HyCoFlex is building on the success of HYFLEXPOWER and accelerating industrial decarbonization by demonstrating how existing gas turbines can be retrofitted to operate on 0–100% hydrogen. At the project’s flagship site at the Smurfit Westrock recycled paper mill in Saillat-sur-Vienne, France, an upgraded Siemens Energy SGT-400 gas turbine equipped with advanced hydrogen combustion technology is validating flexible, efficient, and low-emission cogeneration for low-carbon power and industrial heat generation.

We are proud that HyCoFlex has been shortlisted for the Best Innovation Award 2026, recognizing our contribution to advancing innovative hydrogen technologies in Europe.

💡 Nominated innovation:
Upgrade of the gas turbine generator package for operation with 0–100% hydrogen.
This achievement reflects the collaboration and dedication of the entire HyCoFlex consortium, including Siemens Energy, ENGIE, Centrax, DLR, PNO Innovation GmbH, Smurfit Westrock, Equinor, and NTUA, with support from the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.

🗳️ Now we need your support!
Please vote for HyCoFlex in the Best Innovation Award 2026 and help showcase the impact of collaborative hydrogen innovation:
👉 https://www.clean-hydrogen.europa.eu/european-hydrogen-week/european-hydrogen-week-2026/clean-hydrogen-partnership-awards-2026/european-hydrogen-week-2026-shortlisted-projects-innovations_en

Every vote counts, and we would greatly appreciate your support. Feel free to share the link and help spread the word. 🙌

A big thank you to the Clean Hydrogen Partnership for this recognition and for supporting hydrogen research and innovation across Europe.

The HyCoFlex project was represented at European Hydrogen Week 2026, one of Europe’s key events dedicated to hydrogen technologies, innovation, and the transition towards a sustainable energy future.

The event brought together industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and hydrogen stakeholders to exchange knowledge, discuss recent developments, and explore opportunities for collaboration across the European hydrogen sector.

Siemens Energy, the coordinator of the HyCoFlex project, participated in the event with an exhibition stand, providing an excellent opportunity to engage with stakeholders and discuss innovative hydrogen solutions.

Balázs Kern from PNO Innovation GmbH, a HyCoFlex project partner responsible for supporting dissemination and communication activities, also attended the event. His participation contributed to strengthening the project’s visibility, fostering connections with the European hydrogen community, and promoting awareness of HyCoFlex and its objectives.

From 12–14 October, the European turbomachinery community came together in Siena, Italy, for the ETN Global October Workshop 2026.

The workshop brought together experts from industry and research to discuss hydrogen readiness, alternative fuels, energy integration, and emerging technologies driving the energy transition.

Dr. Ertan Yilmaz of Siemens Energy, Coordinator of the HyCoFlex Project, shared insights from the project’s work on advancing hydrogen gas turbine technologies and enabling flexible hydrogen-based power generation.

We are excited to announce the successful completion of the first hydrogen (H₂) test as part of the 2026 demonstration campaign of the HyCoFlex project at the ENGIE Energie Services cogeneration plant in Saillat-sur-Vienne, France.

As the demonstration campaign progresses, the project team will validate hydrogen operation in a Siemens Energy SGT-400 gas turbine-based cogeneration system, assessing performance, operational flexibility, and low-NOx emissions under real industrial conditions. The objective is to demonstrate a practical pathway for retrofitting existing cogeneration assets to operate with increasing levels of hydrogen, ultimately up to 100% H₂ while maintaining performance and reliability.

These first H₂ tests are the culmination of years of innovation, engineering excellence, and strong collaboration among the HyCoFlex project partners. The knowledge, operational experience, and performance data, gained throughout the campaign will help validate hydrogen as a viable fuel for industrial cogeneration and advance practical pathways toward the decarbonization of industrial energy systems.

The HyCoFlex testing campaign has officially begun with the successful completion of the First Fire of the gas turbine at the ENGIE test site in Saillat-sur-Vienne, France.

Shortly thereafter, the turbine successfully achieved full-load operation on natural gas, marking another important step in the commissioning and testing programme.

Together, these achievements confirm the successful integration of the HyCoFlex retrofit package and demonstrate the readiness of the system for the next phases of testing.

Over the coming weeks, the consortium will carry out an extensive test campaign to validate system performance and progressively prepare the turbine for hydrogen operation.

The results will provide valuable insights into the integration of hydrogen technologies within industrial cogeneration systems, helping accelerate the transition toward more flexible, resilient, and lower-carbon energy solutions.

This achievement is the result of the dedication, expertise, and close collaboration of the entire HyCoFlex consortium. A heartfelt thank you to all partners, site teams, and experts whose commitment and hard work have made this milestone possible.

We look forward to sharing further updates as the testing campaign progresses and we move another step closer to demonstrating hydrogen-enabled industrial energy systems.