Power technology group Wärtsilä has launched the world’s first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant, to facilitate the move away from gas and towards hydrogen.
The new plant design can run on natural gas, but can also be converted to run on 100% hydrogen; this is a major step forward from current flexible power plants, which can only run on mixed blends of natural gas and hydrogen. The engine is expected to be available to order from 2025, with the first deliveries of the system expected in 2026.
President of Wärtsilä Energy Anders Lindberg said: “We will not meet global climate goals or fully decarbonise our power systems without flexible, zero-carbon power generation, which can quickly ramp up and down to support intermittent wind and solar.
“We must be realistic that natural gas will play a part in our power systems for years to come. Our fuel flexible engines can use natural gas today to provide flexibility and balancing, enabling renewable power to thrive. They can then be converted to run on hydrogen when it becomes readily available: future-proofing the journey to net zero.
“This is a major milestone for us as a company, and the energy transition more generally, as our hydrogen-ready engines will enable the 100% renewable power systems of tomorrow.”
H2 in the UK
Hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important part of the UK’s future energy plans, attracting significant attention and investment.
Last month, utility Centrica announced the delivery of four Wärtsilä engines to a former gas power station as part of plans to trial blending hydrogen into the gas supply. This follows an announcement from March that the company had completed work on a 20MW hydrogen-blend peaker plant in Worcestershire.
Centrica is also involved in plans to develop a low-carbon hydrogen hub in the North of England. Centrica joined forces with representatives from Equinor and SSE Thermal to present plans to Parliament for the Humber Hydrogen Hub, a series of hydrogen production and storage facilities connected by dedicated pipelines.
The development of a hydrogen sector could have major benefits to the UK economy. A report released by the North West Hydrogen Alliance (NWHA) has indicated that hydrogen production could bring the region’s economy a £3.4 billion boost, as well as creating around 11,500 jobs.