Romania CHP plants upgraded with hydrogen-ready engines

Energy solutions provider INNIO Group, together with Clarke Energy, will revamp two major combined heat and power (CHP) plants in Romania with Jenbacher hydrogen-ready engines.

The engines were selected by Romanian EPC Elsaco Electronic to help decarbonise two CHP power plants in the municipalities of Arad and Constanta.

The plants will be modernised with INNIO Group’s Jenbacher J920 FleXtra engines that can be converted to operate on up to 100% hydrogen. The upgrade is expected to reduce emissions and primary energy consumption by approximately 30% compared to the separate production of power and heat.

Clarke Energy will provide eight Jenbacher J920 FleXtra cogeneration units. Five of the engines will operate in Constanta, delivering approximately 53MW of electrical and 50MW of thermal energy. The remaining three engines will operate in Arad, delivering approximately 32MW of electrical and 30MW of thermal energy.

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The total output will increase by 85MW of electrical and 80MW of thermal energy, enough to power approximately 180,000 households. Both CHP plants will be pivotal in supporting Romania’s infrastructure with energy security, efficiency and capability to transition to a more sustainable energy system.

Șerban Iftime, CEO of Elsaco Electronic commented in a statement: “Elsaco is committed to building new power plants that are fundamental to Romania’s energy supply security. INNIO Group’s innovation coupled with Clarke Energy’s expertise offered us exactly the future-proofed hydrogen-ready technology to meet our requirements.

"This will support us in building a secure, affordable, and climate-friendly energy supply.”

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Dr Olaf Berlien, president and CEO of INNIO Group added: “Our collaboration with Elsaco and Clarke Energy on these hydrogen-ready, high-efficient CHP projects is a step towards supporting decarbonization of Romania’s energy supply."

The two projects are EU-funded based on the Romanian National Recovery and Resilience Plan and support Romania’s target to achieve net zero by 2050. The aim is to complete the projects by the summer of 2026.