INNIO Group's innovative hydrogen energy solution for a RAG Austria plant harnesses summer sun for power and heat in winter
• As the first industrial plant in Europe, the RAG Austria site in Gampern is supplied with electricity and heat by a hydrogen-powered Jenbacher combined heat and power (CHP) unit from the INNIO Group.
• This hydrogen project can store the surplus summer production from around 1,000 PV systems (sized for single-family homes) for the winter months and convert it back into electricity.
• The flagship project is an important building block showcasing the hydrogen ramp-up and sustainable security of supply.
Jenbach, Austria – October 14, 2024 – INNIO Group's innovative 1 MW-class hydrogen combined heat and power (CHP) plant is supporting RAG Austria AG at the start of the heating season. The first solution of its kind in Europe was commissioned by the INNIO Group in June 2024 at RAG Austria AG's site in Gampern. It supplies the industrial plant with green electricity and green heat.
The Jenbacher CHP plant is powered by green hydrogen, which is produced in summer through water electrolysis and stored in the world's first underground hydrogen storage in a porous reservoir in Rubensdorf near Gampern. This storage facility can hold up to 4.2 GWh of surplus solar power in the form of hydrogen. The electricity and heat generated in the Jenbacher CHP plant are used for the site’s local requirements, thus achieving a very high utilization rate.
With this flagship project, INNIO Group and RAG Austria are taking an important step towards net zero. Working together, they are helping solve one of the central challenges of the energy transition: the seasonal storage of surplus solar power from the summer months for the energy-intensive winter. At the same time, the Jenbacher plant in Gampern is an important showcase project for the subsequent upscaling and gradual replacement of natural gas with hydrogen – and thus for the transition to purely emission-free power generation all year.
“With our hydrogen energy solution, we are supporting RAG Austria in transforming the energy value chain. Together, we are demonstrating how the decarbonization of communities and industrial sites is possible,” said Dr. Andreas Kunz, INNIO Group’s chief technology officer.
“With the help of Jenbacher technology, we are able to decouple the generation of renewable energy from its consumption, thus enabling sustainable security of supply all year round,” said Markus Mitteregger, CEO of RAG Austria AG.
RAG Austria AG
RAG is Austria’s largest energy storage company and one of Europe’s leading gas storage facility operators.
The business focus is storage, conversion, and conditioning of energy in gaseous forms. With its energy innovations and energy storage solutions, RAG is realising the vision of ‘sustainable energy mining’.
As a partner of renewable, volatile energy production, the company develops innovative and forward-looking energy technologies for green gas such as hydrogen. In doing so, RAG is making an indispensable contribution to achieving Austria's ambitious climate targets and to ensuring a sustainable supply of raw materials and energy. Our goal is to provide our customers with safe, efficient and affordable energy and gas storage services over the long term and in a responsible manner. www.rag-austria.at
About INNIO Group
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:
Stefan Pestl
RAG Austria AG
+43 (0) 50724 5460
Susanne Reichelt
INNIO Group
+43 664 80833 2382