Helen Oy, one of Finland's largest energy companies, has announced that it has selected Germany-headed MAN Energy Solutions SE and its subsidiary H-TEC Systems GmbH to build a 3 MW green hydrogen pilot which will be located in the vicinity of Helsinki’s district heating network and the Vuosaari Harbour.
With this pilot plant, Helen will increase its expertise to meet the needs of large-scale hydrogen production and enhance the flexibility of the entire energy system.
Together with the liquefied-gas specialist, MAN Cryo, MAN Energy Solutions will act as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the hydrogen section of the plant and the delivery of hydrogen-related equipment, its installation as well as commissioning.
The remaining part will be done in cooperation with Helen and Helen’s engineering partner.
The 3H2 project is the first of its kind in the world by combining four different sectors, electricity, heating, transportation, and hydrogen as well as flexibility between them. Our whole hydrogen team at Helen is very excited and proud of the cooperation with MAN Energy Solutions which is well known for its world-class expertise in the industry, commented Dr Sari Mannonen, SVP of New Business & Hydrogen at Helen.
H-TEC Systems, a leading supplier of PEM electrolysis technologies acquired by MAN Energy Solutions in 2021, will supply three ME450 PEM electrolyzers as the centerpiece of the plant; these will produce up to 1.35 tonnes of green hydrogen per day from green electricity generated by Helen’s renewable energy source portfolio.
Helen is planning to deliver the hydrogen to a nearby hydrogen refueling station via pipeline and distribute it to industrial customers or other refueling stations using containers.
Green hydrogen is undoubtedly the key element for a climate-neutral future and the global economy will require it in large quantities. It is therefore most important that energy suppliers like Helen Oy lead the way by building plants and gaining valuable operational experience with hydrogen technology. We urgently need industrial production plants to achieve economies of scale, reduce costs, and meet the huge future demand for hydrogen both efficiently and economically, said Alexander Stöckler, Head of Sales, Tendering & Project Management, Power Segment at MAN Energy Solutions.
PEM electrolysis: ideal for green hydrogen
At the core of the plant are the three PEM electrolyzers from H-TEC Systems. Through the PEM process, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen with the help of an electric current that is passed through a special membrane.
Due to its high dynamics, PEM electrolysis is ideally suited for coupling with fluctuating renewable-electricity sources – such as wind and solar – and has clear advantages over alkaline electrolysis.
PEM electrolysis also requires less electricity per kilogram of hydrogen produced, does not use aggressive chemicals, and produces high-purity hydrogen suitable for use directly.
By combining H-TEC Systems’ expertise in the field of PEM electrolysis with MAN Energy Solutions’ broad experience in plant engineering, we can offer our customers a first-class package for the production of green hydrogen. We are very pleased that Helen Oy has placed its trust in our joint capabilities and is taking this important step into the future of hydrogen with us. With this plant in the vicinity of the Vuosaari Harbour, our electrolyzers will produce green hydrogen in all Scandinavian countries and Finland. In this way, we are well on the way to laying an important foundation for a climate-neutral energy supply, said Robin von Plettenberg, CEO of H-TEC Systems.
