Stadtwerke Kiel and INNIO have announced plans to convert a coastal power plant in Kiel, Germany, to operate fully on green hydrogen by 2035.
The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project to set global standards for climate neutral energy supply by 2035.
The coastal power plant is billed as the ‘world’s first’ 190MW large-scale engine-based combined heat and power plant.
Dr Jörg Teupen, Board Member for Technology and Personnel at Stadtwerke Kiel, said, “We need flexible backup power plants so that Kiel and Germany can be securely supplied with power – especially when the wind does not blow, and the sun does not shine.
“In order to achieve climate neutrality for this type of power plant operation, hydrogen must be readily available to us. However, this is dependent on Europe having an abundance of hydrogen available over the coming years.”
The Stadtwerke Kiel coastal power plant currently supplies more than 73,500 homes with eco-friendly district heating, along with generating electricity for the region.
Austrian-based INNIO will provide 20 of its Jenbacher engines towards the power plant, which are converted from natural gas to green hydrogen. This will result in the plant being entirely climate neutral by 2035.
Dr. Olaf Berlien, president and CEO of INNIO, stated, “For the conversion to happen no later than 2035, policy makers need to put the correct framework in place right now.”
In 2021, INNIO announced it would supply its hydrogen-ready gas engines to L-Charge to aid in delivering off-grid stationary charging stations.
