Energy Observer: Hydrogen as an energy storage solution at sea

The challenge

The Energy Observer generates hydrogen directly on board from surplus renewable energy and uses it to generate electricity later on. For this to work, the hydrogen produced must be reliably compressed and safely stored – under maritime conditions and within a limited installation space. At the same time, there must be no contamination, as the hydrogen is used in a fuel cell. The requirement was therefore for a robust, compact and process-reliable compression system for a self-sufficient energy system at sea.

The sera solution

The Energy Observer uses a two-stage compression system, consisting of a booster from sera and a downstream compressor from partner Nova Swiss. The hydrogen produced from seawater by an electrolyser is compressed in the first stage by the sera booster from 30 to 160 bar and then compressed to 350 bar in the second stage and stored. The electrolyser is powered by surplus energy from solar and wind sources. When required, the stored hydrogen is converted back into electrical energy in a fuel cell. The system thus enables a completely self-sufficient energy supply for the vessel.

Customer benefits

• Safe and reliable storage of hydrogen generated on board
• Functioning energy storage system for self-sufficient vessel operation
• Integration of hydrogen technology into a real-world maritime demonstration project
• Practical validation of the technology under demanding operating conditions

Conclusion

The Energy Observer demonstrates that hydrogen works as an energy storage solution in autonomous systems – and that reliable compression plays a key role in this.