Wartsila, a Finnish company, is well-known for producing some of the largest internal combustion engines in the world. While their other engines are larger in size, the Wartsila 31 is still an impressive feat of engineering. The engine can generate up to 13,142 horsepower or 9,800 kW and runs on fossil fuels.
Recently, Wartsila has been working on converting the Wartsila 31 into a hydrogen-powered generator. They have introduced two versions of the engine – the 31SG-H2, which can run on natural gas, a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen, or 100% hydrogen, and the 31H2 version, designed to run entirely on hydrogen but can also accept natural gas and mixed fuels. These engines are intended to be the world’s largest hydrogen generators when they are presented, provided there is enough hydrogen available.
The use of hydrogen in Wartsila’s power station concept is aimed at supporting grids that rely on renewable energy sources like wind and solar. By using hydrogen as a fuel source for these engines, Wartsila is able to generate 100% carbon-free electricity. President of Wartsila emphasizes that natural gas should be used now as a transition fuel while moving towards a more sustainable future with hydrogen for emission-free electricity generation.
Wartsila’s hydrogen engines have received phase 1 certification from TÜV SUD and are expected to be ready by 2026 with two more certifications pending before construction can begin. These engines represent an important step towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy future for both Finland and beyond.