In the Centre-Val de Loire region of France, the PowiDian company has used innovative hydrogen storage technology to design the prototype for a non-polluting mobile electricity generator.
- 21 February 2020
This hydrogen generator is an alternative to conventional thermal units that use diesel or other fossil fuels. The use of hydrogen makes it possible to offer a smaller and lighter product than a 100% battery solution. The production of a functional prototype of a 30 kW genset (MobHyl Power M30) and a model of a 4 kW genset (MobHyl Power S4) has demonstrated that the performance of the hydrogen genset is equivalent or even better than that of a conventional thermal genset.
PowiDian's goal was to create and industrialise a high-powered electricity generator that would avoid fossil fuels by using hydrogen. The start-up, dedicated to innovative technologies for the production and storage of non-polluting energy, successfully designed a functional 30 kW prototype and a 4 kW generator model, the first step in its ambitious commercial project.
A ‘green’ solution
Used in many sectors of activity where there is an occasional need for energy or additional energy, mobile thermal generators run on fossil fuels, a source of both pollution and greenhouse gases. 850 tons of CO2 are emitted each year by a 150 kW generator. There is also less and less tolerance for noise and olfactory pollution from generators.
These reasons prompted Powidian to think about a ‘green’ marketable mobile electricity solution. The company was able to build on its patented SAGES technology, which makes smart use of renewable energy storage in the form of hydrogen.
Rise of the company
To make the generator prototype, several challenges had to be overcome. Using batteries, which ensures the generator’s mobility, required extensive work to convert the hydrogen into electricity and mechanically integrate it into casing. This project forced PowiDian to change its product lines or find new suppliers. Regulatory compliance, including CE certification, has also been an important parameter of the work undertaken. This led to implementing ad hoc training and allowed the site's employees to upgrade their skills.
What resulted is the prototype for a hydrogen fuel cell generator set, which is silent, non-polluting and carbon-free. Fully integrated and operational, the battery-life of the generator is greater than the life span of a thermal generator set. The system is managed by an open controller allowing connections to other energy sources to form a micro electrical network.
The PowiDian project thus proves that an alternative technology exists, which, in the context of the coming energy transition, can make building sites, ports, and private or public events carbon free.
Total investment and European funding
The ‘Mobile, non-polluting and silent generator set based on renewable energy sources and hydrogen storage’ project received a total investment of EUR 789 055, with the European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 353 751 under the ‘Operational Programme for the Centre-Val de Loire Region’ cooperation programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the ‘Increase the number of innovative companies by 50 %’ priority.