Georgia Power and Mitsubishi Power have successfully completed a second trial blending hydrogen and natural gas fuels at both partial and full load on an M501GAC natural gas turbine at Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough-Atkinson in Smyrna, Georgia.
The demonstration project is the first to confirm 50% hydrogen fuel blending on an advanced class gas turbine. The 50% blend provided a 22% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to 100% natural gas.
Several tests were conducted prior to the 50% blend demonstration including multiple blend percentages that ranged from 5% to 50%, and testing occurred across several weeks in May and June.
Last year, the existing gas turbine was converted from steam-cooled to air-cooled, which includes J series combustion technology with proven high hydrogen co-firing capability.
The conversion provides the benefits of faster startup times, increased turn down capability and decreased maintenance expenses, while also supporting the ability for this successful landmark hydrogen blend testing.
Georgia Power, the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company, collaborated with Mitsubishi Power for testing. The company has reduced its carbon emissions by over 60% since 2007.
This test follows the first 20% by volume hydrogen blending test at Plant McDonough-Atkinson completed in 2022.
The Plant McDonough-Atkinson facility, less than 10 miles from downtown Atlanta, was converted to natural gas in 2012. It operates with six advanced, large-capacity M501G and M501GAC series gas turbines and three steam turbines running in three blocks of 2-on-1 combined-cycle configuration and two gas/oil fueled combustion turbines.
“Natural gas serves a critical role in our generation mix, providing flexibility, baseload power and quick response to customer demand, and will continue to be an important fuel as we plan to meet the energy needs of a growing Georgia through a diverse portfolio of generation resources,” said Rick Anderson, senior vice president and senior production officer for Georgia Power.
Mitsubishi Power completed the hydrogen blending on one M501GAC gas turbine unit, with an approximate one-on-one output of 283 MW. It provided turnkey service for the project including engineering, planning, hydrogen blending hardware, controls, commissioning and risk management. Mitsubishi Power partnered with Certarus to source and manage the hydrogen supply and logistics.
