AREVA: Hydrogen Energy Storage: Power Ramp-up at the MYRTE Test Platform

Regulatory News:

The Greenergy Box™, an energy storage and management system developed by AREVA (Paris:AREVA), has been installed at the MYRTE test platform at the University of Corsica’s Vignola site in Ajaccio Corsica. It enhances the existing installation, which has been in operation since early 2013, and increases the grid output from the energy stored in hydrogen to 150 kW, strengthening the quality and reliability of grid operations.

Jointly developed by AREVA, the Environmental Sciences Laboratory of the University of Corsica Pascal Paoli/CNRS, and the CEA, the project is certified by the Capenergies competitiveness cluster and is co-funded by the government of Corsica, the French State and the European Union.

Since January 2012, the MYRTE platform has connected photovoltaic solar panels, with an output of 560 kW, to a hydrogen-based storage system. By joining the power grid, this provides a solution to the problem of intermittency and makes it one of the rare installations in the world with this type of coupling.

Composed of an electrolyzer and a fuel cell, the Greenergy Box™ increases the potential storage of the electricity produced. The new system also offers greater flexibility for grid operations and gives the research teams at the University of Corsica, in association with the CNRS and the CEA, the opportunity to plan and test various energy management scenarios.

Mr. Paul-Marie Romani, president of the University of Corsica and Chairman of the MYRTE scientific interest grouping congratulated "this installation which is a new step forward for Corsica in the development of scientific activities devoted to energy issues.”

Mrs. Florence Lambert, director of CEA-LITEN and leader of the New Industrial France recovery plan devoted to energy storage,¹ said: "This new installation provides actors in the France hydrogen industry with a platform that increases the potential for the development of innovative technological solutions that can meet the challenges of the energy transition.”

Mr. Jérôme Gosset, executive vice-president of AREVA’s Energy Storage business, added "Boosting the storage potential of the MYRTE platform demonstrates the high added value of the solution developed by AREVA to increase the security of the Corsican power grid.”

About AREVA

AREVA is a world leader in nuclear power. The group’s offer to utilities covers every stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, reactor design and construction, and operating services. Its expertise and uncompromising dedication to safety make it a leading industry player.

AREVA also invests in renewable energies to develop, via partnerships, high technology solutions.

Through the complementary nature of nuclear and renewables, AREVA’s 45,000 employees contribute to building tomorrow’s energy model: supplying the greatest number of people with energy that is safer and with less CO2.

www.areva.com

About the CEA

As one of the leaders in research, development and innovation in Europe, the CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) is active in four main areas: low-carbon energies, defense and security, information technologies and health technologies. In each of these fields, the CEA maintains a cross-disciplinary culture of engineers and researchers, building on the synergies between fundamental and technological research.

http://www.cea.fr/english-portal

About the University of Corsica

The University of Corsica, initiator of the project, is an educational and research public institution. Since many years, one part of these research activities concerns the field of renewable energies and energy systems. The platform MYRTE is part of the project "Renewable Energies" of the Joint Research Unit "Science for Environment" University of Corsica / CNRS and includes ten professors, assistant professors, engineers and technicians. In this context, the University of Corsica, in coordination with the other partners, elaborates the scientific program. It provides the management and the coordination of the project. The University of Corsica designs and realizes the photovoltaic plant, the global management system that provides global management of all the energy flows and the security functions. The University of Corsica has implemented the infrastructure of the platform and is operates the overall installation.

www.univ-corse.fr

About the CNRS

Founded in 1939, the French national center for scientific research is a public research institution. It produces knowledge and makes it available to serve society. With more than 34,000 employees, distribution throughout France, CNRS produces science in all fields of knowledge, relying on its 1100 research and service units. Many eminent researchers have worked, at some point in their career, in CNRS research labs. With 19 Nobel laureates and 11 Fields prize winners, CNRS has a long tradition of excellence. CNRS also demonstrates its openness to partnerships, notably industrial, with its 4521 main patents (late 2012), 959 active licenses (late 2012) and 704 innovative enterprises created since 2000.

http://www.cnrs.fr/index.php

¹ "Battery Life and Power”, New Industrial France: 34 recovery plans