October 04, 2012
I have been advocating Hydrogen Energy Technology for many years as an important aspect of achieving of Energy Independence for Sri Lanka at this forum and elsewhere, and I am pleased that the Government of Sri Lanka is taking the initiative to explore Hydrogen Energy Technology for transportation.
However, Hydrogen Energy Technologies should be viewed more broadly as a GENERAL SOLUTION to meeting all of Sri Lanka's energy needs .... as I explain below.
Hydrogen gas can be PRODUCED by electrolysis of water using time-varying renewable energies such as solar, wind, or excess hydro power. In the future, if Sri Lanka acquires nuclear power plants, electricity produced by these nuclear plants, and even conventional fossil-fueled plants, can be used during off-peak hours to produce hydrogen, as a part of maximizing power plant utilization.
The hydrogen thus produced can be STORED in tanks in a variety of forms: as a compressed gas, a gas adsorbed on certain metal hydrides from which the hydrogen can be released very simply by mild heating, or as a cryogenic liquid.
The hydrogen thus produced can be UTILIZED to fuel transportation vehicles having on-board storage tanks and fuel-cell power units and can be dispensed from local gas refueling stations. Alternatively, the hydrogen can be used to produce electricity in large fuel-cell plants co-located with the electrolysis plants at conventional electric power generating plants. Existing electricity production plants are very convenient for co-locating hydrogen plants because the high-voltage power transmission lines and switch yard infrastructure necessary for tapping into the electricity distribution grid already exist at such plants.
Furthermore, use of hydrogen as an energy storage medium solves the so-called LOAD-LEVELLING problem that LIMITS the amount of time-varying renewable energies that can be fed into the existing power grid served by conventional "base-load" power plants. To preserve the stability of the power grid, this amount can be only a small fraction of the base energy generating capacity. With hydrogen energy storage available for storing the time-varying renewable energy at whatever time it is produced, the stability of the grid can be preserved, without having to increase the installed capacity of conventional power plants. Hydrogen production and storage will enable generating plants to run near maximum capacity at all times with the excess above the electricity demand used to produce and store energy in the form of hydrogen, thus maximizing plant utilization.
Finally, both the production of hydrogen by electrolysis of water, and the generation of electricity by consuming that hydrogen in fuel cells, is POLLUTION-FREE, and does not produce any global warming gases, or result in a net consumption of water. When these environmental benefits are combined with the potential of hydrogen technologies to utilize indigenously produced energy by replacing imported fossil fuels, improve the nation's balance of payments, reduce power plant costs, and enhance the rate of return by maximizing plant utilization, there is no doubt that deploying hydrogen energy technology is a win-win strategy for Sri Lanka. In a world competing fiercely for fossil fuels, this will prove to be an increasing sound strategy in the future.
If Sri Lanka is to grow economically, then we must have a plentiful supply of inexpensive indigenously produced energy, that cannot be held hostage to events in foreign countries. Hydrogen energy technologies ... in all their forms .... are the solution to Sri Lanka's energy needs, and the need for energy security as a sovereign nation. As we develop our infrastructure in post- war Sri Lanka and progress towards becoming the New Wonder of Asia, let us adopt and invest our precious capital in the best energy technologies that will serve the nation's long-term interest. As a country that is making MAJOR INVESTMENTS in NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, Sri Lanka has a UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY to seize the initiative and lead the world in the deployment of a sustainable cost-effective non-polluting energy strategy.
I applaud the initiatives now being taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to firmly embed Hydrogen Energy Technologies in Sri Lanka's overall energy strategy.
Jayawewa, Sri Lanka!
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Sri Lanka enters hydrogen fuel era with workshop in Colombo tomorrow
ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Oct 03, Colombo: Sri Lanka will take the first step to the hydrogen fuel era with the first ever hydrogen workshop in Colombo tomorrow.
A hydrogen desk set up in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka under the assistance of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has organized the Hydrogen and Renewable Energy conference in Colombo on October 4th at the Cinnamon Lake Hotel as the first step to formulate Sri Lanka's hydrogen road-map.
According to the UNIDO National Director for Sri Lanka Nawaz Rajabdeen the second objective of the workshop is to use Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for wider hydrogen implementation in the country.
The experts conducting the workshop, Prof. Lalit Mohan Das of Indian Institute of Technology, UNIDO's International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies (UNIDO-ICHET Associate Director Dr. Nikolaos Lymberopoulos and Senior Project Engineer of UNIDO-ICHET Dr. Frederico V Campbell arrived in Colombo this morning.
The meeting will bring together senior representatives from interested private enterprises and the government to gain insights from major international organizations on the status of hydrogen and fuel cell technology at global level, the progress made in hydrogen production from renewables and storage and the potential investment opportunities and commercialization challenges in Sri Lanka, according to the Consultant and Adviser Vittorio Coco of Sri Lanka's first Hydrogen project.
Rajabdeen announced in May that Sri Lanka would be stepping into hydrogen fuel era shortly and the first step would be through the SME sector.
"We are not looking at an immediate energy supply here - rather, the first step in our transition to modern energy Hydrogen in the medium to long term as we realize that energy independence is more and more crucial," Rajabdeen has said.
The Urban Council of Weligama has set up the hydrogen desk to develop an intercity hydrogen program for the Southern Province as the first step.
Under the advice of Coco, Sri Lanka will launch a pilot project to test hydrogen-powered three wheelers in Galle Fort where the diesel-run vehicles are not allowed to operate.
Similar project launched in India under the guidance of Prof. Das has proved that Hydrogen can be used as an alternate energy resource for vehicles and the hydrogen-powered Indian three wheelers are estimated to cost only 12% in comparison to standard three wheelers used there.
Prof. Das is also behind the famous hydrogen project in India called DELHy3W (Delhy-3W Hydrogen 3-wheelers project) with Mahindra and Mahindra.
Mahindra's HyAlfas, the world's first hydrogen powered three wheeler launched in January 2012, have reported 80 kilometers mileage for just one kilogram of hydrogen.
The three wheeler demonstration project in the Galle Fort in Sri Lanka is modeled on HyAlfa. The PPP venture plans to use 15 hydrogen powered zero emission three wheelers in Galle Fort and monitor them carefully for their pollutant free runs.
The confab tomorrow will feature presentations from the Sustainable Energy Authority, the DFCC Bank, ADB, BoI, UNIDO ICHET(Istanbul), UNIDO(Delhi), EU Delegation-Colombo, and the Indian Institute of Technology.
Delhy-3W Hydrogen 3-wheelers project, UNIDO India activities in the clean energy field, EU activities in the renewable energy field and hydrogen initiatives, funding opportunities for renewable energy in Asia, credit facilities in the field of renewable energy and hydrogen projects in Sri Lanka, and investments opportunities in Sri Lanka for renewable energy and hydrogen will be discussed at the workshop.
