Finland-based technology group Wärtsilä will provide the front-end engineering design (FEED) for the liquefaction and storage of liquefied synthetic methane (LSM) at a Power-to-X plant in Kristinestad, Finland.
To be built by Koppö Energia Oy – a joint venture between Germany’s Prime Green Energy Infratructure Fund and CPC Finland Oy – the plant will have a capacity of 200 MW (megawatts) and will convert green electricity into hydrogen and sustainable LSM.
According to the partners, emission-free renewable energy will be developed under the Koppö Energy Cluster in the form of up to 500 MW of wind and 100 MW of photovoltaic power to be provided to the plant.
Reaffirming its commitment to decarbonising energy production, Trond Inge Flønes, Sales and Business Development Manager at Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, added, “As the energy transition progress, we expected green hydrogen to play an increasingly relevant part.”
Green hydrogen produced in Kristinestad will be converted into LSM to be used as a sustainable fuel for heavy transport.
“Our company is also heavily involved in the research and development of alternative sustainable fuels, and we see Power-to-X technologies playing a growing role in the energy transition towards a future where renewable energy becomes increasingly important.”
Having been awarded the Power-to-X Innovation Award at the Tamarindo Global Wind Investment Awards ceremony earlier this year, the plant is expected to receive a final investment decision at the beginning of 2024.
To make synthetic methane, renewably sourced hydrogen is combined with carbon dioxide (CO2) in a process called methanation.
Synthetic methane has been noted for its ability to act as a link between different energy networks.
Power-to-Gas, for example, allows integration and synergy between electricity and gas networks. As explained by energy company Terega, CO2 is recycled, and hydrogen created from surplus unstorable electricity is used.
The methanation process therefore plays a key role in multi-energy systems, allowing different energy networks to be planned and managed together to ensure they complement one another, providing efficiency and avoiding waste.
Source : Gasworld