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Research ESRIG - Energy and Sustainability Research Institute Groningen Events

ESRIG-EES colloquium: Michael Susan and Brienne Wiersema, MSc EES students

When:Tu 11-02-2020 16:00 - 17:00
Where:5159.0110, Nijenborgh 6 (Energy Academy)

Speaker | Michael Susan, MSc EES student.

Title | Reuse of natural gas pipelines for hydrogen transport and storage.

Summary | In this research an investigation was performed into the potential of reusing natural gas pipelines for storage of hydrogen gas. With a shift from fossil fuel-based energy supply to energy from renewable sources the need for storage becomes increasingly important. Via Power-to-Gas technology, electricity (e.g. from wind and solar energy) can be used to produce hydrogen. Storing energy in hydrogen solves the issue of intermittent energy production from wind and solar energy. This hydrogen can then be used for heat, mobility, or electricity generation on demand. Using the Dutch natural gas grid for hydrogen would not only result in large-scale storage, but also in the development of nation-wide infrastructure supporting the hydrogen economy. This project focuses on the NAM-owned gas pipelines around the city of Emmen. Here, a combination of a congested electricity grid empty pipelines, and industrial demand for hydrogen offers an opportunity to test the potential of power-to-gas and hydrogen storage in natural gas pipelines.  


Speaker | Brienne Wiersema, MSc EES student.

Title | The effects of biogas production on the carbon flows on Dutch dairy farms.

Summary | Dairy farming is related to a number of environmental problems. One of them is the emission of methane from manure storage systems. Biogas production is seen as a potential solution, that captures methane from animal manure and reduces the methane emission of the farm. In a conventional farm situation, animal manure is used as organic fertilizer to fertilize the soils and to increase crop production.The input of carbon to agricultural soils is important to maintain the  organic carbon levels. Organic carbon in soils play an essential role in maintaining the physical properties of the soil, regulation of nutrient availability and the potential to sequester carbon. In this project, the effects of anaerobic digestion on the carbon flows and on the carbon availability for soils are studied using a substance flow analysis on a case study dairy farm in the Netherlands.