Challenges of Industrial-Scale Testing Infrastructure for Green Hydrogen Technologies

Abstract

Green hydrogen is set to become the energy carrier of the future, provided that production technologies such as electrolysis and solar water splitting can be scaled to global dimensions. Testing these hydrogen technologies on the MW scale requires the development of dedicated new test facilities for which there is no precedent. This perspective highlights the challenges to be met on the path to implementing a test facility for large-scale water electrolysis, photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic water splitting and aims to serve as a much-needed blueprint for future test facilities based on the authors’ own experience in establishing the Hydrogen Lab Leuna. Key aspects to be considered are the electricity and utility requirements of the devices under testing, the analysis of the produced H2 and O2 and the safety regulations for handling large quantities of H2. Choosing the right location is crucial not only for meeting these device requirements, but also for improving financial viability through supplying affordable electricity and providing a remunerated H2 sink to offset the testing costs. Due to their lower TRL and requirement for a light source, large-scale photocatalysis and photoelectrochemistry testing are less developed and the requirements are currently less predictable.