1st in Belgium: British Ineos and French Engie launches hydrogen pilot project

Antwerp, March 2 - Neftegaz.RU. Ineos and Engie are planning a pilot project in Belgium, that will use hydrogen in a commercial-scale cogeneration plant, replacing the natural gas feed for generating electricity and heat.
Initially, 10% of the gas feed will be replaced with hydrogen and, if all goes well, this will be increased to 20%.

Cedric Osterrieth, CEO Engie Generation Europe, said:

• Engie believes in hydrogen as a key link to a carbon-neutral economy and wants to take a pioneering role with these industrial-scale tests, both in terms of research and practical implementation
• This pilot project will give us better insights into the use of hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions, bringing us one step closer to a carbon-neutral future

The initiative is part of the roadmap that Ineos defined late last year for its sites in Antwerp, Belgium, to become climate neutral by 2050 and to cut emissions by 55% by 2030 (based on 1990 levels).

The roadmap consists of a combination of measures such as:

• the reuse of hydrogen and CO₂
• further investments in electrification
• the switch to recycled or bio-based raw materials where possible
• the use of ‘green heat’ and renewable energy

Hans Casier, CEO Ineos Phenol, said:

• Today, Ineos already produces 300,000 tons of hydrogen on an annual basis as a ‘co-product’ of its chemical processes
• This hydrogen is largely used as a low-carbon fuel and as a raw material in its own production processes so that fewer fossil raw materials have to be used
• Ineos recently started a new business activity that focuses on the development of «clean hydrogen capacity»

This hydrogen fuel transition is becoming more commonplace worldwide in tests for greener energy.
Many experts feel that H2 will become an important renewable energy source as the world moves toward climate-neutral power targets.