Hi everyone,
In the previous post my colleague Julen pointed out that there are some leading investigations focusing on the hydrogen storage. This post’s goal is to report about experimental projects in this area worldwide. There is no need to go far away from this country in search of a project of great relevance.
Gas Natural Fenosa is carrying off a project in Sotavento wind station situated in the Spanish region ofGalicia.
The project aims to collect data that will help to plan global solutions responding to the problem of wind power variability. Wind centrals may have a surpluss or lack of generated energy, then this project pursues to storage the excess of energy using hydrogen.
In fact, if wind generation is higher than the figure expected the exceeding energy would be spent in producing hydrogen. Once we have hydrogen, it is stored so that subsequently we can generate electricity when required; for example, in case of lack of wind or higher demand.
Hydrogen production will be conducted by a 60Nm3/h capacity electrolycer which is fed by electricity that comes from the wind turbines. The electrolycer is a device which dissociates water in its two components: hydrogen and oxygen.
Motogenerators (60kW) are responsible for turning hydrogen into electricity. The reaction that makes this conversion possible is electrolysis as Julen reported in the previous post which needs just hydrogen and oxygen.
This project was set up in 2008 as an experimental station repairing in hydrogen production and storage by renewable energies. There was a 1700000 euros’ investment and it is the first one inSpainand the peninsularEurope. 
The project to be held inPatagoniaby the company Capex SA is of high importance as well.Patagoniahas important resources as wind, water, area, labour and infrastructure, that will allow it to become one of the main hydrogen producers worldwide.
The CO2 emissions will decrease by 40.500.000 Tn whereas the decline due to wind generation is about 25.100.000Tn.
As we may see, the technological advances in wind power storage are not just an idea in mind; we are making great steps forward in this path to clean, environmentally-friendly and sustainable progress.
By Nora Etxezarreta
Sources:
http://www.sotaventogalicia.com/index.php
http://www.fuelcellmarkets.com/content/images/articles/Exec_En.pdf
elementhydrogen 