HARTING utilizes hydrogen technology at Espelkamp facility
HARTING Technologiegruppe has commissioned a new fuel cell plant at its Espelkamp site, complementing its existing biogas and photovoltaic facilities. The plant will convert locally produced biogas into electricity and, in the future, store regenerative energy as hydrogen.
Espelkamp, Germany – HARTING Technologiegruppe has commissioned a new fuel cell plant at its Espelkamp facility to enhance energy efficiency and advance climate-neutral production. The pilot plant, manufactured by Reverion, integrates with the company's existing biogas and solar power installations.
Initially, the plant converts locally produced biogas directly into electricity, significantly increasing the energy efficiency of the Espelkamp site. Looking ahead, the fuel cell plant is intended to store regenerative energy in the form of green hydrogen, which can then be converted back into usable energy as needed. The company highlights Reverion's technology for its high efficiency across the entire energy cycle, achieving a "round-trip" efficiency of up to 75 percent for hydrogen conversion. Process heat not converted into electricity can also be utilized in the biogas plant to maintain fermentation.
"The plant perfectly complements our energy management," stated Philip Harting, CEO of HARTING Technologiegruppe. "It is not only another building block for climate-neutral production but also enables sustainable and resilient energy supply during bottlenecks or consumption peaks."
In its current phase, HARTING is testing various system configurations to determine the appropriate storage size and application for future scaling. Technically, the plant is designed for an electricity input of up to 250 kilowatts in electrolysis mode and an output of up to 100 kilowatts in fuel cell operation. It currently covers approximately three percent of the Espelkamp site's energy consumption.
Industrial connectors from HARTING's Han® portfolio are employed within the plant, providing robust and flexible interfaces for signals, data, and power. "We are very pleased that HARTING is convinced of our technology and is implementing it in its own energy system," said Maximilian Schmitt, Head of Sales & Marketing at Reverion. "The Espelkamp project demonstrates that our reversible technology not only achieves high efficiencies but is also practically integrable into existing industrial infrastructures."