In order to see that hydrogen fuel goes on to reach its optimum potential, the energy system surrounding the production, transport, storage, as well as distribution of the molecule should be digitised. The usage of AI as well as ML, along with the most advanced sensors and also automation, is indeed going to be very vital so as to take care of the way it is generated, its storage, and, of course, the energy consumption. Often called the Twin Transition, it is very important that the shift to a low-carbon economy gets supported simultaneously by a digital one.
Innovation along with Integration
The production, when it comes to clean or even low-carbon hydrogen, goes on to rely on energy technologies that happen to be innovative. However, as any production engineer will be aware, along with every kind of new innovation that’s blended into an energy system, there’s a whole new apprehension and uncertainty level that also gets accompanied. But the potential of digitalisation from the very beginning of a project throughout the operations execution can very well influence the intelligence when it comes to an asset, thereby making it data-capable.
It is well to be noted that the conventional ways of coming up with energy assets mostly involve siloed ways when it comes to working along with engineered facilities that get developed by one engineering company, execution of the project by another, and, at the same time, operations that are managed by the third, thereby making the entire project less efficient and also slowing its capabilities. Moreover, digital platforms help with better partnerships as well as the exchange of data and also information in between numerous players within the entire value chain, right from the production stage to storage, transport, and, of course, the employment of hydrogen when it comes to the end user. This kind of elevated transparency leads to a very effective use in terms of resources and also allows for a much more seamless adaptation when it comes to the dynamic market conditions that are changing.
Thoughtfully considered as well as executed digital technologies can go on to majorly enhance the performance and also the efficiency of the hydrogen economy, especially that of low- or clean-carbon hydrogen.
AI along with the big data
One of the key technologies worth mentioning here happens to be AI, which goes on to enable very high data analytics to get rolled out in the process of production. Teamed with big data, AI happens to deliver a much more sophisticated analysis that can very accurately predict the variance in hydrogen demand and supply. It is also going to have a critical role in making sure to help decrease the energy consumption and, at the same time, also extend the service life of the systems. As per IRENA, electricity comprises 70% of the overall cost of hydrogen production, which itself means that the operations needs of the producers need to be very highly data-driven so as to take advantage when it comes to low-cost electricity market costs.
IoT along with the digital twins
The IoT goes on to offer companies the much-needed opportunity to go ahead and collate, analyze, and also make use of the data, and that too in real time so as to make informed decisions and also make the processes all the more optimized. Through incorporating as well as networking systems, sensors, and other components, companies can go ahead and effectively control as well as track their hydrogen infrastructure operations. All this not only helps with a better utilization of the plant but at the same time also enables an early detection of any kind of malfunctioning or bottlenecks that occur, thereby resulting in much less downtime and, of course, the functional costs.
Yet another aspect that goes on to play a very critical role when it comes to the hydrogen economy development is the usage of electrolysis so as to go ahead and produce hydrogen by way of renewable energy sources. As the electrolysers can enable decarbonizing the very hard-to-abate sectors like chemicals, aviation, and also steel, clean hydrogen production happens to be quite an electro-intensive process that needs energy system designs having considerable power capacity and also an intricate process stimulation modelling. It is well to be noted that the traditional process modeling, which happens to be used in the development of designs, mostly required many software programs at every level. However, the advanced digital twin design solutions go on to have in them digital simulation with 3D engineering as well as construction tools, thereby reducing the time taken for engineering, blending both power and also process simulation, and also helping with a dependable end-to-end evaluation when it comes to the design of the plant. With the benefits of testing available by way of simulation, it can also go on to alert the designers to any kind of errors and also rework thereafter that may as well need to be performed.
Digitizing a project right from the outset, which is sometimes also called the born-digital approach, as well as helping with a digital twin, which is as far back as the feasibility study, can also go on to make new assets ready for automation and help with reduced labor along with operations for training and, at the same time, offer data streams in terms of evaluation and also eradicate the uncertainties as far as design is concerned.
In the end
It is worth noting that information technology within the energy sector happens to play a very critical role when it comes to unlocking the potential of digitalisation across the hydrogen sector. The fact is that the digital platforms go on to provide easy and holistic solutions in terms of integrating, controlling, and also tracking the overall value chain right from production and storage to transportation as well as end use. As AI, digital twinning, and also big data get more and more sophisticated, they go on to open quite a broad range of unmatched opportunities that could enhance the efficiency as well as the performance of the hydrogen economy and at the same time also lower the carbon future. But in order to completely realize this sort of potential of digitisation, there has to be a much better partnership between players.