German micro-turbines now run on hydrogen and natural gas.
Germany continues to innovate in green energies and at high speed! His latest discovery will make it possible to adapt micro-turbines to enable them to operate both with hydrogen and natural gassignificantly reducing costs and paving the way for a green energy transition in Europe.
Read also:
A German breakthrough for the use of hydrogen turbines
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) et Power Service Consulting (PSC) have developed retrofit technology allowing micro-turbines to burn both hydrogen and natural gas. This advancement is essential to maintaining the efficiency of small gas plants while anticipating the future adoption of green hydrogen.
This titanic project will allow Europe and the United States to eliminate the main defect of renewable energies
Where is Europe with green hydrogen?
Green hydrogen is emerging as an essential pillar of the energy transition in Europe, aiming to decarbonize key sectors such as industry and transport. Produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energies (wind, solar, hydroelectric), it does not emit any greenhouse gases. The European Union has set ambitious objectives, with 40 GW of electrolyzers planned by 2030 to produce 10 million tonnes of green hydrogen, representing around 10% of current demand. Countries like France and Germany are investing massively, with 8.9 and 10 billion euros respectively dedicated to this sector. At the same time, projects like the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley aim to strengthen the continent's energy independence while reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.
What is retrofit?
Retrofit refers to the practice of modernize or modify existing equipment or installations in order to make them more efficient or compliant with new standards. This technique is often used in the automotive industry, where internal combustion engine vehicles are converted to run on electricity, thereby reducing their carbon footprint and extending their useful life. Retrofit can also be applied in the field of real estate, where old buildings are renovated with modern technologies to improve their energy efficiency. In our case, it amounts to adapting a gas power plant into a hydrogen power plant.
Reduced costs and accelerated deployment
Peter Kutne, head of the gas turbine department at DLR, highlights the economic and time advantages of this technology. While the construction of a new 15 megawatt plant costs around 30 million euros and takes six years, the retrofit of an existing installation only takes 18 months and costs ten times less.
Adapting to hydrogen challenges
Burning hydrogen in a gas turbine presents some complications, particularly because of the higher combustion temperature of hydrogen compared to natural gas, which could damage the turbines' combustion chambers. To overcome this handicap, engineers designed a burner optimized for hydrogencapable of stabilizing the flame and reducing nitrogen monoxide emissions.
Diversified applications
THE retrofitted micro-turbines are ideal for a variety of applications, such as emergency supply for hospitals, heating in hotels and swimming pools, as well as for industrial installations such as breweries or sewage treatment plants using residual methane.
Trials and future perspectives
The H2 retrofit project was successfully tested in a pilot installation at Lampoldshausenusing pure hydrogen for approximately 100 hours. These tests confirmed the viability of the system outside of the laboratory environment, providing a full operating range from partial load to full load.
Environmental and regulatory impacts
The introduction of this technology could play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a hydrogen economy. It also raises regulatory questions and requires adaptations to current standards for broader integration.
India puts an end to 20 years of mockery over its nuclear project and achieves the unthinkable with the launch of this new type of reactor
This article explores the revolutionary development of micro-turbine retrofit technology, enabling the use of hydrogen and natural gas. This innovation offers a promising solution for the energy transition, reducing costs and accelerating the deployment of cleaner energy sources.
Sources :
- https://learnandconnect.pollutec.com/guide-hydrogene-vert/la-place-hydrogene-vert-europe/
- https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2024/retrofit-for-commercial-micro-gas-turbines-successfully-tested
