Together, EnBW and Siemens Energy are promoting the use of green hydrogen as a low-carbon fuel in upcoming power plants.
The EnBW district heating power plant in Stuttgart-Münster, Germany, is a significant trial project where natural gas is anticipated to initially replace coal in about three years. Every system is designed from the ground up to allow for the quickest and most thorough conversion of natural gas to hydrogen.
At the center of the project are two cutting-edge Siemens Energy SGT-800 gas turbines. In Stuttgart, the deal on the total package was signed. Thus, the initiative in the state’s capital is becoming a national trailblazer. The two new turbines each produce 62 megawatts of electricity and have a waste heat recovery system. The three coal-fired boilers that have been at the area up to now are being replaced.
Both firms’ project teams are preparing for a future for hydrogen beyond gas turbines. When green hydrogen is accessible, “Pipelines, Control Systems, and Boiler Technology also needs to be converted as fast and easily as feasible,” said EnBW Engineer Diana van den Bergh.
EnBW is considering a 10- to 12-year period. According to the agreements, Siemens Energy guarantees that the new turbines will be able to process up to a 75 percent hydrogen admixture starting when they are shipped in 2025 and that the entire package is ready to manage 100 percent hydrogen.
Currently, the plans for the entire project in Münster are on schedule. Construction on a new workshop structure that will house the construction site is already moving forward. After receiving all necessary clearances, construction on the new systems could start as early as the first quarter of 2023. In Münster, residual waste has been and will continue to be the primary energy source.