INNIO Group and the Saarbrücken-based energy provider Energie SaarLorLux plan to fully convert the existing 53 MW GAMOR power plant, powered by Jenbacher engines, to green hydrogen by 2032. They have signed a joint memorandum of understanding for this purpose. This involves five Jenbacher engines from INNIO Group, which are intended to be fully operated with this CO2-free energy source. The highly efficient Jenbacher with combined heat and power (CHP) plant, which was commissioned in 2022, currently operates on natural gas, and it has replaced a former coal-fired power plant. The conversion to green hydrogen will enable the supply of CO2-free electricity for 65,000 households and CO2-free heat for 11,000 households. The Jenbacher engines can also function as a black start power plant, supporting the city’s water distribution infrastructure during a blackout. This move toward climate-neutral power generation is significantly ahead of the German federal government’s target of 2045.
“With the commissioning of our Jenbacher large engines, Energie SaarLorLux completed the coal phase-out in 2022. We are pleased to now start the next milestone towards climate neutrality by 2032 with the conversion of GAMOR to green hydrogen,” explains Dr. Olaf Berlien, president and CEO of INNIO Group.
“By planning to convert GAMOR to green hydrogen by 2032 at the latest, we not only are supporting the transformation of the energy supply in Saarland but also can take a pioneering role nationwide,” says Joachim Morsch, board member and spokesperson of Energie SaarLorLux AG.
