The role Nuclear will play in Hydrogen

Hydrogen Firing for Gas Fired Generation

• Richard Gasaway, Manager of Hydrogen, PV and Microgrid Technologies, Kiewit Engineering Group, Inc.

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas generation through May of 2021 decreased 7 percent from the same period in 2020. Given that in a period when overall generation increased by over 6 percent compared to the same period in 2020, this represents almost a 14 percent swing in gas fired generation from a year ago. It is clear that renewables are becoming a greater percentage of the US energy portfolio. As a result, owners of gas generation will need to explore new ways to become a more relevant part of the new energy market. One option receiving a fair amount of evaluation in the industry is hydrogen firing.
This presentation will explore options for burning hydrogen in combustion turbine applications. This includes evaluating alternative use cases, delivery vs. storage options, potential site specific issues that can affect costs associated with firing hydrogen, rough order of magnitude costs, potential design issues, the state of OEM progress in firing capability, and areas that will likely require further advancement for hydrogen firing to be economical. In addition, Kiewit will discuss the general results of early design activities.

CHP Hydrogen Capabilities

The Balance-of-Plant Impacts of Hydrogen Cofiring in Gas Turbines

• Marc Prasse, Mechanical Engineer, Sargent & Lundy

Gas-powered electric generating units (EGU) provide key flexibility and stability to the electrical grid and are likely to continue playing a significant role in peaking power generation and grid stabilization as decarbonization progresses. Given the ambitious goals for the power sector to have net zero carbon emissions by 2035, however, these assets must find ways to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining flexible and reliable operation. The cofiring of hydrogen in gas turbines (GT) presents an opportunity to decarbonize without significant impacts to turbine operation. While some GTs can already burn 100% hydrogen, not all existing gas turbines are currently capable of cofiring significant amounts of hydrogen. However, many existing GTs and most new units can accommodate at least 30% hydrogen cofiring now with greater capabilities planned for the future of up to 100%. While OEMs are focusing on the challenge of expanding hydrogen cofiring capabilities for the turbines themselves, there remain several balance-of-plant (BOP) impacts that must be addressed by others. Whether hydrogen is to be produced and stored on site or delivered to site via tube trailers or pipelines, many considerations need to be evaluated. Several modifications to piping systems, water systems, emissions control and monitoring systems, safety systems, and more may be required to enable the cofiring of hydrogen. As the percentage of hydrogen cofiring increases, further modifications can be necessary. This presentation will cover the BOP related topics that a gas-powered EGU should consider in order to enable safe and reliable hydrogen cofiring.

Green Hydrogen Project

Green Hydrogen: Enabling Cross Sector Pathways to Decarbonization

The rapid expansion of renewable electric generation capacity, and the retirement of coal and uncompetitive nuclear power stations, is creating electricity market volatility - dramatic time-of-day and seasonal swings in electric power rates. The dynamically evolving decentralized power generation market, combined with a lack of widespread commercial electrical storage capacity, is creating supply/demand mismatches that enable flexible electricity-using technologies to arbitrage value differentials. Advanced large-scale electrolysers offer the capability to utilize an electric generation plant's curtailed or undervalued power to make hydrogen at highly attractive costs. Electrolysers enable utility companies to store low or zero value electricity in the form of hydrogen, often referred to as "power-to-gas". In times of peak demand, the stored hydrogen can be used to generate clean electricity using fuel cells or gas turbine generators to meet demand without relying on added fossil plant generators. Hydrogen gas can be stored in tanks or injected directly into a natural gas grid to achieve the necessary storage capacity. Coupling hydrogen production with natural gas infrastructure could provide the necessary scale for utilities because natural gas grids can store vast amounts of fuel gas. Nel Hydrogen is a true market and commercialization leader in electrolysis technology, with a 90+ year history of providing reliable and safe hydrogen generation solutions for the industrial and power generation markets. Nel Hydrogen pioneered grid scale electrolysis, and it is rapidly gaining acceptance for emerging energy applications such as grid services and long duration shifting of energy resources. This presentation will discuss the commercial readiness of grid scale electrolysers, and the potential use cases for hydrogen in the power-to-gas market sector.

Negative Emissions Hydrogen to Achieve NetZero

Revolutionizing the Energy World with Breakthrough Hydrogen Science

Hydrogen is potentially a carbon-free fuel and can be a valuable energy storage solution. Unfortunately, the two industrial methods to produce it, steam reformation of methane and electrolysis, are more energy-intensive than the hydrogen they create.
Q Hydrogen has now transformed the economic landscape and developed a solution that is significantly less energy-intensive. It employs "waveform discs," machined plates with special metallurgy and the innovative heart of a dynamic turbine for creating Hydrogen.
Over 25 years ago, Whitaker Irvin, Sr. began the search for a solution to produce affordable green energy. About ten years ago, Q Hydrogen started developing the production unit at its Utah testing facility. A real-world, economically competitive demonstration facility for the technology is nearing completion in Groveton, New Hampshire, in the former power plant that previously ran a paper mill from 1891 to 2007. New Hampshire's deregulated energy market and hospitable political and regulatory environment made it the perfect fit.
When Q Hydrogen's New Hampshire facility is complete, hydrogen produced from up to 300K gallons of water daily from the nearby Upper Ammonoosuc River will power modified reciprocating engines to produce electricity. The process does not involve a heat reaction, and all required power will come from an existing, nearby hydroelectric dam.
Q Hydrogen's commercial implementation in New Hampshire will be the world's first power plant fueled by clean, economical Q Hydrogen. This presentation will discuss how Q Hydrogen's technology will be used to produce clean, affordable energy and provide a sneak peek regarding what is to come for the imminent hydrogen economy.

"Grey to Blue: Keys to Applying Carbon Capture Technology to Large-Scale Hydrogen Production"

• Marc Prasse, Mechanical Engineer, Sargent & Lundy

The demand for hydrogen is already well-established for use cases such as hydrocarbon refining, ammonia production, and methanol production and is poised to increase dramatically in the future as more end uses become economically viable. Today's hydrogen supply is dominated by production technologies like steam methane reforming (SMR), autothermal reforming (ATR), and the gasification of fossil fuels and/or waste. These technologies are capable of producing large quantities of hydrogen at low costs, but all emit carbon dioxide as a byproduct. In order to develop a decarbonized hydrogen economy quickly and effectively as "green" production assets scale up in the coming decades, these "grey" hydrogen production assets can be coupled with carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) infrastructure to become "blue".
There are several proven technologies of carbon capture that can present cost-effective ways to provide low carbon blue hydrogen to the economy in the near term while carbon-free hydrogen technologies scale up and bring prices down. This presentation will provide an overview of current and developing CCUS technologies and how they can be applied to grey hydrogen production assets. The presentation will cover the key considerations for integrating these technologies into existing facilities, including balance of plant considerations, as well as utilization and storage of carbon dioxide from the capture processes. Finally, the presentation will discuss the role of financial incentives and regulations for CCUS in advancing the deployment of blue hydrogen.

Carbon Capture Technologies for Power, Industry, and Hydrogen Production

Hydrogen Transportation Areas of Interest

Mr. Weeks will discuss some of the issues surrounding the transportation of hydrogen via pipelines. Power-to-gas, hydrogen embrittlement, and hydrogen blending in the natural gas pipeline network are topics that will be addressed in this session.