FLEXnCONFU: Turning Excess Power into Hydrogen and Ammonia for Clean Energy
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Context
Nowadays, an increasing share of our electricity is produced from renewable sources. While this transition is much needed, it brings challenges such as intermittency, seasonality, and reduced energy security.
FLEXnCONFU, a SPIRE cPPP Project
On 1 April 2020, an ambitious project started aiming to address these challenges and support Europe’s energy transition. Funded by Horizon 2020 under a call of the SPIRE cPPP, FLEXnCONFU (full title FLExibilize combined cycle power plant through power-to-X solutions using non-CONventional Fuels) was an Innovation Action (IA), implemented by a consortium of 21 partners, under the coordination of the A.SPIRE member RINA.
Goals and Vision
FLEXnCONFU proposed adapting European power plants to make them flexible and reliable back-up options to compensate for intermittent renewable energy solutions while reducing emissions. The project aimed to illustrate how combined-cycle power plants can enhance flexibility and efficiency by incorporating a range of technologies.
To this end, the initiative introduced a solution called Power-to-X-to-Power. When power plants produce more electricity than needed, FLEXnCONFU uses the excess to generate carbon-free fuels, stored as hydrogen or ammonia. Later, the stored hydrogen or ammonia is reused in the same power plant to generate clean energy.
Implementation and Potential Impact
The ammonia-generating system was installed in Savona, Italy (a TRL 6 demonstrator), and the Power to Hydrogen to Power (P2H2P) demosite (a TRL 7 demonstrator) is in Ribatejo, Portugal, owned and operated by EDP Gestão da Produção de Energia. Further information is available on the project’s website.
The Project Coordinator, Ms Gaia Masoero from RINA explained that the Power to Hydrogen to Power pilot-scale demonstrator was successfully installed at EDP’s Ribatejo Combined Cycle Power Plant in Portugal, with the hot-commissioning phase and trial operations carried out between April and June 2025. The commissioning phase marked the transition to full operational readiness, involving tests, calibrations, and system verifications. After successful commissioning, the plant completed a 72-hour continuous operation test, confirming stability, performance, and integration under real conditions.
Hydrogen storage as an energy carrier was demonstrated, with approximately 400 kg stored at 200 bar. This enabled 1% hydrogen injection into the gas turbine for 4 hours at maximum load and 7 hours at minimum load.
“The experience gained will be essential for scaling similar solutions and optimising the operation of power plants based on green fuels in the future”, the coordinator concluded.
The P2A (Power to Ammonia) and A2P (Ammonia to Power) pilot-scale demonstrators have been successfully installed at the UNIGE–Savona Lab and were commissioned in July 2025. The preliminary experimental activities have shown encouraging results on both sides.
In terms of results, the Coordinator informed us that in the case of the P2A system, the plant is currently operational. Tests performed under nominal conditions (80bar and a reactor temperature of 380°C) have successfully resulted in ammonia production. For the A2P system, the micro gas turbine has been operated with both ammonia/natural gas blends and cracked-ammonia/natural gas blends, demonstrating stable combustion under the tested conditions.
The project’s final event took place on 9 December 2025. The main achievements, challenges and scale-up and replication avenues were discussed.
Success Story: A Historic Milestone
EDP produces its first hydrogen molecule in Europe
Asked about what makes FLEXnCONFU a unique success story, the coordinator referenced an article published on 15 September 2025, titled EDP produces its first hydrogen molecule in Europe. The article states that “as part of the FLEXnCONFU project, EDP has taken a significant step in developing new technologies by producing hydrogen and successfully injecting it into the gas turbine at the Ribatejo combined cycle power plant.” The announcement was made during the inauguration of the demonstrator, part of the broader FLEXnCONFU project, the website article continues. Read more here.
This milestone “validated the technical feasibility of producing and using hydrogen in a real-world thermal power plant setting”, stressed Ms Masoero.
A.SPIRE considers FLEXnCONFU a success story because it demonstrated the technical feasibility of integrating Power-to-X solutions in industrial combined-cycle power plants. The project successfully installed and operated pilot systems at Ribatejo and UNIGE–Savona, providing experience and insights that may support the future use of hydrogen and ammonia in power plants. We look forward to future results and further developments from these demonstrations.
Download the leaflet for more information about this success story.
Visit the FLEXnCONFU project’s website.
For more information about A.SPIRE, the Processes4Planet Partnership, and the Success Stories, contact the team.
