" A Smarter Future
Our infrastructure R&D focuses primarily on smart grids and energy storage, in particular on achieving advances in smart metering and distribution grids and in improving devices (like large-scale batteries) for storing electrical energy. We also conduct research in other storage technology, including power to gas, compressed air, and thermal, the latter of which is especially relevant for combined-heat-and-power applications. Infrastructure R&D Expenditures Remain Substantial
We increased our R&D expenditures for infrastructure by EUR 13 million. Their share of our R&D budget rose from 16 percent to 29 percent. Our R&D for distribution networks continued to focus on smart technology that will improve the integration of renewables. In energy storage, we launched several demonstration projects. Going forward, our infrastructure R&D will continue to focus on smart grids and energy storage.
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{caption}R&D Expenditures on Infrastructure{/caption}
In this section we present just some of the infrastructure R&D projects we initiated or conducted in 2013. Each of these projects promotes sustainability by reducing carbon emissions and the environmental or social impact of power generation. You’ll find information about other T&I projects at eon.com/innovation.
Smart Cities
E.ON is playing a key role in making Hyllie the most sustainable neighborhood in Malmö, the third-largest city in Sweden. We’re drawing on the experience we gained in sustainable urban development in Malmö’s Western Harbor district in a project called the City of Tomorrow (Bo01). The measures we took included installing solar-thermal arrays with a total area of 1,400 cubic meters on the roofs of ten buildings to supplement their geothermal heat supply. In 2011 we signed a climate agreement with the city of Malmö for Hyllie. It contractually obligates us to ensuring that by 2020 Hyllie gets all its power from renewable or recycled sources. We’re also helping to put in place a fully integrated infrastructure for supplying Hyllie with power, heat, and cooling. Much of this energy will come from locally sited distributed generating units, thereby enhancing Hyllie’s energy autonomy. We’re also deploying smart energy infrastructure that communicates with innovative in-home technology. This will increase energy efficiency, reduce energy losses, manage peakload situations better, and make the power supply more reliable. You’ll find a project overview here.
Energy Storage
E.ON is making an important contribution to the turnaround in energy policy with new developments in the field of energy storage. After all, the development of the fluctuating regenerative power generation of wind and sun as well as the consumption shifts make energy storage facilities essential in the future.
Energy storage technologies will be making an increasing contribution to the energy system in the years ahead. Storage performance consists mainly in supplying power from wind and solar power in the form of electricity, heat or gas, when it is needed. Energy storage facilities therefore significantly contribute to a more efficient use of energy in an increasingly decentralised system, across different markets. Synergies with the industry and mobility reduce costs and make a further contribution to climate protection.
Zoom Image Power-to-gas technologies (e.g. conversion of electricity into hydrogen or methane)
In Falkenhagen, Brandenburg (in the county of Prignitz) the first international demonstration plant for storing wind power for the natural gas network has been built. The “WindGas Falkenhagen” facility stores electricity generated by wind power stations. Through an electrolysis process, around 360 standard cubic metres of hydrogen are generated per hour and fed into the regional transmission gas pipeline network via a hydrogen pipeline. This means that the energy and the normal natural gas are flexibly available to the electricity, heat, mobility and industry market. With the alkaline electrolysis, a tried-and-tested technology has successfully been in use since August 2013. The pilot project includes the acquisition of technical, economic and administrative experience for commercial use. The project partner is Swissgas AG.
Project profile E.ON WindGas Falkenhagen (PDF, 494.07 KB) Zoom Image
E.ON is constructing the second “power-to-mce-anchorgas” pilot plant in Hamburg. In the “WindGas Hamburg” project the next generation of electrolysis, the so-called Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM), is being developed and the hydrogen feed demonstrated in a distribution network. Within the framework of the promotion of the National Innovation Programme’s hydrogen and fuel cell technology (NIP) of the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, NOW GmbH (National Organisation for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology) is coordinating and supporting the project and incorporating it into the overall activities of the innovation programme. The industry and science partners include the companies Hydrogenics GmbH and SolviCore GmbH & Co. KG, the Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (German Aerospace Centre) as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE).
Since September 2013 the North Sea island of Pellworm has been the model region for a hybrid storage system, with which power generation and consumption can be better coordinated to one another. The “SmartRegion Pellworm” project shows how the supply situation can be “intelligently” presented. The chosen approach links the local wind power station and the solar park with a hybrid battery storage system, consisting of a lithium-ion battery (560 kW/560 kWh) and a Redox-Flow battery (200 kW/1600 kWh), the specifications of which perfectly complement each other. Households with photovoltaic systems and small battery storages as well as households with night storage heaters are also connected.
The aim of the project is to show how accumulators with renewable energies work technically and cost-efficiently together. Transferability of project components to urban or suburban regions is just as much part of the analysis spectrum as the international application of the concept.
The project is carried out by an innovation alliance with partners from the industrial and science sectors and is one of the first projects to be supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
Project profile SmartRegion Pellworm (PDF, 142.75 KB) Zoom Image
The “M5BAT” project is the world’s first large-scale modular battery storage with a performance category of five megawatts. Building work started this year in Aachen. Its unique feature is the modular design of the storage system, in which different battery technologies are combined for optimum use. For example, lithium-ion batteries are used for short-term power storage, high-temperature batteries are suitable for supplying power over several hours and lead-acid batteries are used both for shorter as well as medium discharge times.
The goals are the integration of renewable energy sources, the testing of a decentralised supply of control power to stabilise grid operation and the associated facilitation of electricity trading at competitive prices.
The project is promoted as part of the “Förderinitiative Energiespeicher” (Initiative to Promote Energy Storage Facilities) by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and jointly implemented together with partners from industry and science.
1. CO₂ Reduction (Electricity Generation) Reduce CO2 for E.ON’s European generation fleet and use the best technologies in the markets where we operate to increase operating revenue through reduced EU ETS financial risk and to establish a sustainable generation portfolio.
Objective
Reduce CO2 emissions by optimizing E.ON’s conventional generation portfolio and expanding the use of renewables.
Halve the carbon intensity of our electricity generation in Europe by 2025 (against the 1990 baseline) by improving our conventional generation portfolio and expanding the use of renewables (due to Germany’s exit from nuclear power, this is five years later than originally planned).
Measurement Criteria and Target
Criterion: Carbon intensity (t/MWh) of electricity generation in Europe
Target: 50 percent reduction by 2025 (1990 baseline)
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0.39 t/MWh
Ongoing process/project: Carbon intensity 2013: 0.44 t CO₂/MWh. Target to be achieved through planned portfolio changes.
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Interesting Bluegen not specifically mentioned.. clearly part of overall strategy for "A Smarter Future"
Cheers DYOR Mapreader
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