OPC UA – Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture – is one of the most important communication standards for industrial automation and Industry 4.0.
Enapter’s work with OPC UA started around six months ago, in parallel with the foundation of the working group developing the OPC UA interface standard for energy devices and systems.
Known as ‘the global production language’, OPC UA enables improved data communication and interoperability between devices and systems in many industries.
By joining the OPC Foundation behind the standard and becoming the first electrolyser producer to use OPC UA on its electrolysers, Enapter has opened up even easier deployment of its green hydrogen generators for solutions ranging from energy self-sufficiency to green gas production.
Sebastian-Justus Schmidt, Founder and CEO of Enapter, said, “Alongside the OPC UA Foundation, we wanted to make it even easier for today’s industry leaders who are using systems and devices running OPC UA to transition to green hydrogen. We believe that assuring the digital interoperability of our electrolysers will accelerate industry’s adoption of green hydrogen.”
Enapter is a leader in AEM Electrolyser technology, with its green hydrogen generators used in diverse applications in more than 50 countries.
It is currently building the Enapter Campus mass production and R&D site in Saerbeck, Germany, where it also intends to use OPC UA for standardised and secure communication between production line devices.
While its EL 4.0 Electrolysers running OPC UA will be able to enable easy and secure integration with 3rd party Energy Management Systems, Enapter also offers users its own Energy Management System Toolkit for integration and control of Enapter and third party devices.
Stefan Hoppe, President OPC Foundation, said, “As industries increasingly undergo both digitalisation and decarbonisation, the certification of Enapter’s electrolysers for OPC UA is a clear signal of confidence for those wanting a reliable solution for integrating green hydrogen production into their systems.”
The use of OPC UA in electrolysers is also an expansion of Enapter’s open-source software focus, with some of its information model additions around green hydrogen systems also proposed to be added to the standard OPC UA information models – a development that could broaden the potential for integration of other energy transition assets within OPC UA.
Click below to watch Enapter co-founder Vaitea Cowan’s TED Talk on ‘How green hydrogen could end the fossil fuel era’.
Vaitea Cowan: How green hydrogen could end the fossil fuel era | TED Talk