GenComm partner BURN presents at the first international conference on
smart energy carriers and technologies
In January 2019, the first conference about SMART energy Carriers and Technologies (SMARTCATS) took place in Naples. The objective of the SMARTCATS organisation was to share state-of-the-art knowledge and perspectives related to the storage and release of energy using advanced combustion technology. The goal of the event was to provide practical solutions for ensuring the security of energy supply. Researchers and industry concluded by the end of the conference, the emerging need for the integration of energy carriers to negate the intermittent effect of renewables on our electricity grid. BURN was present at this conference and showed its work on the topic of robustifying the hydrogen-based energy carrier (i.e. ammonia) production process to enable a low-cost solution for seasonal storage of hydrogen.
On the first day of the three-day conference, Kevin Verleysen, the new PhD researcher of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, showed his Gencomm contributions to the public. The topic of the work is related to the optimisation of the ammonia synthesis process when operational uncertainties are influencing the performance. This robust optimisation is deemed necessary when considering the operational safety of the complete process when renewable energy needs to be captured and transformed on the spot into ammonia. Ammonia as an energy vector has an advantage over the other synthetic fuels, e.g., methanol and methane, because it can provide a pathway of CO2-free energy storage using the mature and commercialised Haber-Bosch process. Research and industry confirmed during the conference the market potential and the wide range of applications for renewable ammonia, as a key enabler for seasonal hydrogen storage and maritime fuel. They concluded and recognised that ammonia is the cheapest, simplest and safest low-carbon alternative for this long-term storage of hydrogen due to the ease of distributing and transporting the hydrogen as a liquid fuel.