Green hydrogen is often proposed as a climate-friendly alternative to natural gas for energy production. However, a green hydrogen economy is not yet in place and may take years to develop, if it happens at all. To sustain small natural gas power plants ahead of a hydrogen economy, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and power-plant service provider Power Service Consulting (PSC) have tested micro-turbines capable of burning hydrogen, natural gas, or both.
Peter Kutne, head of the Gas Turbines Department at the DLR Institute of Combustion Technology, highlighted the advantages of retrofitting gas turbines for hydrogen use to reduce emissions. He noted that building a new 15-megawatt gas turbine power plant takes about six years and costs $31 million (€30 million). In contrast, retrofitting an existing plant takes just 1.5 years and costs roughly a tenth of that amount.
Moreover, the two organizations have achieved what is claimed to be …