Plant designed for future conversion to hydrogen – E.ON and MM Neuss commission Europe’s first fully automated, large-scale CHP plant

Plant designed for future conversion to hydrogen – E.ON and MM Neuss commission Europe’s first fully automated, large-scale CHP plant

• First combined heat and power (CHP) plant of this size in Europe to be fully automated and market-oriented at the same time
• Real-time networking for efficient and reliable supply of the cartonboard factory, enabling climate neutrality by 2040
• Savings of up to 22,000 tons of CO₂ annually thanks to state-of-the-art gas and steam power plant technology with a fuel utilization rate of up to 91 percent
• Plant designed for future conversion to hydrogen

With the successful commissioning of a fully automated combined heat and power (CHP) plant, E.ON, together with MM Neuss (Mayr-Melnhof Karton Group), sets a new standard for industrial energy supply. For the first time in Europe, a CHP plant of this size is being fully controlled by an intelligent control solution and operated in a market-oriented manner thanks to the innovative E.ON IQ Energy®. At the Neuss site, the MM Neuss cartonboard factory will be reliably and flexibly supplied with electricity and heat in the future.

The project demonstrates how modern energy infrastructure must be designed: low-emission, operationally reliable, and economically viable, thus ready for the challenges of the energy transition.

The unique key feature of the new plant is its high degree of automation, enabled by the innovative energy solution E.ON IQ Energy®. The integrated control system connects the power plant, production processes, and grid connection in real-time and dynamically responds to changes in market prices, production, or technical conditions. The fully digitized control allows for unattended operation for up to 72 hours. Intelligent software autonomously controls start, stop, and partial load operation, data-based and market-optimized for maximum efficiency and flexibility in ongoing operations.

Strong signal for the Energy Future

Manfred Wirsing, member of the management board of E.ON Energy Projects GmbH, says:

With the CHP plant in Neuss, we are setting new standards for sustainable energy supply in the industry.

“By combining state-of-the-art CHP technology, digitized control with E.ON IQ Energy®, and hydrogen readiness, we are creating a future-proof infrastructure. The system is more than just a power plant – it is a beacon of modern energy infrastructure and demonstrates how industrial partners can be reliably, flexibly, and efficiently supported on their path to climate neutrality,”

Thomas Knapp, managing director of MM Neuss, explains:

The modernization of our plant will make our production site in Neuss sustainable and future-proof.

“With the combination of state-of-the-art power plant technology and digitization, we will achieve a very high level of energy efficiency, automation, and independence in our energy supply.”

New standards in efficiency and supply security

The combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) operated in combined heat and power achieves an electrical output of 22 megawatts (MW) and a thermal output of 59 MW. This saves up to 22,000 tons of CO₂ annually compared to conventional generation. With a fuel utilization rate of up to 91 percent, the power plant is one of the most efficient of its kind.

In addition to the main system, a new fully automated reserve boiler system has been installed. This allows for quick and uninterrupted switching between main and reserve operation as needed – also completely unmanned and controlled by technical and market-related parameters. This high redundancy ensures maximum supply security and underscores the project’s commitment to balancing efficiency and reliability.

Construction of the plant began in September 2022 and was completed on schedule in December 2024. E.ON will operate the plant and plans to do so long-term until at least 2045.

Future-proofing through hydrogen readiness

The power plant was designed for hydrogen compatibility from the outset. Already today, a hydrogen content of ten percent can be used in the fuel mixture. In the future, the plant can be converted to up to 100 percent hydrogen operation – a crucial step towards climate-neutral energy supply.

With this forward-looking design, E.ON supports its own corporate goals for climate neutrality by 2040 and simultaneously ensures that the plant remains technologically and regulatory future-proof in the medium term.

READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central

Plant designed for future conversion to hydrogen – E.ON and MM Neuss commission Europe’s first fully automated, large-scale CHP plant, source

The post Plant designed for future conversion to hydrogen – E.ON and MM Neuss commission Europe’s first fully automated, large-scale CHP plant appeared first on Hydrogen Central.