he global energy landscape is

undergoing signicant chang-

es, characterised by increasing

complexity and volatility. Factors

such as disruptions in supply chains,

inationary pressures, and global

economic turmoil have posed threats

to energy security and affordability.

Additionally, the escalating global

temperature and the rise in natural

disasters across the planet are press-

ing challenges our society urgently

needs to address. Consequently, there

is a need to accelerate decarbonisa-

tion efforts in line with the 2030 tar-

gets and the goal of net zero emis-

sions by 2050.

All of this must be done while en-

suring the security of energy supply

and promoting energy equity. Vari-

ous decarbonisation technologies and

solutions are under consideration,

each with its unique advantages and

drawbacks. It is therefore crucial to

thoroughly explore future scenarios

and pathways in a system approach

to dene a portfolio of technologies

and solutions that can be tailored to

overcome the complexity of the ener-

gy trilemma.

Increasing the share of renewable

energy is the main pathway for de-

carbonising the energy grid. Recent-

ly, the European Parliament voted in

favour of raising the share of renew-

ables in the EU’s nal energy con-

sumption to 42.5 per cent by 2030.

But considering the intermittent na-

ture of renewables such as wind and

solar, integrating reliable and dis-

patchable power and heat technolo-

gies becomes imperative.

The dispatchability and adaptability

to use carbon-free fuels make gas

turbines an essential technology in

decarbonisation strategies. Gas tur-

bines already offer high efciency,

reliability, operational exibility,

well-established low-emission cre-

dentials, and the capability to use hy-

drogen fuel blends. These attributes

offer important decarbonisation op-

portunities in the energy transition,

and a clear path towards a dispatch-

able zero-carbon technology suited

for a wide variety of applications

along with the opportunity of addi-

tional efciency increases through

sector coupling. As such, continuous

research and innovation efforts in the

gas turbine sector are of paramount

importance to exploit the full capa-

bilities and potential contributions of

turbomachinery technologies in the

energy transition and beyond.

The ability to utilise hydrogen/

methane blends today and the pros-

pect of using 100 per cent hydrogen

and even carbon-negative fuels with-

in the next decade have reshaped the

industry. For this purpose, new com-

bustion techniques are under devel-

opment, e.g., staged combustion and

micro-mix combustion. These com-

bustion techniques require signicant

changes in the architecture of the gas

turbine combustion system, and thus

need major R&D steps before they

can be considered in commercial gas

turbine products.

Impressive achievements are al-

ready underway, and several full-

scale R&D projects are ongoing to

demonstrate 100 per cent hydrogen

combustion. This evolution not only

aligns with carbon reduction goals

but also addresses the critical need

for energy storage as variable renew-

able energy sources expand.

The European Commission’s com-

mitment through the European RE-

PowerEU programme to make 20

million tonnes of renewable hydro-

gen available by 2030, is ambitious

and holds great potential to kick-start

the development of a hydrogen econ-

omy also for power generation.

Other alternative fuels that are

close in composition and properties

to natural gas, such as biofuels/meth-

ane and Synthetic Natural Gas

(SNG), are also expected to play a

key role. These fuels can be derived

from sources like waste biomass, or

synthesised using surplus renewable

energy. The use of biodiesel and bio-

gas has been fully demonstrated in a

wide range of gas turbine engines

and the development of fuel systems

is ongoing to improve fuel exibility

even further. Ammonia is another

carbon-free alternative gaining

prominence, serving as both an inter-

mediate vector for hydrogen trans-

port and a potential fuel for gas tur-

bines. However, to use ammonia as a

gas turbine fuel requires major

changes to the fuel and combustion

system due to the lower heating val-

ue, ame speed and higher nitrogen

content. Constant and promising

progress is being reported also on

this challenge.

Carbon capture, utilisation and

storage (CCUS) solutions are also a

decarbonisation pathway of impor-

tance, especially for industries strug-

gling with “hard-to-abate” emissions,

which require additional demonstra-

tions. Following successful feasibili-

ty studies, the UK and US are ad-

vancing in the Front-End

Engineering Design (FEED) phase.

During this stage, engineering de-

signs for power stations capable of

capturing approximately 95 per cent

of carbon dioxide emissions are be-

ing developed, with the aim of

achieving commercial deployment

by 2030.

By using dispatchable gas turbine-

based power generation operating on

carbon-neutral or decarbonised fuels,

coupled with existing gas infrastruc-

ture and seasonal energy storage so-

lutions, the required electricity sup-

ply and grid stability can effectively

be guaranteed in a sustainable way.

This integrated approach paves the

way for the seamless large-scale inte-

gration of intermittent renewable en-

ergy sources.

To fully explore this pathway, in-

creasing the operational exibility

with improved ramp rates and en-

hanced load-following capabilities

becomes crucial, particularly with in-

creased efciency at part-load.

Integration of energy storage solu-

tions in thermal power plants is an-

other way to increase ramp capabili-

ties and allow operation at nominal

maximum and minimum loads while

maintaining the possibility of provid-

ing ancillary grid services. There are

many different schemes that might

be integrated, including thermal en-

ergy storage, compressed air energy

storage, liquied air energy storage,

batteries, or power-to-X-to-power

schemes.

