Stadtwerke Kiel has commissioned Austrian energy technology company Innio to convert its 190 MW coastal power plant to run on 100% green hydrogen. A letter of intent has already been signed.
According to Stadtwerke Kiel, the conversion is to be completed by 2035. The basis for the joint objective is Stadtwerke Kiel AG's "Eight-Point Program: Course for Climate Neutrality". With the new hydrogen project, the energy supplier has brought forward the original target of generating electricity and district heating in a completely climate-neutral manner by 2040 at the latest by five years.
"The coastal power plant in Kiel is the first of its kind in the world whose technology could theoretically be converted to green hydrogen today. However, to achieve the conversion by 2035 at the latest, policymakers must create the right framework now," says Dr. Olaf Berlien, President and CEO of INNIO.
Conversion reduces CO2 emissions
The large engine CHP supplies more than 73,500 households with district heating and generates electricity for the region. Innio's Jenbach engines are the first MW-scale hydrogen engines, according to the company.
In addition, the Tyrolean company describes itself as one of the first to be able to convert the majority of its installed engines to run on green hydrogen. By converting Jenbacher's engines from natural gas to green hydrogen, power plants such as the coastal power plant in Kiel can potentially become climate neutral.
"We need flexible reserve power plants so that Kiel and Germany can be reliably supplied with electricity even when the wind is not blowing and the sun is not shining. We cannot get around this basic law of physics," holds Dr. Jörg Teupen, Director of Technology and Human Resources at Stadtwerke Kiel AG.
"In order to achieve climate neutrality for this power plant operation, green hydrogen is technologically available to us. However, the prerequisite is that Europe is flooded with hydrogen in the coming years."
