Pepperl+Fuchs Group, one of the leading companies for industrial sensor technology and explosion protection, advances safety measures for ammonia transportation in the global hydrogen infrastructure transition. As hydrogen will play a crucial role as the key to the energy transition alongside the increase in electrification, it will involve everything from the long-term storage of energy up to the molecular replacement of all fossil fuels. Unfortunately, Germany does not have the space available to cover the full extent of future demand via its national production. Today, it is assumed that imports will be in the range of 60 to 70 percent.

Hydrogen will be transported by ship, which presents a problem. Liquefaction, for example, consumes a lot of additional energy. However, other means of transport are not yet available. Transporting ammonia, on the other hand, is an established process, with about 20 million tons being transported every day. For this reason, well-known suppliers have made the decision to produce ammonia by combining green hydrogen with nitrogen and to transport the ammonia using the established methods.

Since it is a toxic and explosive substance, appropriate safety measures must be taken. From landing and additional transport over land to further processing steps, Pepperl+Fuchs products—such as the K-System series switch amplifiers that safely separate field devices from controllers—can be found in the systems used. A wide range of barriers can be adapted to the respective systems. Ethernet-APL switches are increasingly used for modern data transmission, enabling high data transfer rates in a secure environment. Sensors are available for monitoring a large number of valves and reporting their respective positions.

For more information: www.pepperl-fuchs.com