Such an integrated system would

further improve exible plant opera-

tion in peaking mode, increase ramp

rate/frequency response and mini-

mise complete machine shutdown,

therefore potentially reducing me-

chanical fatigue. The hybridisation

with batteries could provide another

advantageous opportunity by replac-

ing traditional black-start engines

with electric motors. Hydrogen, sup-

plements batteries allowing for ex-

tended storage ranging from days to

seasons, making it an ideal comple-

ment to intermittent renewables.

R&D efforts are also required to

enhance the exibility of entire pow-

er plants, including the bottoming

cycle. In this regard, emerging tech-

nologies such as Organic Rankine

Cycles and CO

-based cycles with

various cycle congurations, aim to

replace the classical water-steam bot-

toming cycle. Testing of subcompo-

nents is currently ongoing.

Micro and small gas turbines are

gaining prominence in decentralised

energy systems, offering the ability

to stabilise low- and mid-voltage

power grids while reducing the bur-

den on high-voltage networks. In de-

centralised systems, there is no need

for long-distance energy transporta-

tion, as they are using local biomass,

renewable energy sources, and local-

ly generated hydrogen. Implement-

ing gas turbines in combined heat

and power applications can effective-

ly lower primary energy consump-

tion, covering both the electricity and

the heating demand.

While gas turbines ranging from 2

MW to 20 MW are well-established

in industrial settings, micro gas tur-

bine (MGT) technology, typically

operating within the range of 1 kW

to 1 MW and employing the recuper-

ated Brayton cycle, holds promise

for decentralised power generation

among smaller consumers. Commer-

cial MGTs feature mid-low power-

to-heat ratios, making them optimal

for heat-driven cogeneration applica-

tions. Considering the ongoing elec-

trication trend and the growing de-

mand for decentralised solutions,

future MGTs will also need to demon-

strate higher efciency in electricity-

driven applications.

There is a growing need to explore

the potential of digitalisation, auto-

mation and analytics to enhance the

reliability and optimisation of power

plant operation and maintenance.

Lifetime assessment and extension of

critical components to control and

mitigate potential effects of increas-

ing starts and stops, cyclic behaviour

and the use of alternative fuels are

becoming increasingly important.

To further mitigate the risk of mate-

rial and component fatigue a focus

on design developments is essential.

Particularly in areas such as ow

path optimisation, advanced material

selection, and expanded repair op-

tions. Furthermore, optimising oper-

ations through increased accurate

measurements not only reduces fuel

consumption but also lowers CO

emissions. While these technologies

are already available, there is a clear

need and opportunities for ongoing

improvements.

Emerging additive manufacturing

techniques, such as laser metal depo-

sition have opened new possibilities

for designing complex 3D burners

and combustors. Other 3D printing

techniques and new high-tempera-

ture materials are also being explored

by OEMs, suppliers and operators

for the manufacturing and repair of

parts. These efforts aim to reduce

costs and achieve unique material

compositions or structures that are

otherwise unattainable through con-

ventional ‘subtractive’ manufactur-

ing methods. Additionally, the identi-

cation and validation of high-

temperature alloys using the laser

powder bed fusion (LPBF) process

are essential steps needed for addi-

tive manufacturing of turbine blades.

As global energy markets continue

their transformation, gas turbine

technology retains its central role, of-

fering adaptability, versatility, and

decarbonisation potential, critical to

building a resilient and sustainable

energy system. To expedite this ad-

aptation, it is imperative to foster an

informed and coordinated voice

within the gas turbine user communi-

ty, guiding and stimulating market

demand.

To progress towards this, ETN

Global, a leading international asso-

ciation representing the entire gas

turbine value chain, features dedicat-

ed technical Working Groups, led by

a Project Board that considers input

from the gas turbine user community

and aligns with policy targets. The

outcomes are common cooperation

activities like projects, standardisa-

tion, and reports detailing the R&D

described and technology roadmaps.

ETN Global plays a pivotal role as

a platform for collaboration among

the gas turbine users, the research

and development community, and

technology providers. A key outcome

is the identication of a portfolio of

solutions, including the most promis-

ing development pathways for di-

verse markets, applications, and geo-

graphical locations. Ultimately accel-

erating the technology transition

through a more focused approach.

The R&D report will be made pub-

licly available on ETN’s website

www.etn.global after the Internation-

al Gas Turbine Conference 10-11

October 2023.

Gas turbines will

play a pivotal role

in the ongoing

energy transition.

A recent milestone

was reached in

the collective effort

required to realise

the vision of a

decarbonised energy

system, with the

publication of ETN

Global’s report on

the latest research

and development

in the sector. ETN’s

Christer Björkqvist

discusses some of

this R&D work as

well as pathways for

the use of gas turbine

systems for power

generation and

mechanical drive.

R&D pathways for dispatchable net

zero power and heat solutions

THE ENERGY INDUSTRY TIMES - OCTOBER 2023

Energy Outlook

Björkqvist: It is imperative

to foster an informed and

coordinated voice within the

gas turbine user community