MAN Energy Solutions and ANDRITZ Hydro have completed a strategic framework agreement to jointly develop international projects for the production of green hydrogen from hydropower. Frank Mette, chief executive officer of ANDRITZ Hydro in Germany, and Dr. Uwe Lauber, CEO and chief technology officer of MAN Energy Solutions, signed the agreement.
A pilot project in Europe will mark the start of the collaboration. Subsequently, the companies want to jointly identify further projects and implement them in the context of the German Federal Government’s H2 Global initiative. H2 Global is a market-based funding platform that aims to promote the market launch of green hydrogen and hydrogen-based power-to-X products. For this purpose, hydrogen energy partnerships are to be established with countries with a correspondingly high potential to provide a long-term, cost-effective and reliable green hydrogen supply to Germany and the EU.
“Hydropower is one of the few completely climate-neutral forms of energy, which is capable of providing base load power,” Mette said. “We therefore see excellent potential for worldwide expansion – in new construction projects just as much as in repowering. By adding the possibility of producing hydrogen to hydropower plants, we are taking the next step and also making the energy generated there ready for export and storage without restriction. Together with MAN Energy Solutions, we can open up new markets and opportunities for the operators.”
Lauber said: “The economy of the future will be climate-neutral, and to achieve this it needs huge quantities of green hydrogen. Together with ANDRITZ Hydro, we want to make this resource available. Hydropower plants are ideal for generating hydrogen in a completely climate-neutral, reliable and cost-effective manner. With ANDRITZ Hydro, we have been able to enter into a partnership with a world leader in the field of hydraulic power generation, to develop these prospects together with us.”
The companies are aiming to launch an initial joint pilot project before the end of 2021 to provide about 650 tons of green hydrogen by using an electrolysis output of up to 4 MW, initially for local use. In follow-up projects, designed for hydrogen export, the installed electrolysis output is expected to increase to up to 100 MW in the coming years.
Through H-TEC SYSTEMS, the electrolysis specialist owned by MAN Energy Solutions, the company offers PEM electrolysis technology. Stacks and megawatt electrolysers based on the polymer-electrolyte membrane (PEM) process are developed by about 85 specialists to cover the hydrogen demand for industry as well as for energy refiners.
ANDRITZ Hydro is a corporate division of technology group ANDRITZ and is one a global supplier of electromechanical equipment and services for hydropower plants. ANDRITZ Hydro Germany provides services in the field of research and development, design, project management, procurement, production, delivery, installation and commissioning of equipment for hydropower plants, including intake and draft tube gates, turbines, propellers, speed controls, excitations and various auxiliary systems.
MAN Energy Solutions enables its customers to achieve sustainable value creation in the transition toward a carbon-neutral future, according to a press release.
