In the up scaling of renewables in our energy systems, Wärtsilä Energy is looking to combat intermittency concerns, of which hydrogen looks set to play a key role.
With Wärtsilä currently preparing natural gas-fired grid balancing engines to run on alternative low-carbon fuels, such as hydrogen, H2 View spoke to Malin Östman, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development at Wärtsilä Energy to hear more about the company’s progress with a look further down the road.
2022 has been a big year for hydrogen. Tell us about the year from your perspective. What have been your highlights? Hydrogen plays a key role within Wärtsilä Energy’s vision to scale up 100% renewable energy systems around the world. To “level up” intermittent renewables into a primary power generation role, it’s necessary to also build sufficient short and long duration flexible capacity, provided by battery storage and balancing engines. Currently, grid balancing engines are fuelled mainly by natural gas, but for power systems to reach Net Zero by around mid-century, those balancing engines must also be prepared to run with carbon neutral fuels – and that’s where hydrogen comes in.
... to continue reading you must be subscribed
