Finland-based Wartsila has launched a large-scale, fully hydrogen-ready engine power plant in what the company says is a world first.

While scaling up renewables is crucial, it will not be enough by itself to achieve global net-zero targets. To balance the intermittent nature of wind and solar energy, flexible power generation solutions such as engine power plants are vital. These solutions must be future-proof and capable of using sustainable fuels to fully decarbonise the energy sector.

The hydrogen-ready engine power plant is designed to be converted to run on 100% hydrogen and represents an improvement on current technology, which can operate only on natural gas and hydrogen blends of up to 25%, Wartsila said.

“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,” said company president Anders Lindberg.

The engine platform

The Wartsila 31 engine platform, which underpins the new hydrogen-ready power plant, is capable of synchronising with the grid within 30 seconds, ensures energy security through fuel flexibility and offers exceptional load-following capabilities and high part-load efficiency. The platform has more than 1m running hours and more than 1,000MW of installed capacity globally.

Wartsila’s hydrogen-ready engine power plant has also passed certification that reflects a strong commitment to quality and safety. This certification process comprises three stages, with Wartsila having secured the initial concept certificate for the design of its engine power plant. The fully hydrogen-ready engine is expected to be available for orders in 2025, with deliveries starting in 2026.

Projects such as Wartsila’s will be particularly important for Europe, which is facing uncertainty regarding its hydrogen ambitions due to escalating costs, infrastructure limitations, and scalability challenges.

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Author: Shweta Dilawari