Use of Hydrogen as an alternative Source of Power for Industrial Plants

Large scale development of hydrogen production is currently hindered by the absence of costeffective production technology and competition with other energy storage options.

Nevertheless, hydrogen has the advantage over alternate storage technologies that it can serve as a long-duration energy storage medium or as a replacement for natural gas in industrial applications. Some European countries have implemented carbon taxation policies accelerating the shift toward low-emission industrial processes. Their energy markets can experience significant price volatility making the development of a hydrogen economy beneficial.

In many regions in Western Europe, available headroom in substations for demand connections has reduced, due to competition for grid capacity. As a result, new industrial plants sometimes find themselves contending for limited grid access. These facilities are seeking to power their operations with green energy, aligning with broader sustainability goals and regulatory requirements. Consequently, with limited access to renewable energy sources via public networks, the use of green hydrogen for standby or main power production is emerging as a viable alternative.

The project discussed in this paper includes a facility where the timeline for a grid connection does not align with the planned start of operations. To mitigate this risk, the project team is exploring alternative power supply solutions for use before a permanent grid connection is established. A hydrogen distribution network is available to the site, and one option is to install a local facility for power production using gas turbine generators fuelled by 100% hydrogen gas. These could serve as both a standby and main power source, enabling the facility to reduce demand on the public network in normal operation and to operate independently in island mode if necessary. The technical aspects and the spatial requirements of the proposed hydrogen-based gas turbine generators are also discussed. The authors will discuss options for the continued use of the gas turbine generators, once the grid connection becomes available and acts as the primary source of power.

Due to the scale of the site and the anticipated power demand, the design includes multiple hydrogen fuelled gas turbine units. This modular approach allows for flexible operation and provides redundancy, ensuring that the facility has a reliable independent source of low carbon power.

Although hydrogen gas turbines are not a new technology, they have not been widely used, with natural gas and liquid fuels favoured. Use of hydrogen as a gas turbine fuel offers a pathway for reducing greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining the operational flexibility typical of gas turbine technology.