The Long Ridge Energy Terminal Power Plant in Hannibal, Ohio is currently burning a hydrogen mix. It’s a significant step toward the plant’s goal of being carbon-free.
While the 485MW combined-cycle plant began commercial operations in October 2021, on March 30, 2022, it successfully completed a hydrogen-blending demonstration.
This is the first time one of GE’s H-Class gas turbines has used hydrogen in a commercially running plant anywhere in the world, according to company officials.
Long Ridge Energy Terminal is powered by a GE 7HA.02 gas turbine, which can initially burn between 15-20 percent hydrogen by volume in the gas stream and will eventually be able to burn up to 100 percent hydrogen.
For the demonstration, a 5% hydrogen mix was introduced into the gas turbine’s combustion system. Further enhancements, according to GE, will allow the plant to burn larger percentages of hydrogen, depending on fuel availability and economics.
The Long Ridge Energy Terminal has been in the works for more than five years. The power plant was constructed on the site of former aluminum production, and rail and LNG loading facilities were included in the design. The plant was designed from the start to be a pure CCGT operation.
The project intends to create hydrogen on-site and is investigating large-scale hydrogen storage in below-ground formations. Long Ridge has access to Ohio River water for electrolysis to make green hydrogen.
A subsidiary of Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC owns Long Ridge.
GE, Siemens, and Mitsubishi Power, among other major power generating OEMs, have been concentrating their efforts on hydrogen combustion in gas turbines, particularly for large-scale generation.
Materials and techniques have been developed by the industry to improve the amount of hydrogen that can be combusted. These advancements have allowed hydrogen to be burned at concentrations of over 90% in simple-cycle turbines or aero-derivative machines, and up to 50% in large-frame combined-cycle turbines, according to the US Department of Energy.
While hydrogen combustion is viable energy storage and conversion method, it is not a “drop-in” fuel for many of today’s natural gas-fired energy conversion devices, according to experts.
Though significant progress has been made, more research, development, and demonstration are needed to address issues such as auto-ignition, flashback, thermo-acoustics, mixing requirements, aerothermal heat transfer, materials issues, turndown, and combustion dynamics, NOx emissions, and other combustion-related issues, according to the DOE’s hydrogen plan.
