Wärtsilä Corporation has opened its new technology centre, the Sustainable Technology Hub, in Vaasa, Finland.
The new centre will contribute to efforts to advance the global decarbonisation of marine and energy industries by fostering innovation, collaboration, and the development of green technologies using sustainable fuels and digital technologies.
Wärtsilä Corporation president and chief executive officer Håkan Agnevall said: “The speed at which the marine and energy industries are moving to meet decarbonisation goals is accelerating.
“The Sustainable Technology Hub, (STH), a world-leading centre for research, innovation, engineering and manufacturing, marks the start of a new era for Wärtsilä.
“By taking advantage of innovative technologies that already exist today, we can speed up the development of future-proof engines capable of running on sustainable fuels.
“We can now demonstrate that a carbon neutral future is achievable.”
Sustainable fuels such as green hydrogen are expected to have a significant impact on the decarbonisation of energy systems around the world, with hydrogen from low-carbon sources forecast to deliver 7% of global final energy demand by 2050.
Developed from renewable energy using electrolysis, green hydrogen-based fuels will provide long-duration energy storage to work alongside renewable generation and short-duration storage (such as lithium-ion batteries) to create reliable and fully decarbonised energy systems.
However, at present there are no commercially available engines which can effectively use the fuel, potentially jeopardising global net zero ambitions, Wärtsilä said.
Wärtsilä Energy president Sushil Purohit said: “The Smart Technology Hub will play a vital role in realising Wärtsilä’s vision for 100% renewable energy future.
“Our shared future on this planet is reliant on renewable energy being available any time of the day or night and that is one of the fundamental challenges the Technology centre aims to resolve.
“By the development of future-proof engines capable of running on sustainable fuels such as hydrogen, we are laying the foundations for renewable energy to be deployed 24/7 anywhere in the world.”
Wärtsilä already has engines operating on carbon neutral fuels.
This year the company released its W32 Methanol engine to the market, and within 2023 an ammonia concept will be ready.
A hydrogen concept is expected to be available in 2025.
The construction of the new centre was announced in 2018 with a total investment of around €250m.
It features a modern fuel laboratory, flexible technology and engine testing facilities, as well as a state-of-the-art production system with a high level of automation.
The centre employs 1500 people under one roof, providing operational efficiency as well as a reduced carbon footprint in logistics. The centre has advanced energy recovery systems that enable self-sufficiency for heat energy.
With the expansion of sustainable fuels, the STH is a cornerstone for achieving the company’s 2030 target for carbon neutrality in its own operations.