Power and propulsion solutions provider, Rolls-Royce, has announced that it has conducted successful tests of a 12-cylinder gas variant of the mtu Series 4000 L64 engine running on 100% hydrogen fuel.
The tests, carried out by the Power Systems business unit, showed very good characteristics in terms of efficiency, performance, emissions and combustion, Roll-Royce said in a statement.
These tests mark another important step towards the commercial introduction of hydrogen solutions to meet the demand of customers for more sustainable energy, the statement noted.
The first installation of mtu engines running on 100% hydrogen is already planned for the enerPort II lighthouse project in the German inland port of Duisburg, as part of the development of a climate-neutral energy supply for a new container terminal.
As per the power and propulsion provider, the mtu gas engine has been undergoing bench testing and continuous improvement for several months in terms of efficiency, performance, emissions and combustion using 100% hydrogen as fuel.
Tobias Ostermaier, president of stationary power solutions at Rolls-Royce business unit power systems, explained, “This engine will serve the market demand for hydrogen solutions in the energy transition and will be available to our customers as a reliable and clean power source for gensets and combined heat and power plants.”
With green hydrogen, these mtu engines can be operated in a CO2-neutral manner in the future. For gas engines already installed, Rolls-Royce offers a conversion solution.
Andrea Prospero, an engineer at Rolls-Royce responsible for the development of the hydrogen engine, said, “We are very pleased with the rapid progress. The very low engine emissions are well below the strict EU limits, no exhaust gas aftertreatment is required.”
Due to the different combustion behaviour of hydrogen compared to natural gas, some engine components including fuel injection, turbocharging, piston design and control, were modified in the test engine, Rolls-Royce said.
However, by using proven technologies within the power systems’ portfolio, such as mtu turbochargers, injection valves, and engine electronics and control, the development of the engine to use hydrogen was advanced quickly and efficiently, it added.