Smurfit Kappa and the Hyflexpower consortium have completed the first stage of development on their joint Hyflexpower renewable energy research project at the paper and packaging group's Saillat paper mill in France.
It is the first development in the world to introduce an integrated hydrogen gas turbine demonstrator, and the project is also being worked on with companies from across several industries as well as academic bodies and research institutes, including including ENGIE Solutions, Siemens Energy, Centrax, Arttic, German Aerospace Center (DLR), and four European universities.
The aim of the project is to demonstrate that renewable energy can be converted to hydrogen and serve as a flexible means of storing energy, which can then be used to power an industrial turbine.
The project officially marks the implementation of the world’s first industrial-scale power-to-X-to-power demonstrator with an advanced hydrogen turbine.
The hydrogen pilot was successfully trialled last month with a mix of 30% hydrogen and 70% natural gas. In 2023, trials will continue to increase the hydrogen ratio up to 100%.
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“We are focused on reducing our emissions with the best available technology today, but equally this announcement demonstrates how we are focused on looking beyond 2030 and trialling new technology, such as hydrogen, today," said Garrett Quinn, chief sustainability officer at Smurfit Kappa.
"This project will allow us and our partners to understand the technical feasibility of using hydrogen with a lot of our existing energy infrastructure."
Gaël Carayon, director of subsidiaries at ENGIE Solutions, added: “Ambitious projects like this one require taking partnerships to the next level and being united in a joint mission to make decarbonisation a reality. Hydrogen will play a crucial role in the interaction between renewables and electricity storage and generation. ENGIE Solutions is proud to participate in this unique project.”
Dr Ertan Yilmaz, Hyflexpower global director at Siemens Energy, said: “With the Hyflexpower project we are showcasing that carbon-neutral and reliable power supply is possible - even for energy-intensive industries.
"Hydrogen-ready turbines will play a decisive role in climate-neutral energy, so it is very exciting to be looking forward to the next phase of testing.”
The EU's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation contributed two-thirds of the project's €15.2m investment. The next trials are scheduled for next spring.
Photo: The Hyflexpower project at Smurfit Kappa's Saillat paper mill in France. (Pic: Smurfit Kappa)
