NTPC , India’s largest power generating utility, and GE Gas Power have signed an MOU to demonstrate the feasibility for hydrogen co-firing blended with natural gas in GE’s 9E gas turbines installed at NTPC’s Kawas CCGT plant in Gujarat.
Under the terms of the MOU, the two companies will jointly explore the pathways to reduce CO2 emissions from Kawas gas power plant and further implementation at scale across NTPC’s installed units in India.
Kawas gas power plant is powered by four GE 9E gas turbines operating in combined cycle mode and it has a total installed capacity of 645 MW. GE’s E-class gas turbine portfolio has the capability to operate on blends of hydrogen and natural gas, up to 100 per cent hydrogen. This capability varies depending on the type of combustion system installed in the gas turbine. For fuels with over 5 per cent hydrogen by volume, gas turbine accessories need to be evaluated and possibly modified to reliably deliver the fuel to the combustors.
GE Gas Power will evaluate the possible modifications required to the gas turbine unit and auxiliaries to blend hydrogen with natural gas. Thereafter, a pilot project for 5 per cent co-firing of hydrogen may be implemented at Kawas based on the feasibility report.