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Norwegian Researchers Have Developed A Technology Capable Of Powering Gas Turbines With Hydrogen
The University of Stavanger, in Norway, operates a mini gas plant that could revolutionize the sector. Researchers are working on a pure hydrogen gas turbine. The equipment can produce heat and electricity for the entire complex without emitting carbon dioxide (CO2).
In a recent statement, researchers from the university announced that they successfully developed a method that uses pure hydrogen as fuel for gas turbines.
What Is A Gas Turbine?
Like gasoline and diesel engines, a gas turbine is an internal combustion engine, operating with a cycle of intake, compression, combustion, expansion, and exhaust. The biggest difference is that a gas turbine operates circularly, while combustion engines operate with a back-and-forth motion.
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Brazilian scientists are simultaneously advancing two research projects on clean hydrogen and driving solutions that could transform the energy matrix, enhance industrial competitiveness, and accelerate large-scale emission reduction targets.
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Advancement in renewable energy: A R$ 150 million project launched by Petrobras and Finep aims to create state-of-the-art electrolyzers for green hydrogen, strengthening national research and preparing Brazil to compete in a billion-dollar energy market.
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Illiterate or semi-literate grandmothers were trained to repair solar systems, open rural workshops, and light up homes that still depended on kerosene.
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The world has bet on green hydrogen as the fuel of the future, but now faces the side effect: producing 1 kilogram requires about 9 liters of ultrapure water, and the largest projects on the planet are precisely in the driest regions of the Earth, where water is already scarce for people.
After much study and testing, the research team achieved their goal in May of this year, when they managed to operate a gas turbine with 100% hydrogen. They reached the goal of producing energy while emitting 0 carbon dioxide (CO2) at the end of the process.
Professor Mohsen Assadi, who leads the research team, highlighted that the researchers’ achievement was unprecedented in the world: “We set a world record in hydrogen combustion in micro gas turbines. No one has been able to produce at this level before,” said the professor. Assadi also noted that the hydrogen-powered turbine will be less efficient.
“The efficiency of operating the gas turbine with hydrogen will be slightly lower. The great gain, however, is being able to utilize the existing infrastructure. Additionally, there are no CO2 emissions associated with this energy production,” the professor added.
Where Does Hydrogen Come From?
It is undeniable that hydrogen is one of the cleanest energy sources in the world. However, a large portion of the hydrogen that exists today is derived from or heavily dependent on fossil fuels. A report from the U.S. Department of Energy showed that 95% of all hydrogen produced in the country comes from natural gas plants. Because of this, hydrogen production generates a significant amount of greenhouse gases.
Green hydrogen is an investment from industry experts to accelerate the reduction of the carbon footprint of crucial economic activities, such as transportation. Green hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis of water, splitting the hydrogen atoms from oxygen.
