Overview

The successful project marks the first time that GE’s LM6000 gas turbine was run on hydrogen-blended fuel on the African continent.

The challenge

During the 2022 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate, GE participated in a “proof of concept” project to run an LM6000 gas turbine on hydrogen-blended fuel at the Sharm El Sheikh Power Plant in Egypt.

The solution

GE led the conception, planning, and execution of the project, as well as the building of the hydrogen-natural gas blending system. The results of the project showed that it is possible to generate lower carbon, reliable, power by burning hydrogen-blended fuels in gas turbines.

Outcomes

5 months

project duration

120 GE gas turbines

hydrogen capable

"

The combination of EEHC’s commitment and facilitation, GE’s global, industry-leading expertise in hydrogen-fueled power projects, and Hassan Allam and PGESCO’s strong on-the-ground construction and engineering capabilities, led to the extraordinary achievement of the safe, on time, and successful completion of this demonstration pilot.

Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy of Egypt

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Shaker El-Markabi

The project illustrates that gas turbines offer great potential to operate at lower carbon intensity and can complement the growth of variable renewables by providing on demand electricity to firm the grid. The safe execution of the demonstration also tells us that while hydrogen does present certain unique challenges with transportation, storage, and use at site for power generation, those obstacles can be overcome with the right arrangements, trainings, and precautions. The successful adaptation of an existing installed unit to run on hydrogen-blended fuel also clearly highlights that today’s gas power generation assets can be a destination technology, not just a bridging technology, as the world scales up the production of hydrogen. This is important for countries that have made considerable investments of billions of dollars in these assets. 

Learnings from the Sharm El Sheikh experience will be studied and shared by EPRI, through the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative. EPRI’s engagement brings an element of global collaboration to the project that can inform future hydrogen blending power projects around the world.Learnings from the Sharm El Sheikh experience will be studied and shared by EPRI, through the Low-Carbon Resources Initiative. EPRI’s engagement brings an element of global collaboration to the project that can inform future hydrogen blending power projects around the world.

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