Eager To Become Hydrogen-Ready, Power Plants Turn To Dual-Fuel Turbines

Eager To Become Hydrogen-Ready, Power Plants Turn To Dual-Fuel Turbines

In the near future, dual-fuel turbines will shift from running on a natural gas-hydrogen mix to 100% hydrogen. As power producers anticipate a world with net zero emissions, they're determined to prevent today's infrastructure from becoming tomorrow's stranded assets. They need to future-proof their plants now. That means relying less on natural gas and preparing for hydrogen. Whether investing in new facilities or retrofitting existing plants, producers consider cutting-edge turbines an integral part of the solution. Last year, says Mitsubishi Power Americas CEO Paul Browning, about half of the company's U. S. customers asked to change their gas turbine orders to dual-fuel turbines, which combust a natural-gas and hydrogen mix, producing fewer emissions. Currently, this technology enables the turbines to operate on a blend of 30% hydrogen and 70% natural gas. But in the not-too-distant future, they'll be capable of running on 100% hydrogen, eliminating CO2 emissions altogether. With sustainability high on the energy industry's agenda, a growing urgency to decarbonize power production could explain the spike in plant owners opting for dual-fuel turbines. A raft of pledges by U. S. investor-owned electric utilities to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 is an indication of the changes taking place in today's