Wärtsilä Corporation, Local press release, 8 July 2026
Technology group Wärtsilä has started validation of a new 100% hydrogen engine to power Spain’s national electricity grid in Bermeo, northern Spain – the world’s first demonstration of a large-scale, 100% hydrogen engine.
The trial marks a major step forward in proving that engine technology can operate on 100% sustainable fuels such as hydrogen, building on Wärtsilä’s earlier launch of the world’s first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant and opening a clear pathway towards fully renewable power systems. This comes at a time when countries such as India are accelerating investments in green hydrogen and renewable energy as part of their long-term decarbonisation strategies.
For India, this milestone is particularly significant as the country targets 500 GW of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030, while advancing the National Green Hydrogen Mission to establish itself as a global hub for the production, utilisation, and export of green hydrogen. As renewable energy penetration increases, hydrogen-capable engine technologies can provide the flexible, dispatchable power needed to maintain grid stability while enabling greater integration of renewable energy at scale.
The Wärtsilä 31H2 engine, part of the Wärtsilä 31 platform, one of the world’s most efficient multi-fuel 4-stroke engines, shows that hydrogen can move beyond theory into real-world energy infrastructure. The Wärtsilä 31H2 engine is the world’s largest pure hydrogen engine, with performance currently being verified in Bermeo.
Today, Wärtsilä's engines can already operate on natural gas blended with up to 25 vol% hydrogen, a capability increasingly reflected in power generation tenders, including in India. This was demonstrated in 2022, when Wärtsilä and WEC Energy Group ran an unmodified Wärtsilä 50SG engine on a 25 vol% hydrogen blend at the 55 MW A.J. Mihm power plant in Michigan, USA. The Wärtsilä 31H2 engine builds on this foundation, marking the next step in the evolution towards a large-scale power plant running entirely on 100% hydrogen.
R. Venkatesh, Managing Director, Wärtsilä India, said: "India is entering a defining decade in its energy transition. With the government's strong focus on renewable energy expansion and the National Green Hydrogen Mission, technologies that complement renewable generation while strengthening grid reliability will become increasingly important. Wärtsilä's demonstration of a large-scale engine operating on 100% hydrogen reinforces our commitment to supporting India's transition towards a cleaner, more resilient, and future-ready, low-carbon energy ecosystem."
The Wärtsilä 31 based power plant is designed to support rapidly growing, energy-intensive industries – including data centres, manufacturing facilities and industry – with flexible, sustainable power generation, and off-grid environments.
India is witnessing rapid growth in digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and industrial production, all of which are driving higher demand for reliable, flexible, and sustainable sources of electricity. As AI-led data centre investments continue to accelerate across the country, technologies capable of delivering dispatchable low-carbon power will become increasingly valuable in supporting future energy demand.
While the validation is being undertaken in Spain, the learnings from the demonstration will help advance Wärtsilä's hydrogen roadmap globally, including in markets such as India, where renewable energy expansion and investments in green hydrogen are creating new opportunities for flexible, low-carbon power generation.
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Image caption: Wärtsilä has started validation of a new 100% hydrogen engine to power Spain’s national electricity grid in Bermeo, northern Spain – the world’s first demonstration of a large-scale, 100% hydrogen engine. © Wärtsilä Corporation
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About Wärtsilä Energy
Wärtsilä Energy is at the forefront of the transition towards a 100% renewable energy future. We help our customers and the power sector to accelerate their decarbonisation journeys through our market-leading technologies and power system expertise. Our solutions include flexible engine power plants, energy storage and optimisation technology, and services for the whole lifecycle of our installations. Our engines are future-proof and can run on sustainable fuels. Our track record comprises 81 GW of power plant capacity and over 130 energy storage installations in 180 countries around the world. About 35% of our operating installed base is under service agreements.
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Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy industries. We emphasise innovation in sustainable technology and services to help our customers continuously improve environmental and economic performance. Our dedicated and passionate team of 17,900 professionals in 199 locations in 78 countries shape the decarbonisation transformation of our industries across the globe. In 2025, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 6.9 billion. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
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