Innio Group in Jenbach, Austria, and energy provider Energie SaarLorLux AG in Saarbrücken, Germany, reported June 28 that they’re planning to convert the 53-megawatt (MW) Gamor gas-engine power plant to green hydrogen. This transition involves deploying five of Innio’s Jenbacher engines, which are expected to be fully operational using this CO2-free energy source by 2032 at the latest.
The facility presently operates as a natural gas-fueled Jenbacher combined heat and power (CHP) plant, which was commissioned in 2022 as a replacement for a former coal-fired power plant along the Saar River. Switching from coal to natural gas saved Energie SaarLorLux about 60,000 tons of CO2 per year.
Converting to green hydrogen will provide a CO2-free electricity supply for 65,000 homes and a CO2-free heat supply for 11,000 homes. The partners add this step towards climate-neutral power generation is significantly ahead of the German federal government's target of 2045. A prerequisite for this is the timely availability of green hydrogen in sufficient quantities and at economical costs.
"With the commissioning of our Jenbacher large engines, Energie SaarLorLux completed the coal phase-out in 2022,” says Dr. Olaf Berlien, president and CEO of Innio. “We’re pleased to start the next milestone towards climate neutrality by 2032 with the conversion of Gamor to green hydrogen.”
Joachim Morsch, board member at Energie SaarLorLux, adds, "By planning to convert Gamor to green hydrogen by 2032, we’re not only supporting the transformation of the energy supply in Saarland, but can also take a pioneering role nationwide."
In addition, due to their black-start capability, Jenbacher engines can support the local power supply independently of the power grid during a cross-regional power outage. Jenbacher lets Gamor restore the power supply for Saarbrücken's district heating, and support the city's water distribution infrastructure during a blackout. Gamor is one of the few power plants in Germany with this capability.
