Rolls-Royce Successfully Tests Gas Engine Running on 100% Hydrogen

Rolls-Royce has conducted successful tests of a 12-cylinder gas variant of the mtu Series 4000 L64 engine running on 100 per cent hydrogen fuel. 

The tests showed good results in terms of efficiency, performance, emissions and combustion, marking a step towards the commercialization of hydrogen solutions to meet customers' demand.

Explaining further on the development, Tobias Ostermaier, President – Stationary Power Solutions, RollsRoyce business unit Power Systems, said “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.”

Furthermore, the company has already planned the first installation of mtu engines running on 100 per cent hydrogen for the enerPort II lighthouse project in the German inland port of Duisburg.

“We see hydrogen as one of the central elements of the energy transition. It can be used for both storage of excess energy and as a fuel, not only for engines but fuel cells and cogeneration plants to generate climate-neutral electricity and heat,”Dr Jörg Stratmann, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems added.

For several months, the mtu gas engine has been undergoing bench testing and continuous improvement. With green hydrogen, these mtu engines can be operated in a CO2-neutral manner in the future. For gas engines already installed, the company offers a conversion solution.

“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,” said Andrea Prospero, an engineer at Rolls-Royce responsible for the development of the hydrogen engine.

Meanwhile, the company has realigned the product portfolio of Power Systems towards more sustainable fuels and new technologies as part of its sustainability program.