The Don Quichote project seeks to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of an integrated hydrogen storage system for renewable electricity linked to a hydrogen refuelling facility as an interesting commercial opportunity connecting intermittent renewable electricity to transport applications. The project is demonstrating the impact on efficiency and costs of the operations of a large logistics centre that evaluates and validates the market readiness of the components needed for storing renewable energy in hydrogen.

The installation of Don Quichote system started at a large logistics centre of Colruyt, since March 2015. The system will be connected to an existing hydrogen refuelling facility that supplies hydrogen to a fleet of material handling vehicles to form an integrated energy storage and dispensing system in a smart grid setting. The integrated system receives its energy from renewable energy: wind and solar power. The existing hydrogen refuelling facility consists of an alkaline electrolyser system (30 Nm/h), diaphragm compressor, steel hydrogen storage vessels and a dispenser system at 350 bar.

The Don Quichote system consists of:

– a PEM electrolyser (Hydrogenics), which offers a wider operating range, higher efficiency and faster response time than the alkaline electrolyser;

– an electrochemical compressor (HyET), which offers scalability, higher efficiency, and contamination-free operation compared to traditional compressors;

– composites storage vessels;

– a 90 kW fuel cell system (Hydrogenics).

HyET is continuing development of their Electrochemical Hydrogen Compressor, 2.5kg/day standalone test system, the MoHyTO (Mobile Hydrogen Test Object). This system can be expanded to 5kg/day by adding a second compressor stack. Development of a 60kg/day compressor system is continuing for DON QUICHOTE system.

Federation of the Scientific and Technical Associations in cooperation with the European Hydrogen Association are supporting the organisation of the opening session for the first operation session of DON QUICHOTE project which are going to take place in June 2015.

For further details, please visit European Hydrogen Association (EHA) at HANNOVER MESSE 2015, booth number E65

For more info, please visit DON QUICHOTE website or contact:

Project Coordinator
Hydrogenics
jseykens@hydrogenics.com
+32 14 462 139

WaterstofNet
wouter.vanderlaak@waterstofnet.eu
+32 620 943 104

Dissemination Responsible
FAST
ahmed@fast.mi.it
+39 02777 90 315