Chemicals manufacturer INEOS Group and French utility Engie said that they plan a pilot project to replace natural gas with hydrogen at INEOS' industrial plant in Belgium. The aim of the pilot project by INEOS and Engie is to replace natural gas with hydrogen used by the INEOS gas turbine.

Initially 10% of the gas feed will be replaced by hydrogen. If this goes well the feed will be increased to 20%, INEOS said in a statement.

Engie is responsible for the design, installation and operation of the technology at the INEOS site. INEOS Phenol has experience in handling hydrogen as a raw material for its production processes and also has the necessary permits for the hydrogen project.

Engie and INEOS are also joining forces on the Power-to-Methanol project in the Port of Antwerp. Both companies sit on the consortium with other partners to produce green methanol by reusing captured CO₂ in combination with sustainably generated hydrogen. INOVYN, an INEOS business, will operate this demonstration plant at the Lillo site.

Cedric Osterrieth, CEO, Engie Generation Europe, said, "ENGIE believes in hydrogen as a key link to a carbon-neutral economy and wants to take a pioneering role with these industrial-scale tests, both in terms of research and practical implementation. We can again count on the expertise and support of INEOS, a key partner for Engie in the energy transition. This pilot project will give us better insights into the use of hydrogen to reduce carbon emissions, bringing us one step closer to a carbon-neutral future. It is a strong complement to our already ongoing projects across the country in which we are developing hydrogen solutions for industrial and mobility applications, starting from our expertise in renewable energy production, storage and infrastructure."

Hans Casier, CEO, INEOS Phenol: "This test is fully in line with INEOS' strategy to avoid CO2 emissions at source. It marks a further step for INEOS Phenol in Doel, where 20% green steam is already being purchased via the connection to the Ecluse network. Today, INEOS already produces 300,000 tons of hydrogen on an annual basis as a 'co-product' of its chemical processes. This hydrogen is largely used as a low-carbon fuel and as a raw material in its own production processes so that fewer fossil raw materials have to be used. INEOS recently started a new business activity that focuses on the development of 'clean hydrogen capacity'. For this, INEOS can rely on the expertise of INOVYN, which, as a chlorine and PVC producer within the group, specializes in electrolysis, an important technology for producing hydrogen."