Automation | Strandmöllen AB

Efficient control systems ensure optimum hydrogen plant safety

Safety is a key priority at Strandmöllen's new fully automatic hydrogen plant. Init supplied PLC and SCADA programming for the plant’s integrated monitoring and process control system.


Christian Nielsen founded Strandmöllen in 1917. After his death in 1967, ownership of the company was transferred to the Christian Nielsen Foundation. From its inception, the group has pioneered many solutions for the gas industry. The group owns refuelling stations and plants that produce producer gas, hydrogen, CO2 and acetylene.  


In 2023, Christian Nielsen Strandmøllen A/S began construction of a new 3-MW, 600 Nm3/h hydrogen plant at Strandmöllen AB, a subsidiary company located at Ljungby in Sweden. The aim is to establish a state-of-the-art gas production plant in combination with a refuelling station that is to function as simply and efficiently as a regular gas filling station. 


Init supplied a control solution that is fully integrated with other Strandmöllen software platforms to optimise production processes, safety and monitoring. 

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Long-term partnership


Strandmöllen and Init have worked together on a great number of projects since 2003. Init’s technicians and programmers have deep insight into the processes involved and, not least, the extremely high standards of safety that are imperative at gas plants. Therefore, Init was the obvious choice of supplier to tackle, among other challenges, programming comprehensive monitoring and control systems for the new hydrogen plant in Sweden.

Challenge

Safety is essential

Every process at the new hydrogen plant, including electrolysis, compression and buffering, and the refuelling station all differ slightly from those at other Strandmöllen gas production facilities, so this project required extensive planning and innovative thinking. 

 

Above all, however, at the new hydrogen plant, extra focus and resources have been assigned to safety. A critical error must never occur at a gas plant. Everything – from the tiniest of details, such as the number of emergency stop buttons and their location, to the overall functioning of the safety system and, for example, the hydrogen venting procedure – has to remain under control at all times. 

 

The work required expertise and close cooperation between the parties with regard to risk assessments and production processes, as well as documentation and compliance with applicable safety standards. 

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Solution

Efficient monitoring and control

Init supplied programming of the hydrogen plant’s PLC and SCADA system. The solution monitors and controls hydrogen production (from electrolysis to the compression and buffering systems) and the refuelling station, at which Strandmøllen’s own and customers’ trailers, as well as individual cylinders and cylinder racks can be filled. 

 

State-of-the-art DCS solution

 

The PLC and SCADA system is built on Rockwell Automation’s standard DCS solution, PlantPAx. PlantPAx is a modern DCS (Distributed Control System) that integrates process, data and safety control into a plant-wide infrastructure.

 

To optimise data retrieval and process management, the solution is therefore integrated with all Strandmøllen’s other software. In addition to having a hand in component testing (on site/online) and documentation, Init has set up databases and many IT technical functions, including server functions.

“Init has been a valuable sparring partner from the very first days of this project. Because Bo Rubæk Hansen knows so much about gas and production processes, the planning phase was both fast and efficient.

 

Once planning was in place, the Init team programmed all the control systems and drew up test schedules.”

Process Engineer Vytis Lapinskas, Christian Nielsen Strandmøllen A/S

Result

Commissioning in 2025

In 2025, the Swedish hydrogen plant and its integrated refuelling station are complete, and initial process tests and test filling of cylinders and trailers are concluded. 

 

Before the plant can be run at full capacity, comprehensive function and component tests must be carried out and documentation processes established in compliance with relevant standards. At a hydrogen production plant, nothing is left to chance. Every detail is checked. Safety first, every job, every time!

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“We’re in contact with the Init guys almost on a daily basis. We feel they are more like colleagues than consultants. Everything is so simple and easy. All we have to do is call.” 

Process Engineer Vytis Lapinskas, Christian Nielsen Strandmøllen A/S

Facts

About the plant

  • Location: Ljungby in Sweden 
  • Plant: Produces hydrogen by means of electrolysis, compression and buffering, with a refuelling station
  • Capacity: 3-MW, 600 Nm3/h
  • Pressure: 410 bar
  • Refuelling: Trailers, cylinders, cylinder racks
  • Process: Integrated, fully automatic production of hydrogen gas
  • Control systems: PLC/SCADA built on Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx 

Reach out

for more information

Bo Rubæk Hansen

Automationsingeniør

+45 40 30 87 30

[email protected]

Init Fredericia, Denmark

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