SIAD’s hydrogen compressor for biofuel refinery

According to a contract from the Luxembourg-based engineering company Paul Wurth, SIAD Macchine Impianti (SIAD MI) produced a hydrogen compressor for a large-scale, multi-megawatt, high-temperature electrolyzer.

The compressor will be integrated in the hydrogen processing unit, designed and manufactured by Paul Wurth within the MultiPLHY project, a consortium for the integration and operation of the high-temperature electrolyzer at Neste’s renewable products refinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Apart from the compressor, the hydrogen processing unit involves a hydrogen dryer as a key element in order to deliver the adequate quality of hydrogen to the end user Neste.

The compressor developed by SIAD MI is suitable for automatically managing hydrogen at low pressures (0 to 33 bar). The main feature of this unit is the oil-free compression of hydrogen, which comes from the electrolysis process mixed with varying percentages of water vapor.

The unit has a compact layout with high accessibility. SIAD MI said that the selection of premium materials also means that the compressor can offer high performance at very low temperatures (down to -25°C). The compressor is designed to follow the variable operation of the electrolyzer, providing outstanding continuity of operation.

The MultiPLHY project has received funding from the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking, supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe research.