Ports are dirty places. The environmental impact of delivery, transfer and final shipment are staggering, and there are some major improvements to be made. Engineers are working to tackle this problem through advanced energy technology, hydrogen style.
To put it in perspective, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), major ports can produce NOx pollution in quantities 2-6 times that of an average power plant. While the actual amount of pollution varies based on port size and traffic, this type of operation presents a sort of “low-hanging fruit” for a clean energy makeover.
The potential for improvement in ports, coupled with tightening regulations, has established an inroad to alternative energy solutions. Hydrogen researchers at Sandia National Laboratory, in conjunction with a number of partners, created a portable hydrogen fuel cell designed for powering ships in port.
After studying current methodology and comparing it to expectations for hydrogen power, the research team, along with industry partner, Young Brothers, believe the hydrogen technology may be cost competitive. Initial analysis, which was the precursor for the field project, showed that when generators are not continuously operating at maximum capacity, the fuel cells have an efficiency advantage.
The near-term goal is to determine feasibility and demonstrate the technology, but there are lasting implications as well. The fuel cell unit will be deployed for six months to garner data on operation cost and performance metrics. This information can then make (or break) the case for implementation at other ports.
Ultimately, the hope is to produce commercially capable technology which provides a competitive source of energy at ports. The technology is not limited to ports, but could be used in many applications. The Sandia researchers bring strong expertise in hydrogen and fuel cell engineering especially in relation to codes and standards, system design, safety systems, data collection and analysis of both operations and the business case for deployment.
Although the initial field test won’t eliminate environmental impacts of port operation, it provides a valuable test case for future development toward that end.
The video below discusses the project.
Images courtesy of Sandia (top) and NRDC (bottom).