Oulu Energy to build 100MW green hydrogen plant in northern Finland – Chemical Engineering

February 15, 2024 | Written by Mary Bailey

Oulu Energy plans to build a 100 megawatt (MW) hydrogen production plant in Oulu, northern Finland. Once completed, the plant will be a major step towards clean energy production and will be a natural part of Oulu Energy’s aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The project planning partner is Finland’s P2X Solutions, which is currently building a hydrogen production plant. Harjavarta, western Finland.

According to preliminary plans, the entire project planned for the La Anila industrial zone includes an electrolysis plant with a capacity of up to 100 MW, a carbon capture plant, hydrogen and carbon dioxide storage facilities, and a further processing plant capable of producing finished products. It is said that there are plans to do so. For example, methane and methanol.

This is Oulu Energy’s first hydrogen project and is also significant on a European scale. The project will increase the vitality and industrial development opportunities of the Oulu region, creating new businesses and jobs.

The products produced by hydrogen plants could potentially be used to replace fossil fuels in road, sea and air transport. Preliminary estimates suggest that approximately 200 to 400 gigawatt hours (GWh) of thermal energy per year will be generated as a byproduct and sent to district heating networks, while oxygen could be recovered for industrial use.

“The resulting thermal energy corresponds to approximately 10 to 30 percent of Oulu’s annual district heating demand. This makes it possible to generate heat in an environmentally friendly way, increasing the competitiveness of district heating. ” said Kimmo Alaturkila, Development Director at Oulu Energy.

Additionally, the project aims to investigate the possibility of recovering biogenic exhaust gases from local industries and power plants in the further processing of hydrogen.

The project development phase, which has now begun, is being led by P2X Solutions Ltd, a Finnish pioneer in green hydrogen and Power-to-X technology. The company is currently building Finland’s first industrial-scale green hydrogen and synthetic methane production plant in Harjavarta, western Finland.

“Oulu Energy is a pioneer in sustainable energy production in northern Finland. We are very happy to be working on a joint project that shows that green hydrogen can also be a solution for reducing emissions through heat generation. Once completed, the Oulu hydrogen plant will have a capacity of up to 100 MW, making it very significant on a Finnish scale. For P2X Solutions, this project will significantly expand the operations of our facilities in Harjavarta and Joensuu. ” said Helko Pritt, CEO of P2X Solutions.

During the project development phase, plant feasibility and location options are considered and an impact assessment is performed. An investment decision is expected to be made in the fall of 2025, and the factory could be completed as early as 2028.