Feasibility Study: Giving green mobility a boost

Bilfinger has assessed production and transportation options for hydrogen by-product on behalf of Spolchemie, a major Czech chemicals manufacturer. In a feasibility study, Bilfinger Tebodin Czech Republic s.r.o. also evaluated the technical requirements and economic output of the production of green hydrogen using photovoltaic systems and transporting hydrogen to public mobility solutions such as filling stations for cars or trains.

Spolchemie is a major manufacturer of basic and added value chemicals, including chlorine. Hydrogen is a by-product of this production process and has to date been used to power steam-turbine generators.

Alternative uses

Bilfinger was commissioned to carry out a feasibility study to identify any other potential uses for the hydrogen. The aim of the feasibility study was to evaluate ways to improve the use of hydrogen and, at the same time, help Spolchemie achieve its ambitious sustainability goals. The study looked at the capital and operating costs, technical requirements and innovative options for various uses of the hydrogen by-product and also evaluated the production of additional green hydrogen and whether or not it could be efficiently transported to cities up to 100 kilometers away.

Analysis of the transport routes 

Assuming a capacity of up to 2,000 tons of hydrogen per year, the feasibility study analyzed efficient ways to transport this volume from Nováky (Slovakia) to Bratislava and from Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic) to Prague using composite vessels, for example, and evaluated different methods to calculate the carbon footprint of the used hydrogen. The project is scheduled for completion by 2025.