Orcan Energy und Motor Oil Hellas steigern die Energieeffizienz in der Raffinerieindustrie durch das EU-geförderte Projekt EPHYRA

 

Munich, Germany and Corinth, Greece, 15.12.2025 – Orcan Energy, a leading provider of Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) solutions, is participating in EPHYRA, one of the flagship hydrogen projects funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership under Grant Agreement No. 101112220. The project is coordinated by Motor Oil Hellas (MOH), a diversified and integrated energy group in Southeastern Europe specializing in crude oil refining and trading of petroleum products, electrification and circular economy. EPHYRA aims to showcase innovative clean hydrogen and energy efficiency technologies across hard-to-abate industries. Within this framework, MOH and Orcan Energy are joining forces to deploy cutting-edge WHR systems at the MOH Corinth refinery.

As part of EPHYRA’s large-scale demonstrations—which include one of the most substantial electrolysers funded to date by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership—the collaboration between Orcan Energy and MOH focuses on enhancing industrial energy efficiency by recovering and converting waste heat into clean electricity using Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology.

At the Corinth refinery, two Orcan Energy efficiency PACKs will be installed to capture waste heat from a diesel stream via a heat exchanger. The recovered thermal energy will then be converted into clean electricity to be used in industrial processes, contributing to significant CO₂ savings, and more specifically reducing scope-2 CO2 emissions. Once operational, the modules are expected to generate approximately 2 GWh of electricity annually, avoiding around 1,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year, or 20,000 tons over their projected 20-year lifespan. This also translates to cost savings due to CO2 avoidance and also due to the generated energy.

This initiative reflects MOH’s broader commitment to energy transition and sustainability, aligning with its electrification and circular economy strategy. By integrating Orcan’s second-generation ORC modules—developed specifically for industrial settings—MOH is further reducing its carbon footprint while improving operational efficiency. The Orcan efficiency PACKs offer a plug-and-play, containerized design for ease of installation and scalability. They operate via a closed water loop that maintains a constant flow without interfering with industrial processes, and they reduce cooling water needs, further improving overall plant efficiency.

“Our work at the Corinth refinery shows that energy efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand. Recovering waste heat enforces lower emissions, deploys smarter energy use, and sustains the cutting edge of the future technology” said Ioannis Kioufis, Refinery General Manager at Motor Oil Hellas

“We see tremendous potential in the refining and petrochemical industries. Our collaboration with Motor Oil Hellas is just the beginning of untapping the vast waste heat potential of refineries.” added Andreas Sichert, CEO at Orcan Energy.

The EPHYRA project is funded by the European Union’s Clean Hydrogen Partnership and supported by Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research, emphasizing the strategic role of hydrogen and energy efficiency in Europe’s path to industrial decarbonization.

 

About Motor Oil Hellas

Motor Oil Group is a diversified and integrated energy provider in Southeastern Europe. Based in Greece it exports to over 70 countries. It has more than 100 individual companies and directly employs more than 4000 professionals. More than 1,500 gas stations are operated by Motor Oil’s subsidiary companies, in Greece, as well as in foreign countries. The company plays a leading role in the sectors of crude oil refining - with one of the most complex refineries in Europe - as well as marketing of petroleum products The Group has also established significant presence within the power sector in Greece and the wider region. It generates sustainable and affordable power by operating a scaled and rapidly growing portfolio of renewable generation assets. It is also one of the leading suppliers of electricity, energy efficiency and electromobility services in Greece. It has also established a diversified circular economy platform, active across waste and wastewater management, biowaste collection, recycling, energy from waste and lubricants regeneration.

 

About EPHYRA

EPHYRA is an innovative co-funded project focused on green hydrogen production in Europe. The project includes a 30 MW facility for renewable hydrogen production in Southeastern Europe, integrated with Motor Oil of Hellas’ Corinth Refinery. Operating for at least 2 years under commercial conditions, EPHYRA will supply renewable hydrogen to refinery processes and external users. The project is supported by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and its members Hydrogen Europe and Hydrogen Europe Research under Grant Agreement No.101112220. In line with MOH’s strategic commitment to clean hydrogen development, the company submitted an application to the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) of Greece for financial support which was evaluated positively, resulting in the allocation of additional funding to upscale the electrolyser capacity to 50 MW and accomplish necessary ancillary works for the supply of green hydrogen to industrial and transport end-users.