Govt scales up tests on blending hydrogen with natural gas for power generation

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State-run NTPC Ltd, India’s largest power-generating utility, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Siemens Ltd on October 12 to test the feasibility of hydrogen co-firing blended with natural gas at its 432 MW power plant in Haryana’s Faridabad.

This is the second MoU signed by NTPC in less than a week for testing such a process and technology, which is aimed at decarbonising power generation in India. On October 6, NTPC Ltd and GE Gas Power signed a similar MoU to check the feasibility of hydrogen (H2) co-firing blended with natural gas in GE’s 9E gas turbines installed at NTPC’s Kawas combined-cycle gas power plant in Gujarat.

Experts said these pilot projects, if scaled up further, could act as a “good transitory phase” as the country gradually warms up toward the national green hydrogen mission. Green hydrogen is produced using renewable energy through electrolysis. The Ministry of Power notified the first part of the National Hydrogen Mission policy on green hydrogen and green ammonia on February 17.

The move assumes significance as the Union Cabinet, on August 3, approved India’s updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The country has committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45 percent by 2030 from 2005 levels and achieving about 50 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030. India last submitted its NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2015.

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“The total installed capacity of our Faridabad gas power plant is 432 megawatt (MW). The hydrogen blending will be done with two V94.2 gas turbines of Siemens Ltd operating in combined cycle mode. Under this MoU, both the companies will collaborate to study the feasibility of introducing hydrogen co-firing in Faridabad gas power plant. Based on the feasibility studies, a pilot project for 5 percent (by volume) hydrogen co-firing may be implemented for demonstrating the capability and the hydrogen required for the project shall be arranged by NTPC,” the power ministry said in a statement.

Manish Kumar Srivastava, Executive Director, NTPC said hydrogen co-firing can help in utilising the existing NTPC gas assets, lowering the cost of electricity from gas plants when green hydrogen is available at a lower cost. “Also, these gas turbines can help in providing flexibility to the grid during the renewable era and help in stabilising the grid. NTPC is pioneering various hydrogen-related initiatives and is carrying out various R&D works in this field so as to bring in a technology which can provide green, affordable, reliable and sustainable power for all. This MoU is one of the few steps taken by NTPC to meet these targets. Expertise in this technology will help us meet our objectives under the National Hydrogen Mission,” he said.

RK Malhotra, president of Hydrogen Association of India (HAI) welcomed the move and said the government should test more alternatives to using green hydrogen. “Finding alternatives to use green hydrogen is very important. Everything from coal gasification technology which China is doing in a big way should be tried. Similarly, biomass gasification should also be pushed. It is good that the government has recognised this and is tapping on blending hydrogen with natural gas,” he said.

Krishnakumar, who leads the GE Gas Power Customer Application Engineering team for Asia Pacific, said gas-based power plants can play a good transitory role in the move towards green hydrogen.