This fall, heating manufacturer Nefit Bosch will start building a test center in Deventer for hydrogen-powered heating appliances. The company already developed a boiler suitable for hydrogen several years ago. In addition to hydrogen boilers, Bosch is also working in the Netherlands on components for electrolyzers that can be used to produce green hydrogen.
Hydrogen is seen by many as a promising alternative to natural gas in the built environment. It has already been demonstrated that the existing gas infrastructure can be used for hydrogen distribution without large-scale modifications.
Hydrogen and heat pumps
In addition to heat pumps and other electrical solutions, Bosch is also focusing its R&D activities on hydrogen. To house the hydrogen test center at the Nefit Bosch site in Deventer, an existing production hall will be redesigned and remodeled. "This is possible because the production of central heating boilers is largely clustered in Bosch plants abroad." So says Markus Baumeister, director of engineering at Nefit Bosch. "This will free up almost 4,000 square meters in the production hall.
Test Center
One-third of the production hall will be set up as a test center. This includes a well-equipped workshop for building prototypes. Two-thirds of this space will be used by the company for other activities. These include a configuration center for prefab solutions and the production of (roof) heat pumps. ''Oost NL, the development company of the East Netherlands, and the municipality of Deventer supported us in the expansion. They brought our test center to the attention of parties in the region and beyond,'' Baumeister said.
Green hydrogen
Hydrogen tests are subject to different rules and require different facilities, especially in terms of safety. "We have always done a lot of research on the combustion properties of natural gas and propane. We are now significantly expanding laboratory capacity and adding hydrogen to our research," Baumeister explained. Predominantly green hydrogen will be used for the tests. To this end, a hydrogen station will be built at the front of the current production hall with tube trailers to supply hydrogen. Possibly at a later stage, Nefit Bosch will generate its own green hydrogen with its own electrolyzer, which is being developed in part by another part of Bosch in Tilburg.
H2 ready boiler
Although installers do not have to start using hydrogen immediately, Baumeister emphasizes that green hydrogen could eventually become a component of the energy mix for the built environment. "With hybrid heat pumps becoming increasingly popular, the combination with a hydrogen boiler could be interesting as a CO2-free solution. This is because you then benefit from the advantages of both sources," says Baumeister. "Our H2 Ready boiler can be converted from natural gas to hydrogen within an hour. With the investments we are now making in the test center, we are ready for when Dutch or European politicians decide that hydrogen will be part of the energy mix. Certification will be part of that.''
