Fortum has reached a critical milestone in its Finnish hydrogen project, producing the first hydrogen at the Kalla test facility ahead of the full-scale launch of the facility. Hydrogen can be used to decarbonize the international energy market as nations aim to meet their mandated clean energy and emissions targets by the end of the decade. Finland is a nation that is no stranger to change, and the new hydrogen facility paves the path for the energy transition in Finland.
Stargate Hydrogen reports the first hydrogen at the Kalla test facility
The electrolysers used in the hydrogen production came thanks to the development of Stargate Hydrogen and have been deployed to the Fortum hydrogen project in Finland. The 1 MW facility is currently in the commissioning phase, with full-scale operations expected in the near future.
The development of Finland’s latest hydrogen project comes from a myriad of stakeholders in the project, including:
- Fortum Power and Heat Oy, which owns the Kalla facility in Finland. Fortum will also be responsible for the management of the new facility.
- Fortum Waste Solutions Oy will handle all the relevant groundwork.
- Euromekanik AB will act as the plant’s integrator and will conduct the installation of all equipment.
- Stargate OÜ will supply the necessary alkaline electrolyzer.
- Hystar A/S will deliver the PEM electrolyser.
- Valmet Automation Inc. will supply the automation technology for the project.
On December 18, Stargate Hydrogen reported that the first hydrogen was produced at the Finnish project thanks to its Gateway-200 electrolyser. The project is being developed by Finnish company Fortum Energy, and positions Finland as the newest entry into the hydrogen market in Europe.
“We have taken a significant step towards possible future commercial P2X plants. Our Kalla hydrogen test center in Loviisa Finland will use two different electrolyser technologies, allowing for wider technological comparison and optimisation.” – Fortum Energy
The development plan is based on ceramic electrolysis technology
Stargate has noted that the plan for the hydrogen facility in Finland is to use ceramic electrolysis technology to deliver vast amounts of hydrogen earmarked for use in domestic and international markets, exemplifying the European ambition of transitioning the energy market towards the renewable energy sector.
The stakeholders have noted that, following the successful first hydrogen production, the project now aims to conduct further testing to determine operational status over the coming years. With a total project cost of around €17 million, it marks the newest efforts to turn Finland into a hydrogen hub in Europe.
“The main objective of the project is to pilot hydrogen production and provide a reference for future P2X projects. We will test two different technologies, Alkali and PEM electrolysers, at the pilot plant to compare their characteristics and performance. We also want to understand the safety, performance and maintenance of hydrogen production and test the potential for flexibility.” – Fortum Energy
Fortum has become a beacon of light in the energy transition in Europe, as the company is one of only a select few to boast CO2-free energy production in Europe. As new advancements in hydrogen technology emerge, the world will need to develop more hydrogen projects to take advantage of the progress made in the energy transition.
Hydrogen production can reshape the global energy market, for good, we might add
As the need to transition the global energy market away from the conventional oil and gas sector towards the renewable energy market over the coming years, a myriad of nations now have hydrogen production facilities. A new development in the US has shaken the hydrogen market to its core, as Los Angeles has brought online the first-ever hydrogen-ready power plant, marking the continued transition towards the renewable energy market.
