Food retailer MPREIS produces its first green hydrogen

The core technology is a pressurised alkaline electrolyser from the German electrolysis manufacturer Sunfire. With an overall capacity of 3.2 MW, the plant splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. The whole process runs at a pressure of 30 bar. Since the electricity for the electrolyser comes from renewable sources, the hydrogen production is 100% CO₂-neutral.

"The green hydrogen we produce is used directly onsite," MPREIS project manager Ewald Perwög says. "The big ovens over there are now being heated with hydrogen instead of natural gas. We bake our bread green, so to speak. We also fuel our brand-new fuel cell truck fleet with the renewable energy source." This will save MPREIS large amounts of diesel in the long-term. Considering rising fuel prices and the current oil and gas situation across Europe, the company will also be less dependent on fossil energy carriers.

Moreover, hydrogen initiatives such as this help to achieve the EU's climate targets. On the road to climate neutrality, MPREIS is the first mid-sized company in Austria to use green hydrogen. The investment volume for the new plant in Völs alone amounts to €13 million. Half of this was raised through funding from the EU's Clean Hydrogen Partnership and the Swiss government.

Sunfire's pressurised alkaline technology has already been proven in industrial projects worldwide and is considered one of the most reliable solutions on the market. "We need solid solutions because our trucks are always running and the availability of green hydrogen must be guaranteed on an ongoing basis," Ewald Perwög explains. "Therefore, there was no question for us to go for an experienced partner like Sunfire for the technology of our new plant in Völs."

"We are very excited to demonstrate the benefits of our pressurised alkaline electrolyser in Tyrol," says Sunfire CEO Nils Aldag. "Our technology can subsequently help other energy-intensive industries become more sustainable."

For Sunfire, the commissioning of the pressurised alkaline electrolyser marks the start of many more projects on a multi-MW scale. Industrial companies have already ordered alkaline electrolysers to achieve their climate targets through green hydrogen – including the German energy company ENERTRAG and the Finnish Power-to-X pioneer P2X Solutions.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/29032022/food-retailer-mpreis-produces-its-first-green-hydrogen/