A new consortium of six companies and research institutions aims to develop efficient hydrogen engines for combined heat and power (CHP) plants. According to the coordinator Rolls-Royce, the partners aim to produce the same electrical and thermal energy with a hydrogen combustion engine as currently available natural gas CHP plants in the power range up to 2.5 MW.
As part of the project named Phoenix (Performance Hydrogen Engine for Industrial and X), the partners will develop all components for the new hydrogen engine. This includes the injection system, the piston group, and the ignition system, as well as a new lubricant for hydrogen combustion.
Participants include Rolls-Royce, the Chair of Sustainable Mobile Drive Systems at the Technical University of Munich, the Mahle Group, Fuchs Lubricants Germany GmbH, the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), and Robert Bosch AG. The collaborative project is scheduled to last three years. By then, the partners aim to develop a technology concept that can serve as the basis for a prototype full engine.
Low-Emission CHP Operation with H2
For Rolls-Royce, the project also focuses on climate protection: Green hydrogen as fuel for CHP plants enables low-emission operation of stationary energy systems. Therefore, the project group receives funding of nearly five million euros from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
In line with the expansion of renewable energies, the German government decided in February this year to promote hydrogen-compatible gas power plants as part of its power plant strategy. This aims to ensure long-term supply security. Specifically, smaller, decentralized plants can flexibly compensate for the fluctuating feed-in of wind and solar power into the grid depending on the weather.
To reduce CO2 emissions, power plant operators are currently deploying the first biogas units and gas engines converted for hydrogen. A prominent example last year was the Danube power plant in Vienna.
"Highly Efficient Hydrogen CHP Plants"
"Once the availability of green hydrogen on a large scale is ensured, the technology for highly efficient hydrogen combined heat and power plants promoted in the Phoenix project will be ready for deployment," explains Tobias Ostermaier, President of the Stationary Power Solutions business unit at Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
The British manufacturer presented a gas engine that can be operated with hydrogen at the beginning of 2023. In the Phoenix project, the technology will be further developed for an even more efficient next-generation hydrogen engine. According to the company, it has approved most of its diesel engines for alternative fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and e-fuels and has been developing a methanol engine for ships since spring last year.
