or for steam generation. This extends the range of applications to the food, paper and chemical industries. A huge advantage is the fact that when changing from gas to power, the existing production plants can mostly be kept and can also be operated with both gas and the air heater, i.e. hybrid. This gives a certain degree of energy independence and crisis resilience in times of highly fluctuating energy prices as a consequence of international conflicts. However, there is another obstacle to the expansion of renewable energies: the volatility of power generation. With more and more renewable energies comes an increasing demand for storage capacities in order to maximize the use of photovoltaic and wind power systems and avoid the need of fossil fueled power plants to fill in the gaps between current production and demand.
Using surplus power
The increasing amount of renewable energies in the electricity mix is expected to cause more frequent fluctuations and low price periods at the spot electricity markets. That makes energy storages not only necessary but also beneficial for the operator. To benefit from low price periods, potential technologies are large battery storages, hydrogen electrolyzers or gravity storages. However, for companies in the manufacturing industry, Power-to-Heat with a high temperature heat storage is the far better option. Beside an overall efficiency of 95 %, it offers significant advantages, such as the highest energy densities and the lowest capital expenditures (CAPEX). This concept allows the transformation of volatile energy into heat and its storage at low cost. The stored heat can now continuously be used for the production process until the storage system recharges at the next low price period.
On top of that, the system can generate additional income. Transmission system operators are obliged to keep the grid frequency constant and pay huge compensations to the operators of large energy consuming or producing plants that help them do that.
The Power-to-Heat technology by OTTO JUNKER SOLUTIONS offers a lot of potential for the reduction of CO2 emissions and environmental protection. In various branches of industry, i.e. the food, wood, paper and plastic sectors, it allows climate neutral production. In Germany, these sectors alone account for approx. 25 % of the overall energy consumption in industry. In total, the technology has the potential to eliminate more than 25 % of greenhouse gas emissions of the industry as it electrifies over 50 % of all process heat.
The first industrial applications
Many companies now recognize that Power-to-Heat already offer significant advantages and sets the company up for a successful future. For one of the first industrial application of such a system, OTTO JUNKER SOLUTIONS designed, manufactured and successfully pre-commissioned a 4.5 MW Power-to-Heat plant at their facilities in Simmerath-Lammersdorf, Germany before it goes into operation at the cus-tomers facilities.
Why pre-commissioning?
Process heat is a vital part of the production process. If the plant malfunctions, it can lead to a production downtime. Although a storage can help to bridge the gap between the time the plant malfunctions and the shortage of process heat, OTTO JUNKER SOLUTIONS is not willing to take that chance and ensures a trouble-free operation from day one by thoroughly testing the plant before it goes into operation. The tests were done with the maximum power and achieved the required outlet temperatures of 800 °C.
(Figures based on Fraunhofer ISI (2024)
Author
Dr. Tobias Mertens
Dr. Tobias Mertens
Otto Junker Solutions GmbH
Jägerhausstraße 22
52152 Simmerath-Lammersdorf Germany
+49 (2473) 601-167
tobias.mertens@otto-junker-solutions.com
www.otto-junker-solutions.com
