The Finnish companies Flexens and HydRe are preparing to pilot green hydrogen in Lempäälä, Finland. Flexens plans a small-scale green hydrogen production unit to be attached to Finland’s first hydrogen refuelling station. HydRe will provide the refuelling station. The facilities will be integrated with the local LEMENE smart energy system, owned by the energy company Lempäälän Energia. The parties have signed a letter of intent on cooperation and aim to enter operation latest at the beginning of 2025.
We will promote the Finnish hydrogen economy by demonstrating local, flexible and duplicable green hydrogen production. Contrary to fossil fuels, green hydrogen production can be more cost-efficient on a small scale compared to transporting it from a distance. Furthermore, in the LEMENE system, we are reviewing the possibility of recovering waste heat from the production unit into the existing heating network. When regulations allow for it, we want to integrate it into the local power system.
HYDRE – A FLEXENS SPIN-OUT
HydRe was founded at the beginning of 2022 as a Flexens spin-out company to develop a network of hydrogen refuelling stations for heavy transport in Northern Europe. The startup is preparing several hydrogen station projects around Finland, intending to open eight stations by the end of 2025.
HydRe considers the logistical centre in Lempäälä an excellent location for their first hydrogen station. The station can supply more than 250,000 kg of green hydrogen annually, decreasing road transport emissions by nearly 3000 tonnes of CO2eq per year.
We look forward to building our first green hydrogen refuelling station in Lempäälä, one of the frontrunner municipalities in the clean energy sector. This will be a crucial step towards zero-emission heavy transport, also lowering dependency on fossil fuel imports in Finland.
THE GREEN HYDROGEN WILL BE PRODUCED BY FLEXENS
Flexens’ 2,5 MW electrolyser will provide the HydRe refuelling station with its fuel: More than 250,000 kg of green hydrogen annually. Attached to the hydrogen production unit, Flexens plans to build a 1-2 MW solar PV farm. For Finland, this is the first time small-scale electrolysis is integrated with the distributed local smart energy system and used for grid balancing.
Flexens is by no means new to hydrogen production development. The company has several on-going projects in the green hydrogen sector, while rooting its wider competencies in the society-scale initiative Smart Energy Åland. In addition, Flexens plays a prominent role in hydrogen as a member of the Finnish Hydrogen Cluster, the BotH2nia network, the FinH2 R&D project, and the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance..
Our capabilities in system integration are key to projects such as this one. So is our notable role in advancing hydrogen in the Nordics and Europe.
A MULTIFACETED SUCCESS STORY
Using hydrogen as a fuel is essential in decarbonising the transport sector. Furthermore, the electrolyser will secure flexibility and self-sufficiency for Lempäälän Energia’s smart energy system in the LEMENE energy community. The waste heat from the hydrogen production will be recovered to the local district heating network, increasing the share of green energy in the Lempäälä heat mix. The project concept can be easily duplicated in other distributed energy systems after being piloted by Lempäälä.
Hydrogen integration will be another step in demonstrating the sector-integrated smart energy system in Lempäälä. The concept fits the original idea of a self-sufficient and clean local energy system perfectly.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?
Aleksi Haverinen
Collaborators
HydRe is a startup company founded in 2022 as a Flexens spin-out to develop hydrogen refuelling networks in Finland and Northern Europe.
Flexens Oy Ab is a project developer and investor implementing critical technologies needed to enable societies to run 100 % renewable energy sources. Flexens was founded in 2018 to capitalize on the skills and capabilities created in building the world-leading RES testbed and demo platform, Smart Energy Åland, capturing the rapidly growing demand for renewable energy systems. Through a public-private-partnership with multi-level actors on Åland, Flexens has founded a clear pathway and developed the essential framework needed to ensure rapid novel RES technology diffusion and implementation.
Photo by Lex Valishvili on Unsplash.
