PGNiG and the Silesian University of Technology are launching the Hy-Chess project
Consortium composed of: Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo - consortium leader, Silesian University of Technology and the Institute of Fuels and Energy Technology - partners of the consortium, signed an agreement for co-financing the Hy-Chess energy project. The project received funding from the National Centre for Research and Development as part of the first New Technologies in the field of Energy competition in the thematic area "T3. Technologies for the production and use of hydrogen.” The contract covers the full amount requested, which is PLN 34.3 million. The total budget of the project will be PLN 120 million.
The Hy-Chess project, developed by scientists from the Silesian University of Technology, entitled "Hydrogen and synthetic natural gas production system with functionality in the field of electricity generation and storage", assumes the design and construction of a hybrid energy storage demonstrator using the green hydrogen production subsystem, the synthetic natural gas (SNG) production subsystem, the electricity production subsystem using oxygen combustion and the energy storage subsystem in compressed carbon dioxide. The planned area of implementation of hybrid energy storage is energy clusters.
- The implementation of hybrid energy systems is one of the few solutions that allow the economy to be optimally decarbonised. The advantage of such solutions is their independence and flexibility, as well as reliability. This allows not only for the best adjustment of the system to the specific needs of the client, but also for the maximum use of renewable energy resources and full integration of existing assets with an intelligent energy management system, e.g. in clusters - said Arkadiusz Sekściński, Vice President of PGNiG SA for Development.
In July this year, Hy-Chess technology has been covered by patent protection. This is one of the many inventions of the Silesian University of Technology team that has been dealing with technologies supporting decarbonisation processes for years.
- A very big advantage of Hy-Chess technology is that it uses commercially available machines and devices. However, the main challenge for building a large-scale system is the organization of a place for storing carbon dioxide as an energy carrier. The experience in the construction of large-scale gas storages, which the project leader has, may make the construction of highly efficient hybrid electric energy storage systems possible, the capacity of which may reach several hundred-megawatt hours, explains Prof. Łukasz Bartela from the Silesian University of Technology.
- The Hy-Chess technology has functionalities very desirable today for the energy transformation, such as the ability to balance the power system through energy storage, including the production of green fuels, also through the use of carbon dioxide, which may be key to achieving the so-called climate neutrality, assumed in the European Green Deal development strategy. In the first stage of the project, our goal is to prove not only the investment feasibility, but also to the greater degree - market competitiveness for the proposed polygeneration technology - adds Prof. Anna Skorek-Osikowska from the Silesian University of Technology, acting as the R&D manager in the project.
Signing the contract with the National Centre for Research and Development allows for the commencement of the first stage of works - Development of a feasibility study for the proposed solution. The implementation of this task will take 9 months. The next stage will focus on the construction and testing of pilot-scale installations.
More info on the website: PGNiG has signed an agreement to co-finance the Hy-Chess - Corporate Portal project
