Hydrogen pilot project launched in Belgium

For the first time in Belgium, hydrogen is to be used in a commercial-scale cogeneration plant designed to generate electricity and heat from natural gas. The aim of the pilot project by Ineos and Engie is to replace natural gas with hydrogen used by the Ineos gas turbine at the Phenol CHP (combined heat and power) plant in Doel, Belgium.

Initially, 10% of the gas feed will be replaced by hydrogen. If this goes well, the feed will be increased to 20%. This is the first time that such tests have been carried out on an industrial scale in Belgium, report the companies.

The pilot project will provide insights and data on the use of hydrogen in industrial facilities, such as monitoring efficiency and measuring emissions during combustion, which will be essential in the development of a next generation of burners.

Engie and Ineos are also joining forces on the power-to-methanol project in the Port of Antwerp. They are part of a consortium looking to produce green methanol by reusing captured CO₂ in combination with sustainably generated hydrogen. Inovyn, an Ineos business, will operate the demonstration plant at its Lillo site.

The initiative is part of the roadmap that Ineos announced at the end of last year for its Antwerp sites to become climate neutral by 2050 and to reduce emissions by 55% 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, the switch to recycled or bio-based raw materials where possible, and the use of ‘green heat’ and renewable energy. To this end, last year the company concluded two major contracts for the purchase of offshore wind energy, including the largest Belgian industrial contract ever with Engie.