Hydrogen solutions: Aeroderivative gas turbines for Germany

Yes, it is possible to operate new units and upgrade existing units for operation on these fuels with appropriate consideration to the combustion system, fuel accessories, emissions, and plant systems. For existing units, these upgrades can be scheduled with planned outages to minimize the time the plant is not generating power, and for new units these capabilities can be part of the initial plant configuration or phased in over time as hydrogen becomes available. 

Because hydrogen is more flammable than natural gas, critical aspects are considered to ensure the safe operation of a gas turbine with a natural gas/hydrogen fuel blend. For example, the gas turbine enclosure and ventilation system need to be designed to ensure the concentration of hydrogen is maintained outside of its upper and lower explosive limits. 

Furthermore, hazardous gas and flame detection systems configured for typical hydrocarbon fuels may need to be supplemented with systems capable of detecting hydrogen. 

There are other changes/upgrades that must be considered if you're thinking about safely running your powerplant on a hydrogen blend. If you'd like to learn more, get in touch with our team.

GE is continuing to develop increased hydrogen capability for its gas turbines through in-house R&D and testing as well as participating in US DOE hydrogen fuel programs. The goals of these efforts are to ensure that ever higher levels of hydrogen can be burned safely and reliably in GE’s gas turbines for decades to come.

We continue to support the global need for deep decarbonization, and recognize that there are multiple pathways to achieve low or near zero carbon emissions with gas turbines--through various pre or post-combustion methods. To learn more about this, you can read our whitepaper.

Hydrogen is difficult to store because of its extremely low volumetric density. It is the simplest, lightest and most abundant element in the universe. It is also extremely flammable… All of these qualities combined make its logistics and transportation very complicated.

Hydrogen must become energy dense to be stored. It can be compressed and stored as a gas using high-pressure tanks, or it can be liquefied using cryogenic technology. 

Hydrogen is typically compressed to between 35 to 150 bar (~500 to ~2,200 psi) for pipeline transmission whereas the distribution system that provides gas to many end users typically operates at pressures less than ~7 bar (~100 psi). For storage, hydrogen is typically compressed to more than 350 bar (~5,000 psi. Hydrogen storage and transmission systems may require specialized high-pressure equipment and will require a significant amount of energy for compression. Liquefying hydrogen is even more of a challenge because it condenses from a gas into a liquid at less than -250º C (~-420º F), requiring a significant amount of energy for cooling the gas to this temperature, and special double-walled cryogenic tanks for storage.

Countries like Japan, South Korea, Australia and more, are taking the lead in advancing a hydrogen economy by announcing strategies, implementing government policy, making major infrastructure investments, and conducting supply chain research.

It can be transported in cryogenic liquid tanker trucks or gaseous tube trailers where demand is smaller. Major infrastructure and policy changes need to be made before substantial pipeline transportation of hydrogen becomes a reality.

Hydrogen, as a carbon-neutral fuel, is a pre-combustion way to decarbonize a gas turbine. Hydrogen-capable gas turbines and the subsequent upgrades required to a powerplant so it can safely run on hydrogen fuel can be implemented in a cost-effective way, however the full scope of implementing the use of hydrogen at scale needs to be considered.

Major changes to policies, incentives, and infrastructures and initial investments need to be made to make hydrogen a competitive and viable option.

GE believes that in order for the power sector to rapidly decarbonize while maintaining high levels of reliability, post-combustion decarbonization options for gas turbines should be considered as well, like carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS)

Yes! According to the latest McCoy Power Report, GE has more experience running gas turbines on hydrogen than any other OEM. In total, GE has 100+ units* with 8M+ operating hours* running on hydrogen and similar low BTU fuels around the world.

GE has combustion technologies that are capable of operating on a wide range of hydrogen concentrations up to ~100% (by volume).

Today, our H-class, F-class, B/E-class and aeroderivative gas turbines are all capable of running on different levels of H2. It’s important to remember that actual hydrogen levels may vary based on the gas turbine model, combustion model, combustion system, and overall fuel consumption.