German fuel-cell specialist SFC Energy AG (ETR:F3C) said on Wednesday that it is taking part in an international research project to test an off-grid energy solution with green hydrogen in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The GH2GH project involves the installation of a system for the production, storage and on-demand reconversion of green hydrogen to provide off-grid energy. SFC and its partners, Bochum University of Applied Sciences and Green Power Brains, have already developed the system at the Don Bosco Solar & Renewable Energy Centre in Tema, Ghana.
The overall solution integrates photovoltaics, batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells. Excess solar electricity generated during the day is used to produce green hydrogen and is stored in batteries. The hydrogen is converted back into electricity during rainy days.
SFC said it has provided four EFOY Hydrogen 2.5 fuel cells. The hydrogen option provides a power storage capacity of 600 kWh, more than doubling the previous storage capacity of the battery.
Autonomous systems and mini-grids like those implemented at the Don Bosco Campus are seen as a tool to increase the electrification rate in the region. According to data cited in the statement, electrification rates in Ghana range between 14% and 82%, with particularly poor electrification in rural areas.
The GH2GH project is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.
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