The construction engineering firm on Tuesday (31st May) said it has join forces with Wärtsilä, WEC Energy Group and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to implement the tech, which could see carbon neutrality achieved at the site by 2050.
Believed to be one of the first cases where hydrogen is tested for use to reduce the carbon footprint of an existing gas-fuelled power plant delivered by Wärtsilä, the project will see the 55MW plant run on up to 25% hydrogen mixed with natural gas.
gasworld believes the engines can be operated with higher volumes of hydrogen, however, the above trial will be limited to the 25% blends.
Jon Rodriguez, Director of Engine Power Plants at Wärtsilä North America, said, “These hydrogen tests reinforce the viability of the internal combustion engine as a future-proof technology that plays a key role in decarbonising the power industry.”
“We have long had a focus on creating solutions that enable zero-carbon power generation and are excited to begin this hydrogen testing project in the US as a natural next step in developing our products to meet customer needs for a decarbonised future.”
“Our engines already have the flexibility for both balancing the input of renewables into the power system, and baseload generation with a continuously increasing range of fuels.”