Etirc plans to invest $1 bln in hydrogen fuel production in Irkutsk

 

Etirc plans to invest $1 bln in hydrogen fuel production in Irkutsk

Publication Date:09-April-2007
12:30 PM US Eastern Timezone
Source:Interfax
The Netherlands' Etirc is planning to invest around $1 billion in
building a module complex to produce hydrogen fuel in Irkutsk, Sergei
Voronov, deputy head of the regional administration, said at a seminar
organized by the Corporate Development Institute on Thursday in
Irkutsk. Etirc and the regional administration signed an agreement
back in September 2006 during the Baikal Economic Forum, he said.
However, according to the terms of the agreement, the company's plans
could only be revealed six months after the agreement was signed.

Etirc is planning to produce hydrogen fuel through electrolysis from
water, liquefy it and shipping it by rail to Japan. "Japan is the main
consumer of hydrogen fuel," Voronov said. "The Russian market is not
yet ready for such large supplies," he said.

Producing the fuel is very cost effective and it requires a capacity
of approximately 200 megawatts to produce. Etirc is waiting for the
technical terms for joining from Irkutskenergo. The company is ready
to invest in building generation capacity.

Voronov did not say when Etirc was planning to start construction, but
did say that it would take around three years. The company  is now
drafting project documents, he said.

The project to produce hydrogen fuel will be submitted at a government
meeting on May 10 that will discuss the social and economic
development of Irkutsk region, Voronov said.
 http://www.fuelcellsworks.com/Supppage7174.html

 


Sounds like they've persuaded the local government to foot most of the
bill.


"Main Consumer" means they have a few experimental prototypes. Not a big
market.


Very cost effective? NOT. Electrolysis is approx. 60% efficient, and
liquification requires extreme chilling, taking about a third of the energy
contained in the liquid H2. Add in the shipping, and you've thrown away
over 2/3 of the energy input. With fuel cells being 50% efficient, overall
loss around 84%. A high voltage power line, on the other hand, would loose
less than 10% of the power, and be much cheaper to build and maintain.


Another "someday really soon" deals. Four years from now it will still be
"planned in 3 years".


Yep, got some government to fund it. Typical.

 



Where does lkgeol come up with all of these brain dead environmental
articles. You do not need an engineering degree to see that many, like
this project, are not sound economically. Im waiting for the
announcement of a new project to be funded by the Austrian government
for XYZ Corporation to build hydrogen filled balloons to take hydrogen
to the moon for construction projects there.

--
Mike

Mike Swift