en.Wedoany.com Reported - Technology group Wärtsilä has begun validation of a new 100% hydrogen engine that will supply power to the national grid in Bermeo, northern Spain, marking the world's first large-scale demonstration of a 100% hydrogen engine.
This trial builds on Wärtsilä's previously launched world's first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant, proving that engine technology can use 100% sustainable fuels such as hydrogen and opening a clear pathway to a fully renewable power system. Wärtsilä's engines had previously been capable of operating on a blend of up to 25% hydrogen by volume with natural gas, a capability validated in 2022 when Wärtsilä, in collaboration with WEC Energy Group in the US, used an unmodified Wärtsilä 50SG engine at the 55 MW A.J. Mihm power plant in Michigan, operating with a 25% hydrogen blend by volume. The Wärtsilä 31H2 engine evolves from this foundation, marking a step toward large-scale power plants operating entirely on 100% hydrogen.
The Wärtsilä 31H2 engine is part of the Wärtsilä 31 platform, described as one of the world's most efficient multi-fuel four-stroke engines. The Wärtsilä 31H2 engine is the world's largest pure hydrogen engine and is currently undergoing performance validation in Bermeo.
R. Venkatesh, Managing Director of Wärtsilä India, stated that India is entering a decisive decade for energy transition. As the government advances renewable energy expansion and the National Green Hydrogen Mission, technologies capable of complementing renewable power generation and enhancing grid reliability will become increasingly important. India aims to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power generation capacity by 2030, while advancing the National Green Hydrogen Mission to establish itself as a global hub for green hydrogen production, utilization, and export. Engine technology with hydrogen-ready capabilities can maintain grid stability as renewable energy penetration increases and provide flexible, dispatchable power.
Power plants based on the Wärtsilä 31 platform are designed to provide flexible power generation solutions for rapidly growing, energy-intensive industries—including data centers, manufacturing facilities, and industrial operations—as well as off-grid environments. India's growth in digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and industrial production, along with accelerating investments in artificial intelligence (AI)-related data centers, are driving demand for reliable, flexible, and sustainable power sources.
The experience gained from this validation in Spain will advance Wärtsilä's global hydrogen roadmap, including in markets such as India, where renewable energy expansion and green hydrogen investments are creating opportunities for flexible, low-carbon power generation.
