Rolls-Royce has conducted successful tests of a
12-cylinder gas variant of the mtu Series 4000 L64 engine running
on 100% hydrogen fuel.
The tests, carried out by the company’s Power Systems
business unit, mark another important step towards the commercial introduction of
hydrogen solutions to meet the demand for more
sustainable energy.
“This engine will serve the market demand for hydrogen solutions
in the energy transition and will be available to our customers as
a reliable and clean power source for gensets and combined heat
and power plants,” said Tobias Ostermaier, President – Stationary
Power Solutions, Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems.
The first installation of mtu engines running on
100% hydrogen is planned for the enerPort II lighthouse
project in the German inland port of Duisburg, as part of the
development of a climate-neutral energy supply for a new container
terminal.
Duisport, one of the world’s largest inland ports,
is working with several partners to build a hydrogen-based supply
network for its new terminal, ready for operation in 2024.
In the
future, most of the electricity required by the port itself will
be generated directly on site from hydrogen in a CO2-neutral
manner. This will be achieved by two combined heat and power
plants with mtu Series 4000 hydrogen engines (with a total
installed capacity of 2MW) as well as three mtu fuel cell systems
(with a total installed capacity 1.5MW).
“We see hydrogen as one of the central elements of
the energy transition,” said Dr Jörg Stratmann, CEO – Rolls-Royce
Power Systems. “It can be used for both storage of excess
energy and as a fuel, not only for engines but fuel cells and
cogeneration plants to generate climate-neutral electricity and
heat.”
In times of low demand and high renewable energy
generation from wind or solar, for example, the excess energy can
be channelled through an electrolyser to convert water to
hydrogen, which can later be used as fuel in any number of
applications.
