Rolls-Royce mtu engines with pure hydrogen pass trials

Technology company Rolls-Royce has conducted tests of a 12-cylinder gas variant of the mtu engines running on 100% hydrogen fuel, marking a step towards the commercial introduction of hydrogen solutions.

The tests of a 12-cylinder gas variant of the mtu Series 4000 L64 engined powered by pure hydrogen were carried out by the Power Systems business unit.

During the trial, the engine showed very good characteristics in terms of efficiency, performance, emissions and combustion, Rolls-Royce said explaining that the mtu gas engine has been undergoing bench testing and continuous improvement for several months.

Now, with green hydrogen, these mtu engines are expected to be able to operate in a CO2-neutral manner in the future. For gas engines already installed, Rolls-Royce offers a conversion solution.

Tobias Ostermaier, President of Stationary Power Solutions, Rolls-Royce business unit Power Systems, said: “This engine will serve the market demand for hydrogen solutions in the energy transition and will be available to our customers as a reliable and clean power source for gensets and combined heat and power plants.”

As disclosed, the first installation of mtu engines running on 100% hydrogen is already planned for the enerPort II lighthouse project in the German inland port of Duisburg, as part of the development of a climate-neutral energy supply for a new container terminal.

Duisport, one of the world’s largest inland ports, is working with several partners to build a hydrogen-based supply network for its new terminal, ready for operation in 2024

In the future, most of the electricity required by the port itself will be generated directly on-site from hydrogen in a CO2-neutral manner. This will be achieved by two combined heat and power plants with mtu Series 4000 hydrogen engines (with a total installed capacity of 2 MW) as well as three mtu fuel cell systems (with a total installed capacity of 1.5 MW).