Wärtsilä Finland, the energy companies Vaasan Sähkö and EPV Energia, and the City of Vaasa, Finland have signed a letter of intent to cooperate in a project aimed at utilizing emissions-free hydrogen in power generation, industry and transportation applications. The project will be based in Vaasa and will focus on enabling a new way to store renewable energy. At the same time, the intention is to pilot a hydrogen-based energy generation solution suitable for export markets.
The goal of the four parties is jointly to build a Power-to-X-to-Power system in Vaasa. The system will use renewable energy to produce hydrogen to be stored and reprocessed. The stored hydrogen can be utilized both in energy production and transportation applications.
Electricity generated from renewable energy sources is used as raw material to separate hydrogen from water by electrolysis, and the hydrogen will be then further processed to produce electricity. The solution is not limited to the use of hydrogen—the letter X refers also to other fuels, such as synthetic methane, methanol and ammonia. Energy production would take place in an engine power plant developed by Wärtsilä.
The diversity of the solution is illustrated by its opportunities for reducing emissions in several sectors. It also solves the storage problem for renewable energy, which is known to be dependent on the weather. By producing and storing hydrogen, any excess over-production of renewable energy can be utilized.
Digitalization will be used wherever possible in optimizing the outcome. The current combined heat and power generation plant in the Vaasa region provides excellent locational support for this venture. The hydrogen, electricity, and heat production equipment, as well as the hydrogen storage, will be located in the grounds of the Vaskiluoto power plant. In the future it will be possible to increase the hydrogen production and storage capacity.
The venture supports the parties’ objectives to be CO2 neutral during this decade. It also provides a new export opportunity for energy solutions, and is easily applicable even on a global scale.
During 2021, the venture parties aim to follow-up on funding possibilities, and to reach the final agreement for starting the project.
