Two Canadian companies are looking to construct a new gas turbine power plant that could be powered by blends of low-carbon hydrogen produced from an electrified steam methane reforming (SMR) process.
Nu:ionic Technologies and HybriGenix Futures have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a demonstration project integrating 100MW of gas turbine power generation with Nu:ionic’s hydrogen production technology.
Initially set to install two 25MW hydrogen-ready power generation units, the 146-acre site near Edmonton, Alberta, will also host a 1,200kg per day hydrogen production using the Smart Methane Reforming (Nu-X SMR) technology.
Nu:ionic’s Nu-X Smart Reforming technology follows a similar principle to traditional SMR. However, the company says the units eliminates combustion in the reformer, “avoiding and reducing” emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2), NOx, SOx and uncombusted fuel by up to 90% compared to conventional SMR.
The company claims the use of electricity not only reduces natural gas, biogas or methanol feedstocks by up to 40%, but also consumes four times less electricity than electrolysis.
Hydrogen produced by the unit planned for installation in Alberta would then be blended with natural gas – initially up to 8% – for use in HybriGenix’s gas turbine.
With wider ambitions to increase hydrogen production capacity at the project to 96 tonnes per day, with the goal of firing the turbines with 100% hydrogen.
The firms hope that the project will serve as a “proof-of-concept” for flexible, clean power plants to balance intermittent electrical grids.
Expressing his excitement for the project, Jan Boshoff, CEO of Nu:ionic, said the project could, “revolutionise how we value the vast fleet of gas turbine drivers so essential to the power and midstream energy sources in a decarbonised energy future.”
“This partnership with Nu:ionic represents a significant step forward in our mission to decarbonise small and medium-sized gas turbines,” added Hossein Shokouhi, Energy Transition Manager at HybiGenix.
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