Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) have confirmed the development of a green H₂ production facility at its base in Offenbach, Germany. This latest installation will harness surplus solar energy from photovoltaic arrays to make green H₂ through electrolysis.

This new investment marks the latest stage in the operation’s Smart Company concept, a testbed with the purpose to develop and test new technologies aimed at maximizing the use of renewable energy.

Overview of Smart Company concept

Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH and the Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH inaugurated the Smart Company concept in 2017. This special facility aims to:

• Develop simulation models and methods for large-scale energy system optimization.
• Develop and test Honda technology under European market conditions.
• Assess new business models and research new smart energy management solutions.
• Define and develop integrated Energy Management Systems and smart e-mobility applications.

The site combines a total of 749 kilowatts peak (kWp) of self-generated solar energy from multiple photovoltaic arrays, a second life battery storage unit, advanced uni-directional Honda Power Charger S+ (4G), bi-directional Honda Power Manager smart chargers, and several electric and H₂ powered vehicles. All of which are connected to an Energy Management System developed by Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH. The Smart Company will allow for the testing of developing technologies and systems on site.

Onsite production and use of green H₂

This year, Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH and Honda Research Institute Europe GmbH will further enhance its Energy Management System to also include the production and use of green H₂ whenever surplus electricity is produced from photovoltaic arrays. Instead of curtailing the renewable energy, surplus electricity is produced into green H₂ through electrolysis.

The decentralized generation of renewable H₂ from surplus electricity is an efficient way to directly use renewable energy in the transport sector. In addition to CO₂-neutral operation of the vehicles, it also enables low H₂ production costs. However, this potential is limited by the fluctuating availability of H₂ and the high energy costs from the refueling process. Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH has therefore developed a refueling concept for H₂ vehicles.

The focus here is on refueling windows, which allow H₂ vehicles to be refueled in a needs-based and energy-efficient manner, depending on the availability of renewable H₂. The resulting CO₂ and cost reduction potentials ultimately represent an incentive for the use of renewable H₂ in vehicle fleets. Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH’s refueling concept is funded by Electromobility program of German Federal State of Hesse (HA project no.: 1002/21-04) with a support of HA Hessen Agentur GmbH.

To verify findings and to validate the H₂ refueling concept, Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH is currently installing necessary hardware including an electrolyzer, a low-pressure H₂ storage unit, compressor equipment, a high-pressure storage unit and an experimental H₂ refueling station within its premises.

Honda R&D Europe (Deutschland) GmbH is partnering with ARTELIA, Wenger Engineering GmbH, H-TEC Systems and Noord-tec for installation of hardware allowing for flexible production and use of H₂. The Smart Company will be updated within the first half of 2023.