The Association for Waste Disposal (VfA) Buchs in St. Gallen has selected H2 Energy to deliver a turn-key hydrogen production plant with connected refuelling station.

The Association for Waste Disposal (VfA) was established by 42 municipalities in 1960 and has since been responsible for waste management as well as the supply of thermal energy, district heating, and process steam to the local industry. The VfA processes around 190’000 Tons of waste per year, which is used to generate electricity and heat. With an installed thermal and electrical capacity of 70 and 20 MW respectively, the plant can produce over 100 GWh of electricity and delivers over 100 GWh of district heat per year. This creates CO2 savings of 40,000 tons per year.

Hydrogen: A strategic opportunity for VfA

With increasing shares of renewable energy like PV and wind on the grid, the number of hours per year with negative prices are constantly increasing. From the perspective of VfA this reduces the revenues from power sales but also creates a strategic opportunity to diversify their value streams. By using excess power to produce hydrogen, fuel for waste collection trucks and service vehicles can be produced in-house with the balance being sold into the Swiss Green Hydrogen Ecosystem. In the future, a synthetic fuel production using CO2 captured from the incineration process may also be developed.

Flow diagram showing the production of synthetic fuels from hydrogen and COâ‚‚, using electricity overproduction, with applications in industry, vehicles, waste, heating, chemicals, and storage.
Concept for climate-neutral fuels (Source: VfA Buchs)

Turn-key hydrogen production and refuelling station from H2 Energy

VfA Buchs has selected H2 Energy as EPC partner to deliver a turn key hydrogen production plant including a hydrogen refuelling station. The plant will be based on a  containerized 2.5MW electrolyser from NEL Hydrogen and a compressor from Burkhardt Compression. These are the same proven core elements used in the Kubel hydrogen production plant built by H2 Energy for WPO, also in St. Gallen (Hydrogen Production Plant Kubel). The plant will feature H2 Energy`s smart hydrogen logistics solutions with automated filling panels and docking stations for up to 5x 20ft. containers which serve as both local storage as well as means of transport for the produced hydrogen. The hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) will be delivered by Maximator Hydrogen, who have also delivered the stations in the rest of the Swiss HRS network.

Aerial view of two trucks near a fenced industrial facility with multiple white container units, adjacent to large blue pipelines.
Conceptual illustration of the hydrogen prodcution and refuelling station (Source: H2 Energy)

Learn more about VfA Buchs here: VfA-buchs.ch | Association for Waste Disposal