Fortum plans to build a hydrogen production pilot plant in Loviisa. The plant will be located in the Källa area near Fortum’s Loviisa NPP on land owned by Fortum. The construction of the plant will begin in summer 2024 and it is planned to be commissioned by the end of 2025.
Hydrogen will be produced by electrolysers that split water into hydrogen and oxygen by means of an electric current, with a capacity of about two megawatts from the national grid. A filling station will be built in connection with the plant, from which hydrogen will be transported to industrial customers. The pilot plant is funded in its entirety from Fortum’s research and development funds, and the design work is mainly carried out by its own designers. The Kalla test facility is expected to be in use for approximately two years from 2025 to 2028. In total, the research and development input related to the pilot plant is approximately €17m ($18.3m).
Fortum plans to phase out small-scale hydrogen projects in the Nordic countries. “Testing hydrogen production at the Kalla pilot plant in the megawatt class provides valuable information not only on the design and operation of potential larger plants, but also on the business opportunities for hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives,” said Fortum’s P2X Business Manager Satu Sipola. “The pilot project is the first step towards possible future projects and investments. In addition to the pilot plant, we have several other hydrogen-related studies in progress, which also involve customers and partners from various industrial sectors.”
He continued: “Fortum has a strong position in clean energy production, and together with our industrial customers, we strive to find solutions to reduce their carbon footprint. We want to promote the use of clean hydrogen in the Nordic countries together with our customers, and we are engaged in close research cooperation with companies in the forest, steel and chemical industries as well as transport companies.”
