AMF Bakery Systems: Hydrogen fuels the future of the ovens

Hydrogen fuels the oven of the future

With the world’s first zero-emissions baking oven, a tunnel oven made by Den Boer, AMF Bakery Systems unlocked the opportunity for baking technology that is entirely environmentally sustainable. Times are now catching up with this next-generation technology, in finding ways to source and use green hydrogen.

+The futuristic oven concept running on hydrogen is also a literal nuts-and-bolts, working technology residing in the AMF Tromp Innovation Center in the Netherlands. The modular Multibake® VITATunnel Oven effectively eliminated emissions commonly produced by baking ovens by using green hydrogen to activate its burners.

Color-coded hydrogen

To clarify the different color codes used to describe hydrogen, it should be understood as an energy carrier. Gray signifies that natural gas is used to obtain this hydrogen, a resourcedemanding process that also results in CO2 as a by-product. Research also shows that considerable amounts of methane escape into the atmosphere as natural gas is extracted. Hydrogen is labeled blue when the CO2 generated from steam reforming (the gray hydrogen, known for years) is captured and stored underground (85-95%), through industrial carbon capture and storage. Green, however, means that this type of hydrogen is produced by splitting water via electrolysis; it is ‘clean’ hydrogen. This produces only hydrogen and oxygen, with no negative impact on the environment, as electrolysis can be powered by renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power, to steer clear of any CO2 emissions.

Deep green baking

Hydrogen is a viable energy source to support baking technology, as AMF assessed and demonstrated by designing the technology. Since many bakeries are using natural gas for their ovens, another type of gas could be an easy switch for them, the company theorized. Hydrogen was discovered decades ago but had not been considered a potential energy

source for baking ovens. In line with its own sustainability goals, AMF Den Boer built the technology that can support bakeries to truly bake ‘green’. Burning green hydrogen only creates water/steam as a by-product and no CO2 emission; it is also able to reach relatively high temperatures, which are vital to baking.

Efficiency optimization can turn a theoretical model into day-to-day working technology. In this case, “It can be reached by having a large network and availability of hydrogen, so more bakeries can connect and reduce the use of natural gas/ propane,” AMF highlights a potential solution that would also be a welcomed alternative to ever-increasing natural gas prices. Such large networks are currently in a project stage: earlier this year, RWE, Uniper and Bosch have announced large-scale projects for hydrogen research, while the European Hydrogen Backbone (EHB) initiative proposes a hydrogen network of 39,700 km by 2040, which can be further developed in the long term. In turn, the German government has allocated EUR52 million for hydrogen research. Electrolyzer systems are already available in many shapes and sizes, to produce hydrogen on location or at production sites. If electricity is generated via solar or wind energy, green hydrogen can be generated.

In the near future, bakeries will be able to generate their own green hydrogen with renewable resources. Potential solutions include companies working together to have an Electrolyzer, or hiring a party that produces hydrogen on-site, and transports it to their facility, just like local gas stations or gas-pipelines work. AMF points out that subsidy plans are also evolving, so funding will soon become available as well.

In the meantime, AMF can mix H2 with natural gas (NG) and still reduce CO2 emissions by about 30% without changing the current burner design. “It should be noted that the direct gas-fired Den Boer ovens recently delivered, are H2READY and can be rebuilt to use the hydrogen burners in a matter of days,” AMF highlights.

Hydrogen availability is growing in the world, especially in the EU region, AMF observes: “The EU has started many initiatives via Hydrogen Europe, where producers, users, governments and lobbyists are gathered to build a new, sustainable future in Europe and beyond. AMF Bakery Systems is also a part of Hydrogen Europe and contributes to this stream of upcoming projects.”

Burning hydrogen with a baking oven is, in a way, comparable to natural gas and propane. But, using it sustainably means doing it right and safely; that is where AMF’s new technology comes in, the specialists point out. “Burning hydrogen creates water or even steam when temperatures are very high, so this

© AMF Bakery Systems

stays inside the oven and circulates, which is perfect for baking. Many bread, pizza and cake products look and taste even better using a bit of steam,” AMF explains.

For the development of the burner capable of using hydrogen, small, lab-scale tests were first trialed. A mini-tunnel oven was the next step, after feasibility was demonstrated with the pilot tests. Currently, AMF displays a working, full-size production oven running on hydrogen in its Dutch Innovation Center in the Netherlands. It can be seen up-close running baking cycles to produce anything from bread, to pizza, flatbreads, buns and more, on a stone sole oven.

Hydrogen burning technology at the ready

All AMF oven models from the last years are H2-ready. Hydrogen heating can be retrofitted into existing oven models. What the process entails is determined on a caseby-case basis, since many ovens in production have been custom-designed. But, most natural gas/propane burners in Den Boer ovens can be easily replaced by new hydrogen burner systems and software, in a matter of days, depending on the size of the oven: top, bottom and pre-heat burners can all be switched to be able to use hydrogen. “Combination, hybrid models are also an option, where only a part runs on hydrogen, to take the first steps towards more sustainable baking,” AMF elaborates. With that in mind, it is important to note that it is the Den Boer Multibake-D, a direct-fired oven, the model the specialists consider to be the best for the implementation of the hydrogen-burning technology. The reason for that is that the burners heat the product, respectively on the oven belt directly, just like the blue flame burners do when fired with natural gas. The specialists outline some benefits of the direct-fired principle: + Dependable, adjustable heat transfer from bottom and top + Moisture monitoring and steam injection as an option (less needed with hydrogen) + Heat transfer from the combustion gases of the burners towards the product is direct without any transfer losses

The maintenance of a H2-fired oven is no different to that of any otherDen Boer oven. Regular inspections, remote support and replacement of wearing parts will extend its lifetime, which can be as long as half a century. Features supporting increased sustainability can be used with it, such as the Smart Oven app, which can help gain savings of up to 30%.

The patent is pending and expected to be granted at the begining of 2022. The technology used for burning hydrogen was invented by the AMF Den Boer engineering team, and tested and approved by the notified body KIWA. It is designed to reach for efficiency with consumption vs. high-capacity capabilities in mind, to maximize potential savings. “From a chemical point of view, hydrogen is the lightest element. As it generates heat, more hydrogen (volume) is needed than natural gas to reach the same results, but it comes with the invaluable benefit of enabling carbon-neutral production 24/7,” AMF specialists weigh in. The engineering team of AMF Den Boer has a combined experience of over 100 years in the baking industry. And they are not stopping with this innovation: “Our goal is to have more smart and sustainable products for our customers, based on the demand of the market and the fact that worldwide the desire to become more sustainable is also urgently needed.”

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Sustainability efforts trending in bakeries

+Reduction of energy consumption +Increasing production efficiency +Reducing CO2 footprint +Finding new energy sources like hydrogen +Minimizing transport/movements needs +Efficiency programs supplying consumers +Managing scrap to have less waste +Hygienic design +Minimizing water use +Digitalization and the use of smart technologies

Source: AMF Bakery Systems

Reference

1 https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/clean-energy-green-hydrogen 2 https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydrogen