Karmactive TeamOn June 18th, 2024, Wärtsilä launched the world’s first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant.
As a global player in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets, Wärtsilä operates in 79 countries. Their goal is to establish a strong foundation for sustainable technology. In April 2024, Wärtsilä received the Top Project of the Year Award in the Energy Innovation category at the Environment+Energy Leader Awards program.
The new hydrogen-ready engine power plant can be converted to run on 100% hydrogen. This represents a significant advancement over existing technology, which only supports natural gas and 25 vol% hydrogen blends. Based on the Wärtsilä 31 engine platform, the plant offers rapid grid synchronization within 30 seconds from start, fuel flexibility, and exceptional load following capabilities and part-load efficiency. The platform has logged over 1 million running hours and has more than 1,000 MW of installed capacity globally.
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Anders Lindberg, President of Wärtsilä Energy, remarked, “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.” According to the IEA World Energy Outlook 2023, achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 will require consuming 17 Mt of hydrogen for power generation by 2030, escalating to 51 Mt by 2050. Despite hydrogen demand having more than tripled since 1975, global investment in hydrogen energy research, development, and demonstration remains below its 2008 peak.
There are challenges in renewable energy production; today, nearly all hydrogen supply is derived from 6% of global natural gas and 2% of global coal, emitting about 830 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. High gas import prices in countries like Japan, Korea, China, and India lead to elevated hydrogen production costs, making it less accessible.
Currently, Wärtsilä’s 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant has been certified by TÜV SÜD, demonstrating a commitment to quality and safety. “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 Anders Lindberg. Wärtsilä has achieved the first stage of TÜV SÜD’s H2-Readiness certification with a Concept Certificate for the conceptual design of its engine power plant. Commercially, the 100% hydrogen-ready engine is slated to be available for orders in 2025 and for delivery starting in 2026.
