INNIO Jenbacher To Power Serbia’s First Hydrogen-Fueled Combined Heat And Power Plant

(Image Courtesy Of PAN-LEDI)

PAN-LEDI d.o.o. (PAN-LEDI) has selected a Jenbacher J420 engine for a combined heat and power (CHP) project in Nova Pazova, Serbia. The contract calls for the delivery of a containerized CHP unit that will generate about 1 MWe. The electricity will be used by PAN-LEDI for its electric vehicle (EV) charging station, with excess energy injected into the grid and the engine waste heat sold to a nearby commercial customer.

“Using hydrogen or natural gas to operate our combined heat and power plant is critical for our EV charging station strategy,” said Slobodan Vujovic, CEO PAN-LEDI d.o.o. “INNIO’s Jenbacher CHP solution will provide our operation the flexibility required for a sustainable EV mobility and use hydrogen at high CHP utilization rates.”

The Jenbacher CHP plant will be fueled with hydrogen produced by an electrolyzer which is powered by a solar photovoltaic (PV) plant near Cuprija. The electrolyzer is used to produce green hydrogen for interim storage before the hydrogen is transported from Cuprija to Nova Pazova. Most of the hydrogen will be produced during the summer when the output produced by solar plants is high. In times of low hydrogen supply, the CHP plant will run on natural gas to ensure the continuous provision of energy.

“Our hydrogen engines provide the flexibility and sustainability to meet PAN-LEDI’s pioneering requirements,” said Dr. Olaf Berlien, president and CEO of INNIO. “INNIO’s technology will deliver carbon-free electricity when hydrogen is available, while maintaining continuity of power generation when hydrogen is scarce.”

The CHP unit consists of a Jenbacher container and a complete heat recovery system. It is expected to be delivered and commissioned in Q4 2023. Jenbacher will work with its distributor, STI d.o.o., to implement, install, and service the hydrogen CHP unit.