DTE Energy Co. (Detroit, MI) announced that it has been selected by the US Department of Energy (Washington, DC) as its partner in a first-ever hydrogen power park project, which will demonstrate how a fuel-based energy system can work, from the generation of hydrogen, to its transmission, storage, distribution and conversion into electricity or fuel for transportation.
Over the next three years, DTE Energy will develop, build and operate an integrated hydrogen energy system that delivers 15,000kWh of electricity per year. The project will provide critical insight into the technical challenges and economic viability of hydrogen as an alternative to conventional fuels.
The system will run on hydrogen generated from renewable resources. During off-peak operating hours, electricity from landfill gas or conventional central-station power will be used in an electrolysis process to produce hydrogen gas from pure water. The hydrogen will be compressed and stored for later use. During peak operating hours, the stored hydrogen will be used to operate a 50kW fuel cell and a 25kW engine.
