Swedish firms will explore waste-derived hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel

Swedish ferry operator Gotlandsbolaget (Gotland) will power its upcoming hydrogen-powered vessels with waste-to-hydrogen fuel produced by cleantech firm Plagazi.

PHOTO: Gotlandsbolaget's hydrogen-powered vessel concept called Gotland Horizon X. Gotlandsbolaget

The duo will also study “convenient and cost-effective” supply of hydrogen from Plagazi’s production plants to bunkering sites.

“The collaboration also marks a step forward in establishing diversified fuel supply for large-scale sustainable maritime transport solutions in the Baltic Sea,” said Plagazi.

An innovative fuel choice...

Plagazi is building a hydrogen production facility in the Swedish town of Köping. At this plant, 66,000 mt/year of unrecyclable waste will be converted into synthetic gas (syngas) to produce 12,000 mt/year of zero-emission hydrogen.

The waste can include “auto shredder residue, plastic waste, wind turbine blades, car tires, household waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste or medical waste,” Plagazi confirmed.

Plagazi said its technology breaks down waste into its atomic form at extreme temperatures over 3,000°C using a process called "plasma gasification”. It is then combined with oxygen and steam to create raw syngas. Raw syngas is then filtered, cooled and combined with steam to produce clean syngas. In the next step, the clean syngas is separated into zero-emission hydrogen gas and liquid carbon dioxide.

Liquid CO2 captured from the gas will be stored for future use. Zero-emission hydrogen, in the meantime, will be supplied to Gotland as fuel for its hydrogen-powered vessels.

…for a novel vessel concept

In a unique concept, Gotland is developing two ferries that will be equipped with multi-fuel gas turbines powered by hydrogen gas instead of combustion engines or fuel cells. The gas turbine will be combined with a steam turbine to produce power.

Explaining the gas turbine technology, Gotland said “the technology is in many ways like an aircraft engine, at one end air is sucked in and compressed in the compressor.”

Pressurised air coming into the combustion chamber ignites hydrogen gas, which powers the turbine. "The turbine drives a mechanical shaft that is connected to a generator or directly to the propeller shaft via a gear," it added.

According to the ferry operator, the turbines will also allow the vessels to use other renewable fuels with zero-emission potential in the future.

“In addition to hydrogen, fuels such as methanol, e-methanol or biogas (LBG) can also be used. With a relatively simple adaptation of the turbines, it is possible to change the fuel, from hydrogen to both gas and liquid fuel. It is also possible to mix hydrogen gas with, for example, biogas,” Gotland explained.

Gotland’s first hydrogen-powered vessel is scheduled to enter service by 2030. It offers ferry services between Gotland Island and mainland Sweden and between Nynäshamn in Sweden and Rostock in Germany.

By Konica Bhatt

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