Japan’s Tohoku Electric Power Company has completed a hydrogen co-firing test at its Niigata thermal power plant.
This trial aimed to determine the feasibility of integrating higher volumes of hydrogen with liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a commercial gas combined cycle thermal power plant.
The test was conducted at the No. 5 series of the Niigata plant, specifically the 54.5 MW No.5-1 unit in Niigata Prefecture. In a pioneering move for Japan, this plant achieved a hydrogen co-firing rate of 1 percent with regasified LNG earlier this year. Recently, Tohoku Electric decided to raise the stakes by increasing the hydrogen content to about 8 percent during their latest test on October 29 and 30. The company announced that the test was successful, achieving the desired hydrogen co-firing rate.
This effort is part of Tohoku Electric’s strategic plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Through these trials, Tohoku Electric intends to gather valuable insights that will contribute to the design and operation of large-scale gas combined cycle facilities. Their goal is to continue advancing the decarbonization of LNG-fired power generation.
