As part of the “WaVe – Sustainable Hydrogen Combustion” research project, Jade University, together with partners, has developed a novel burner capable of burning hydrogen completely emission-free using pure oxygen, with the flame cooled by a targeted water spray. Demonstrators of this new technology will now be presented at HANNOVER MESSE 2026.

Direct steam generation via H2-O2 combustion could represent a highly innovative alternative wherever process steam is required. It is capable of providing steam at temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees Celsius completely emission-free. This enables both the conversion of existing processes and new process engineering applications. Application areas include, for example, high-temperature electrolysis or power plant technology.

A stable energy supply, in particular, poses special challenges for decision-makers in the context of the desired energy transition. To bridge periods such as dark lulls, during which renewable energy is insufficient, conventional power plants will remain indispensable for the foreseeable future. However, instead of relying on fossil fuels like gas, sustainable, emission-free hydrogen combustion can serve as a climate-neutral alternative.

The burner, developed by the Institute for Sustainable Energy Supply (Jade University of Applied Sciences), the Institute for Technical Combustion (Leibniz University Hannover), and the Institute for Power Plant Technology and Heat Transfer (Leibniz University Hannover), uses pure oxygen instead of air for hydrogen combustion. This produces no nitrogen oxides or other emissions. The exhaust consists exclusively of water vapor. This technology overcomes previous technical obstacles and enables H2-O2 combustion without steam injection, making flexible, emission-free (storage) power plants a reality.

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