Hydrogen as an energy source is a simple and sustain­able solu­tion! When it is utilized, the only byproduct is water vapor – no pollu­tants, no CO₂. However, there is a catch – the produc­tion process requires energy. If this energy derives from coal or natural gas, the other­wise lower carbon foot­print is compro­mised. As a result, truly “green” hydrogen needs energy obtained from renew­able sources such as solar and wind. These can be found in large quan­ti­ties in remote loca­tions such as deserts. And here lies the crux of the matter: Hydrogen produc­tion plants – so-called elec­trolyzers – are expen­sive, complex and main­te­nance-inten­sive. They require complex infra­struc­ture and are tricky to adapt and scale. This poses a problem in barren desert land­scapes. However, XINTC has a solu­tion.

Our systems need to be better, cheaper and more robust.

Wilko van Kampen, Founder & CEO XINTC

Green hydrogen, cheaper and more flex­ible

The Dutch company, based in Eerbeek, has made it its mission to make the produc­tion of green hydrogen cheaper and more flex­ible. To this end, XINTC has devel­oped elec­trolyzers that do not need inverters, trans­formers or batteries to obtain green elec­tricity. This saves mate­rials and costs, improves effi­ciency and reduces main­te­nance work. XINTC also relies on the quality and dura­bility of the installed compo­nents.

“Our systems need to be better, cheaper and more robust,” says company founder and CEO Wilko van Kampen. “Many of our plants are located in remote areas. If some­thing fails out there, main­te­nance becomes extremely expen­sive for our customers.” The elec­trolyzers are there­fore also designed to func­tion reli­ably in diffi­cult condi­tions, whether intense heat or bitter cold. In addi­tion, the modular design enables the elec­trolyzers to be scaled in different ways – from 600 kilo­watts to 100+ megawatts. A single module has a capacity of 5 to 6.5 kilo­watts. As such, the elec­trolyzer systems can be adapted in line with local require­ments and used almost anywhere in the world.

Constant cooling throughout thanks to AxiEco

On the subject of heat, it’s worth noting that the elec­trolyzers dissi­pate a fair amount of it during oper­a­tion. To prevent the instal­la­tions from over­heating, the warm air must be contin­u­ously discharged. This is where compact axial panel fans from ebm-papst come into play – they draw in the ambient air, convey it through the system and discharge it to the outside. This ensures a contin­uous airflow and reli­ably trans­ports the heated air out of the system, around the clock.

At the same time, the fans perform another impor­tant func­tion. If hydrogen acci­den­tally escapes inside the plant, they imme­di­ately trans­port this highly flam­mable gas to the outside. As a result, the constant air circu­la­tion not only ensures an optimum oper­ating temper­a­ture but also prevents hydrogen from accu­mu­lating inside the container­ized systems.

And then there’s the weather to think about. Many regions where XINTC elec­trolyzers are deployed are subject to extreme ambient condi­tions — scorching heat during the day, bitter cold at night and some­times sand­storms in between. It’s a real endurance test for tech­nical systems. However, ebm-papst’s fans have also been designed for such situ­a­tions and they work reli­ably even under the most diffi­cult of condi­tions and flex­ibly adapt their output in line with the ambient temper­a­ture. To achieve this, they are tested under even more extreme condi­tions and subject to real envi­ron­mental influ­ences in the testing center.

Green hydrogen as an energy store

With its modular elec­trolyzers, XINTC enables its customers to produce green hydrogen econom­i­cally and reli­ably, even in remote loca­tions such as deserts. One partic­u­larly clever feature is that excess elec­tricity from wind and solar parks can be used directly to produce hydrogen. This means that renew­able ener­gies can also be stored, trans­ported and used in the form of hydrogen – even when the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining.