Germany has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
As an innovative and sustainable family-owned company, FRÄNKISCHE wants to drive forward the energy transition and
actively support climate protection in order to leave a healthy environment for future generations.
Energy concept for Königsberg
As part of an energy concept, it was investigated how the FRÄNKISCHE headquarters in Königsberg can be supplied with electricity, heat and drive energy for internal logistics with a high proportion of renewable energies in the future. The aim was to develop economically viable scenarios for an increasingly CO2-neutral site using green hydrogen as an energy source.
The scenarios were developed taking into account, among other things, the power supply from renewable sources, a hydrogen supply in cooperation with regional energy suppliers, the fleet supply of intralogistics with hydrogen and sector coupling on site through water electrolysis and combined heat and power plants.
Results
An expansion of renewable energies is the indispensable basis for the power supply: An optimum for the plant is 6.6 MWp photovoltaics (approx. 7 ha open space) & 8.5 MW wind power (2 wind turbines). A 3.3 MWh battery storage system increases the self-consumption rate and supports the grid. The surplus electricity from wind and solar power is then stored in an electrolyzer in the form of green hydrogen. The hydrogen produced is used for the forklifts and any surplus can be added to the natural gas CHP unit. Another option is to exchange hydrogen via a hydrogen pipeline with the municipal utility in Haßfurt. Stadtwerk Haßfurt has been operating an electrolysis plant for the production of green hydrogen since 2016. In total, around 75% of the energy generated at the Königsberg site could be used with the help of hydrogen as an energy storage medium, which would reduce the energy-related CO2 footprint of the entire plant by around 50% or 7,500 tons per year. A further 25% of the renewable energy generated could be used regionally in the vicinity of the plant by feeding electricity into the public grid and exchanging hydrogen with Haßfurt.
Funding of the project
The project is a joint venture between FRÄNKISCHE, the Institute for Energy Technology (IfE), DBI Gas- und Umwelttechnik GmbH and Stadtwerk Haßfurt. As part of the “Energy concepts and municipal energy use plans” program, the project is supported by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy (StMWi) with a funding rate of 40%.
Hydrogen as an energy carrier
Hydrogen is a colorless and odorless gas and the lightest chemical element.
It is predestined to be the energy carrier of the future, as its combustion with oxygen produces only water,
it is available in almost unlimited quantities and has a high energy density by mass.
If hydrogen is produced from renewable energies via electrolysis, the energy carrier is completely sustainable.