Uniper and GE sign cooperation agreement to decarbonise gas plants

• 3 years ago (2020-07-22)
• David Flin

Europe 1061 Gas 371

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Uniper and GE have signed an agreement for long-term collaboration on decarbonisation of Uniper’s gas-fired power plants and natural gas storage facilities. GE’s Gas Power business and Uniper will evaluate and develop technology options for decarbonisation of the Uniper fleet. This is GE’s first fleet-wide decarbonisation programme with a major power provider.

This agreement aims to produce a detailed decarbonisation roadmap by early 2021 by a joint working group made up from both GE and Uniper. The roadmap will assess potential upgrades and R&D programmes needed to drive decarbonisation, including increasing use of hydrogen in GE gas turbines and compressors in Uniper’s power plants and gas storage facilities across Europe.

GE and Uniper have a long relationship, and Uniper has been the first to adopt many of GE’s new technologies, including the Uniper power stations of Grain, Connah’s Quay, or Enfield in the UK, or the Uniper gas storage facilities in Germany like Etzel or Epe. Uniper has over 4 GW of power installed across Europe, providing the opportunity for a holistic decarbonisation assessment across a variety of technologies.

Techniques that may be used include the use of hydrogen as a gas turbine fuel, the development of advanced combustion technologies, and carbon capture systems.

Uniper set itself the strategic goal as the start of the year to achieve climate-neutrality in its European generation business by 2035.