EFOY Hydrogen fuel cells for emergency power supply

Back-up power supply for
telecommunication systems

EFOY Customer: Wolftank

Wolftank EFOYHydrogen Wasserstoffbuendel FrontalWolftank EFOYHydrogen Wasserstoffbuendel Seitlich

Point of departure

Wolftank-Adisa Holding AG is the parent company of an international group of companies with more than 30 years of experience in the turnkey construction of modular hydrogen and LNG refueling systems, environmental-protection services for contaminated soil, facilities and water, the rehabilitation and monitoring of (large-scale) tank systems and full-range engineering services for fuel supply systems. The company’s technology enables an energy-efficient connection between production systems for green hydrogen and end consumers of small and large networks. A reliable emergency power supply was required for its customer, an Italian telecommunication provider.

Challenge

If the power grid experiences an outage due to local large-scale damage or for other reasons, the EFOY H₂Cabinet takes over operation for at least 72 hours with its integrated EFOY hydrogen fuel cell modules. This official requirement for run-time must be maintained for critical infrastructure, such as mobile and public service communication. Previously, the sites were only secured with a battery-based UPS solution, which only secured the system for a few hours. Due to their intensive maintenance and emissions, a diesel generator wasn’t considered by the customer. Expanding the battery system also would not have been feasible for structural reasons, as well as due to the space required and acquisition costs involved.

The solution:
EFOY H₂Cabinet X-Series

The H₂Cabinets of the X-Series are designed for outdoor applications. The turnkey solution can be equipped with up to two EFOY Hydrogen fuel cells. Hydrogen can be supplied via individual pressure cylinders or cylinder bundles. An expansion of the cabinet for a larger hydrogen supply is possible.

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“Reliability, a fail-safe system and low maintenance costs are crucial to our customers.”

Thanks to the modular fuel cell system, the customer is able to secure a wide variety of different systems using the same technology. Use of the Wolftank Smart Cartridge enables an intelligent, flexible and maintenance-free fuel cell hydrogen supply solution. Integrated storage management offers the advantage of automation-protected optimization of the supply chain when using multiple systems in the field and ensures that sufficient hydrogen is available at all sites. Reliability, a fail-safe system and low maintenance costs are crucial to our customers.

Gernot Mariacher, Wolftank

Solution

SFC Energy and the Wolftank Group developed a hydrogen-based emergency power supply system for an Italian telecommunication provider which guarantees the company a fail-safe system should a power outage occur. The EFOY H₂Cabinet X2.5/5.0 was set up on a foundation and connected to the existing –48 V DC system. The innovative Wolftank Smart Cartridge is used for hydrogen storage and is attached to the EFOY H₂Cabinet with a flexible pipe connection.

Technical Data Overview

EFOY H₂Cabinet
Nominal output power 2.5 kW / 5.0 kW
System voltage 48 V DC
Weight Up to 1,100 kg / 1,600 kg (fully outfitted)
Dimensions H x W x D 2,000 x 1,720 x 944 mm / 2,000 x 2,580 x 944 mm

Complete technical data

Wolftank Smart Cartridge
Storage capacity 800 l , ca. 25 kg @ 500 bar
Operating pressure max. 500 bar
Weight 2,800 kg
Dimensions L x W x H 1,300 x 1,100 x 2,200 mm

Result

The modular concept and minimal maintenance expenditure of the EFOY H₂Cabinet energy solution were decisive factors for the customer. Thanks to this modular system, the customer is able to secure different systems and power requirements using the same technology, which is advantageous for the connection of their control center technology. Thanks to the flexibility of the hydrogen connection, they can simply connect additional Smart Cartridges in case of higher power demand or longer runtimes. Remote monitoring of the system and Smart Cartridge, automatic self-testing and minimal on-site service also help to save on operating costs. With its EFOY hydrogen fuel cells, SFC Energy offers a standardized product long established on the market. With more than 20 years of experience and market expertise, SFC provides the customer with the security of availability and service.

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