The ever-changing reality in the energy industry has revealed a new trend that sees energy companies aiming to reduce their emissions and carbon footprint as the world becomes increasingly aware of the impact that the energy industry has on the environment and climate. Motor Oil Hellas, a heavily diversified energy group in Southern Europe, has revealed its plans to participate in EPHYRA, a new hydrogen initiative on the continent.
Motor Oil Hellas and Orcan Energy to showcase innovative hydrogen production plan
The pair of successful companies is the latest in a long line of operators to develop plans to enter the hydrogen production market in Europe. Orcan and MOH plan to participate in the EPHYRA project, a new initiative undertaken in Europe to increase hydrogen production across the continent through strategic projects.
EPHYRA is an innovative hydrogen production scheme that is funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership. The plan is to showcase innovative hydrogen technologies that will enable hydrogen usage across several hard-to-abate industries in Europe.
According to Orcan and MOH, they plan to join forces to deploy innovative Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) solutions developed by Orcan at the MOH Corinth refinery. The plan is to recover significant waste heat and then convert it into electricity via Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing emissions on-site.
By joining forces, Orcan and MOH are fostering a new cooperative efficiency program at the refinery
Orcan has some of the most efficient heat waste collection systems on the market, and plans to deploy several units at the Corinth refinery. The excess heat created by petroleum products is often released into the environment, packed with harmful emissions that devastate our climate.
“Our work at the Corinth refinery shows that energy efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand. Recovering waste heat enforces lower emissions, deploys smarter energy use, and sustains the cutting edge of the future technology” – Ioannis Kioufis, Refinery General Manager at Motor Oil Hellas
MOH’s Corinthos refinery is on its way to becoming a beacon of light in the energy industry
The Corinthos refinery will soon see two Orcan Energy efficiency PACKs installed to help capture the excess heat created during the production of diesel and other petrochemicals. The heat will be converted into electricity thanks to a heat exchanger, which will then be used in the industrial market.
Once fully installed and operational, the packs will add approximately 2 GWh of electricity every year to the refinery’s output. Additionally, the packages will enable the refinery to drastically reduce emissions, thereby improving efficiency and reducing overall operational costs.
Existing refineries all over the world are set to see drastic changes in the new year
Refinery upgrades have become a necessity in the global energy market as nations and companies aim to drastically reduce emissions and improve overall operations. The project is significant due to its innovative heat waste management plan that will reshape the refinery’s output capacity in the new year and beyond.
“We see tremendous potential in the refining and petrochemical industries. Our collaboration with Motor Oil Hellas is just the beginning of untapping the vast waste heat potential of refineries.” – Andreas Sichert, CEO at Orcan Energy
2026 brings with it a renewed sense of optimism for the global energy market
With the new year approaching fast, the market is set to redefine what is possible for energy generation across the international industry. As some nations outline plans for their first-ever refineries, such as Mongolia, other nations are developing plans to upgrade and expand operations at existing refineries, marking the continued expansion of the conventional energy sector as the world evolves.
