A new Danfoss-led project, ‘Heroes’ (Heat and Energy Recovery of Electrolyser Systems), has been initiated, bringing together Finnish research and industry partners with the goal of improving the efficiency of green hydrogen production and accelerating the energy transition.
Heroes is part of Danfoss’ Fossil Free Future Veturi programme funded by Business Finland. Green hydrogen is expected to play a crucial role in reducing emissions from industries such as maritime that cannot easily be electrified. However, producing hydrogen remains energy intensive, making efficiency one of the sector’s biggest challenges.
To address this challenge, Danfoss and a consortium of research and industry partners have launched Heroes, alongside VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the University of Vaasa, Convion, Hitachi Energy, Elcogen and other partners. The project is intended to demonstrate energy-efficient hydrogen production systems, helping reduce the energy required to produce clean hydrogen and improving the competitiveness of hydrogen as a future energy carrier.
Pia Karumaa, Danfoss’ Fossil Free Future programme leader, said: “As countries and industries work to reduce emissions, hydrogen is becoming an increasingly important part of the solution. The challenge is not whether hydrogen will play a role in the energy transition, but how efficiently we can produce it. Through Heroes, we are bringing together expertise from across industry and academia to tackle one of the most critical barriers to large-scale adoption.”
Hydrogen is expected to be particularly important in sectors such as maritime and other applications where direct electrification is difficult. Improving production efficiency can help reduce costs while maximising the value of renewable electricity used in the process. The project combines experience in power electronics, heat recovery, energy systems and hydrogen technologies to explore new approaches that can improve overall system performance and efficiency. By working across the entire value chain, the consortium aims to generate knowledge and capabilities that can strengthen Finland’s position in the rapidly growing hydrogen economy.
Image: ‘Heroes’ aims to unlock efficient and affordable hydrogen through smart energy recovery and system innovation (source: Danfoss)
