INNIO Group expands capacity at Metadynea with new combined heat and power plant for hydrogen-containing process gas
• With the opening of a new combined heat and power plant and the expansion to eight engines, the INNIO Group extends its 25-year collaboration with Metadynea.
• INNIO Group equips Metadynea with a future-proof H2-ready solution operating on process gas with 19% hydrogen (H2) from an industrial process.
• Despite its extremely low heating value, the hydrogen-containing process gas can be used energetically without additional treatment.
Jenbach, Austria – September 13, 2024 – INNIO Group and Metadynea have opened a new combined heat and power (CHP) plant, adding four Jenbacher J420 engines. These engines deliver 3.3 megawatts (MWe) of electricity to the chemical company. This doubles the existing Jenbacher fleet at Metadynea to a total of eight engines. The engines are powered by a process gas consisting of 19% hydrogen and 81% nitrogen, by volume. This gas has a heating value of about 0.6 kWh/Nm3, which is 6% of the heating value of natural gas. The use of this process gas is a breakthrough for power and heat generation with engine-based energy solutions.
In 1996, Metadynea commissioned four Jenbacher J320 engines from the INNIO Group that are operated with the same gas mixture. These engines, which continue in operation, reached the milestone of 200,000 operating hours in 2023.
“Our special gas engines are flexible in fuel choice. They enable our customers to generate high-quality electricity and heat on site,” said Martin Widner, vice president Global Sales for the Jenbacher brand of the INNIO Group. “In this project, the engines produce CO2-free electricity, helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals and ensure supply security.”
“Our cooperation with the INNIO Group at our Metadynea site has been a success story for more than 25 years,” said Dr. Michael Kunz, CEO of Metadynea. “The special gas-capable Jenbacher combined heat and power plants help us make our production site more sustainable and future-proof. With Jenbacher technology, we can save up to 13,200 tons of CO2 per year.” The electricity generated by the eight Jenbacher engines covers the baseload demand of the Metadynea plant in Krems. Additionally, the waste heat from the engines is used to produce the process steam needed at the plant. The four new, highly efficient Jenbacher J420 engines for combined heat and power operation were commissioned in August 2024 and complement the existing fleet.
About Metadynea
Metadynea Austria GmbH was founded in 1948 and was well known as “Krems Chemie” for more than 50 years. In 2013 the company was renamed Metadynea Austria GmbH and in 2014 it was integrated into the U.S. based Sorcy Investment Trust.
Metadynea Austria is the regional market and technology leader for resins, as well as a specialist in fine chemicals, surfacing materials and flame retardants. Every year, around 400,000 tons of these quality products are manufactured in state-of-the-art production facilities. Metadynea Austria currently employs around 225 people. The R&D team with well-trained and experienced specialists acts as an important competence center for product development and application technology. Metadynea Austria is committed to quality, environment and safety and is therefore ISO9001 / ISO14001 / ISO45001, Ecovadis “silver” and Responsible Care certified.
About INNIO
INNIO Group is a leading energy solution and service provider that empowers industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. With its Jenbacher and Waukesha product brands and its AI-powered myPlant digital platform, INNIO Group offers innovative solutions for the power generation and compression segments that help industries and communities generate and manage energy sustainably while navigating the fast-changing landscape of traditional and green energy sources. INNIO Group is individual in scope, but global in scale. With its flexible, scalable, and resilient energy solutions and services, INNIO Group enables its customers to manage the energy transition along the energy value chain wherever they are in their transition journey.
INNIO Group is headquartered in Jenbach (Austria), with other primary operations in Waukesha (Wisconsin, U.S.) and Welland (Ontario, Canada). Through a service network in more than 100 countries, a team of more than 4,000 experts provides life-cycle support to the more than 57,000 engines that INNIO Group has delivered globally.
INNIO Group's ESG strategy has been recognized and awarded by esteemed rating agencies such as Sustainalytics and EcoVadis. Additionally, the company’s near-term climate targets until 2030 have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). For more information, visit INNIO Group’s website at innio.com. Follow INNIO Group and its brands on X (formerly known as Twitter) and LinkedIn.
INNIO, Jenbacher, Waukesha, and myPlant are trademarks or registered trademarks of the INNIO Group, or one of its subsidiaries, in the European Union, the United States and in other countries. For a list of INNIO Group trademarks, please visit innio.com/trademarks. All other trademarks and company names are the property of their respective owners.
In general, “Ready for H2” Jenbacher units can be converted to operate on up to 100% hydrogen in the future. Details on the cost and timeline for a future conversion may vary and need to be clarified individually.
For further information, please contact:
Metadynea Austria GmbH
+43 2732 899-0
Susanne Reichelt
INNIO Group
+43 664 80833 2382