| Hydrogen


MAN ES engines: getting ready for H2


MAN Energy Solutions aims to be ready for the hydrogen economy, when it arrives


For power generation applications, MAN Energy Solutions says its four-stroke gas engines – MAN 35/44G TS, 51/60G and 51/60G TS – are now designated as “hydrogen-ready”, able to operate with a hydrogen proportion of up to 25% by volume in the gas fuel mixture. By 2025, following updating, these machines should be capable of operation on 100% hydrogen, the company says.


This hydrogen-combusting capability enables these MAN gas engines to currently meet Level B requirements of the European Engine Power Plants Association (EUGINE) H2


-readiness standard (see panel).


“Flexible and decentralised, gas-fired power plants will play a decisive role in achieving a secure power-supply on the pathway towards 100% renewable energy,” said Dr Gunnar


Stiesch of MAN Energy Solutions. “The CO2 emissions of these power plants can be further reduced by mixing the fuel gas with hydrogen. Green hydrogen is still a scarce commodity and therefore our engines offer operators full


flexibility within the scope of the admixture possible in the existing gas network. At the same time, we are working on future concepts that will enable hydrogen fuelling of up to 100% as soon as it becomes available in large quantities.” The adaptive combustion control (ACC) of the MAN engines reacts fully automatically to varying hydrogen contents in the natural gas and enables operation without loss of efficiency, even with fluctuating H2


content. Gas engines


already in operation can be retrofitted for hydrogen blend-in by upgrading the automation and adding additional ACC sensors. “We are focusing our R&D efforts on offering our customers maximum operational flexibility and future-proofness,” said Stiesch. “The development of a hydrogen economy will take several years, during which time the infrastructure will be upgraded and the production of green hydrogen ramped up. In the German natural-gas grid, for example, a maximum admixture of up to 10% is currently possible; in the future, 20% will be feasible.


With our engines, power-plant operators are optimally positioned for this situation.” With “power-to-X” fuels such as synthetic natural gas (SNG), MAN engines can already be operated in a completely climate-neutral way, the company notes. The CO2


emissions of MAN 51/60DF and


51/60DF TS multi-fuel engines can be reduced through the use of biofuels. “Full operation with biofuels has already been tested in the field and is possible without any problems,” said MAN’s Alexander Stöckler.


Preparations are underway for operation on ammonia and methanol by the end of 2022. MAN Energy Solutions traditionally follows a life cycle concept, which the company also adopts when it comes to future fuels. “In addition to new-engine business, we are also always thinking in terms of retrofitting the existing fleet,” said Bernd Siebert, head of four- stroke retrofitting at MAN PrimeServ, which provides MAN Energy Solutions’ after-sales services.


EUGINE’s perspective on H2


Hydrogen will remain a scarce resource over the next decade. But It is likely that, in the near future, Europe will see a limited number of “hydrogen valleys” with a backbone grid connecting those valleys and large-scale generation facilities being built. The hydrogen valleys and pipelines will be progressively extended. In the remaining gas grid, especially the distribution grid, the blending of certain levels of hydrogen into natural gas pipelines will be a valuable option during the transition. The maximum blending share is expected to remain limited to around 25% – above that level there will most likely be a one-step switch to pure hydrogen. By 2050, the switch to hydrogen should be fully concluded. New piston based power plants built today


will typically operate on natural gas for a number of years. However, new power plants can already be designed and built to be “H2


-ready”. EUGINE defines three hydrogen readiness


levels, according to the percentage of hydrogen blended into natural gas fuel: A, 100%; B, 25%; C, 10% (see diagram, right). It also defines sub-categories for each -readiness level, reflecting the extent of


H2 Source: EUGINE (European Engine Power Plants Association), an organisation representing the European piston-engine-based power plant industry.


and what it means to be “hydrogen-ready” modifications/upgrades needed to get to


that readiness level: ● Category 1: No substantial modifications. Limited modifications may be needed, with costs up to 5% of overall plant construction cost.


● Category 2: Minor upgrading necessary. Upgrade costs estimated to be up to 10% of the overall plant construction cost.


● Category 3: Upgrading possible, but estimated to cost up to 30% of the overall plant construction cost.


www.modernpowersystems.com | January/February 2022 | 35


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