Belgium – French electric utility company Engie wants to test the use of hydrogen in a cogeneration unit at the INEOS Phenol site in Antwerp.
The aim of the ENGIE and INEOS Phenol pilot project is to inject hydrogen into the natural gas supply of a gas turbine, initially with a volume of 10%, which can then be increased to 20%. It is the first time that such tests are carried out on an industrial scale in Belgium. The CHP plant at the INEOS Phenol site in Doel, one of the first to be built in Belgium, has the ideal profile to realize this test.
Responsibilities and experience
ENGIE is responsible for the design, installation and operation of the technology. INEOS Phenol has experience in the treatment of hydrogen as a raw material for its production processes and also has the necessary permits to accompany the hydrogen project. The existing cogeneration ensures that the hydrogen used not only generates electricity, but also heat and that the total energetic efficiency is sufficiently high.
ENGIE and INEOS Phenol aim to play a pioneering role in the energy transition of the chemical industry through tests on an industrial scale within a joint research project. This practical exploration will provide both partners with valuable insights and data in the use of hydrogen in industrial installations, such as monitoring the efficiency, measuring emissions during combustion, … that could be useful for the development of a next generation of burners.
Full commitment
ENGIE is fully committed to hydrogen and is already developing various projects in Belgium. For the Power-to-Methanol project in the Port of Antwerp, ENGIE and INEOS are also joining forces in a consortium with other partners for the production of green methanol by reusing captured CO₂ in combination with sustainably produced hydrogen. INOVYN, an INEOS industry, will operate this demo plant at the Lillo site.
Also for INEOS Phenol, this research represents a step forward in its strategy to reduce emissions. The initiative is part of the roadmap that INEOS defined at the end of last year for its Antwerp locations to become climate neutral by 2050 and to emit 55% fewer emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. The roadmap consists of a combination of measures such as the reuse of hydrogen and CO₂, further investments in electrification, where possible the switch to recycled or bio-based raw materials and the use of ‘green heat’ and renewable energy. Last year INEOS concluded 2 major contracts for the purchase of offshore wind energy, including the largest Belgian industrial contract ever with ENGIE.
Established industrial partnership
The collaboration on this pilot project between INEOS Phenol and ENGIE is based on an established industrial partnership on the one hand and a common commitment to accelerate the transition to climate neutrality on the other. Both partners are also going one step further by contributing in an industrial-academic consortium to broader theoretical research into the use of hydrogen in the energy transition.
