Czechia's first industrial electrolyser for green hydrogen production is operating in Napajedla

Solar Global has commissioned the first industrial electrolyser for green hydrogen production in Czechia, in Napajedla in the Zlín Region. The gas, produced using a photovoltaic power plant with support from wind power, will be used to store electricity from clean sources over the long term. A refuelling station for hydrogen-powered vehicles is also planned at the site, Solar Global Group Chairman Vítězslav Skopal told reporters today.

“Green hydrogen makes it possible to store clean energy from renewable sources over the long term, even for months, and thus complements large-scale battery storage facilities, which are effective for short-term storage of surplus power from photovoltaic or wind power plants,” Skopal said.

The electrolyser will produce 8000 kilograms of zero-emission hydrogen a year, enough for a passenger car to travel 800.000 kilometres or a hydrogen bus to travel 80.000 kilometres. “We have also added a battery storage facility with a capacity of 206 kWh and an output of 100 kW. The green hydrogen is stored in a buffer pressure tank with a capacity of 640 litres,” Skopal said. The company installed the equipment in spring, and it has been in trial operation since June. The costs were around 35 million crowns, of which nine million came from a grant from the Ministry of the Environment, the chairman said. Solar Global plans to use the green hydrogen mainly for energy storage. A refuelling station for hydrogen-powered vehicles will also be built at the site within two years. In addition to hydrogen, the electrolyser will produce zero-emission oxygen for use in industry, food production and healthcare.