Hitachi Energy has successfully delivered an innovative modular eHouse solution to Ovako, a prominent European steel manufacturer and one of the Nordic region’s largest steel recyclers.
This project, located in Hofors, Sweden, marks a historic achievement as the world’s first steel plant to utilize hydrogen for steel heating prior to rolling. Beyond steel production, the green hydrogen generated here will be employed to power fuel cell trucks, and surplus heat will be harnessed for district heating purposes.
A cross-border collaboration
This remarkable feat is the result of a cross-border collaboration involving Hitachi Energy, Ovako, Volvo Group, H2 Green Steel, and Nel Hydrogen, initiated in the summer of 2021. It is further bolstered by support from the Swedish Energy Agency, with the overarching goal of facilitating widespread adoption of green hydrogen across various industrial sectors, advancing knowledge about its potential applications, and ensuring cost-effective production.
The comprehensive system
Hitachi Energy played a pivotal role in this endeavor, providing a modular and factory-built Grid-to-Stack solution. This comprehensive system includes critical components such as transformers, rectifiers, control equipment, and high-current connections necessary for the conversion of alternating current from the distribution grid into the direct current used by the electrolyzer.
Hitachi Energy’s focus on pioneering products and services supporting the clean energy transition includes the utilization of green hydrogen for a decarbonized future. Their extensive expertise in grid connection and power quality solutions enables groundbreaking technologies for renewables integration, ensuring high power quality and the reliability of resilient power grids.
