Funded by the German government, the €5m Phoenix (Performance Hydrogen Engine for Industrial and X) project will aim to develop a highly efficient prototype capable of delivering carbon neutral heat and electricity with green hydrogen. Unique components that will need to be developed include the injection system, the piston group and the ignition system, plus a completely new lubricant.
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Rolls-Royce Power Systems will coordinate Phoenix, which also includes Robert Bosch AG, the Technical University of Munich, MAHLE Konzern, Fuchs Lubricants Germany GmbH, and the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). The consortium said it is looking to match the capabilities of existing gas-powered CHP units that can operate around the 2.5MW level.
“We are convinced that combustion engines will remain an essential part of the provision of a reliable energy supply during the energy transition,” said Dr Jörg Stratmann, CEO of Rolls-Royce Power Systems.
“We are making them climate-friendly with sustainable fuels. That's why we at Rolls-Royce are investing in the development of next generation hydrogen engines. The consortium in the Phoenix project, with its combined expertise, is a guarantee of the success in tackling this major technical challenge."
Rolls-Royce has already developed a gas-powered combustion mtu engine that can use hydrogen as a fuel. However, the Phoenix project will look to develop the technology for a more efficient hydrogen engine, designed from the ground up, specifically for the clean burning fuel. The three-year project will support Germany’s strategy of using gas-fired plants to smooth out the intermittency of its expanding renewables portfolio, blending or swapping in hydrogen as its production ramps up.
“As soon as the availability of green hydrogen is ensured on a large scale, the technology of highly efficient hydrogen cogeneration plants promoted in the Phoenix project will be ready for use," said Tobias Ostermaier, president of Stationary Power Solutions within Rolls-Royce’s Power Systems division.
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