BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22. Hydrogen and ammonia are set to ensure a significant capacity hike in the power sector, says the International Energy Agency (IEA), Trend reports.
Hydrogen, once a negligible contributor to the power sector, is now undergoing a transformation, accounting for less than 0.2 percent of the worldwide electricity generation mix. This marginal presence is primarily attributed to the use of mixed gases containing hydrogen sourced from steel production, refineries, or petrochemical plants rather than pure hydrogen.
However, the current landscape reveals that commercially available technologies enable the utilization of pure hydrogen for electricity generation. Various designs of fuel cells, internal combustion engines (ICE), and gas turbines are equipped to run on hydrogen-rich gases or even pure hydrogen. Additionally, the adoption of hydrogen in the form of ammonia emerges as a viable alternative for electricity generation. Successful trials in Japan and China have demonstrated the co-firing of ammonia in coal-fired power plants, while ammonia holds the potential to serve as fuel for gas turbines. In a significant milestone in 2022, a 2 MW gas turbine in Japan successfully operated on 100% ammonia, with ongoing endeavors to develop a 40 MW turbine optimized for pure ammonia usage. Despite their capacity to reduce CO2 emissions in power generation, concerns persist regarding nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions associated with hydrogen and ammonia utilization.
Projections indicate that announced projects integrating hydrogen and ammonia into the power sector could culminate in an installed capacity of 5,800 megawatts (MW) by 2030. This represents a remarkable 65 percent increase compared to the corresponding capacity outlined in the Global Hydrogen Review 2022 (GHR 2022). A significant majority of these projects, approximately 70 percent, are aligned with hydrogen deployment in open-cycle or combined-cycle gas turbines, while hydrogen utilization in fuel cells accounts for 10 percent, and co-firing of ammonia in coal-fired power plants contributes to 3 percent of the capacity within announced projects.
Geographically, these ventures are primarily concentrated in the Asia-Pacific region, constituting 39 percent of the total, followed closely by Europe at 36 percent, and North America at 25 percent. The global shift toward hydrogen and ammonia in power generation signifies a substantial stride toward sustainable and diversified electricity production methods, promising reduced carbon emissions while addressing critical environmental concerns.
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