World’s First 1 MW Large-Scale Gas Engine Begins Field Test for Hydrogen Operation

• Field conversion of a natural-gas combined heat and power plant to run on 100% hydrogen
• Important milestone for Germany in its pursuit of climate neutrality and for the European energy sector as a whole
• Security of investment for the operators through the long-term use of existing infrastructure

The recent initiation of field testing on the converted combined heat and power (CHP) plant in the Othmarschen area of Hamburg marks a decisive step forward in a joint flagship project by INNIO* Jenbacher* and HanseWerk Natur. This 1-megawatt pilot plant from INNIO Jenbacher represents the world’s first large-scale gas engine in the 1 MW range that can be operated either with 100% natural gas or with variable hydrogen-natural gas mixtures up to 100% hydrogen.

“Our joint project with HanseWerk Natur is a key milestone on the path toward climate neutrality since green hydrogen is an important part of the solution. A particularly attractive aspect of our gas engine technology is that existing natural gas engines can also be converted to run on hydrogen. This offers operators security of investment, with the added benefit that the existing infrastructure can not only be utilized in the longer term, but also deployed in a way that is environmentally sound,” said Carlos Lange, President and CEO of INNIO.

The testing program will evaluate how the plant operates with different hydrogen-natural gas mixtures and is expected to provide important insights for the future operation of similar plants. “By field testing this INNIO CHP plant with up to 100% hydrogen, we are demonstrating that a greener, more reliable, more flexible and future-orientated energy supply for Hamburg is technically feasible,” explained a delighted Thomas Baade, Technical Director of HanseWerk Natur GmbH.

The converted CHP plant provides 30 residential buildings, a sports center, a daycare center, and the Othmarschen Park leisure complex with a reliable supply of local heating that equates to 13,000 megawatt hours every year. The electricity generated is fed to electric vehicle charging points in Othmarschen’s multi-level parking garage as well as to the local power grid.

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