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Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE) and H2U, Australia’s leading Hydrogen infrastructure developer, yesterday announced a collaboration to apply NovaLT gas turbine generators capable of operating on 100% hydrogen for the Port Lincoln Project, a green hydrogen power plant facility.

The unit will be based on BHGE’s highly successful NovaLT range of gas turbines.

H2U also announced BHGE is selected as the preferred supplier for hydrogen-based power generation at its Green H2/NH3 Supply-chain demonstrator in Port Lincoln, South Australia, which will integrate theNovaLT16 unit configured for 100% hydrogen-fired operation.

“One of the reasons for selecting the NovaLT range is BHGE’s proven capability in gas turbines and understanding of the hydrogen fuel issues along with the robustness and operational flexibility of the NovaLT product platform,” the CEO of H2U, Dr. Attilio Pigneri, said yesterday.

“The NovaLT platform’s best-in-class efficiency and operating performance make it ideally suited to the intended operating profile for our Port Lincoln project.”

Pigneri said the annular combustor design and dual-shaft configuration will enable the unit to deliver a best-in-class black-start capability while still operating on 100% hydrogen.

"We are impressed by the operating flexibility of the platform and its ability to operate at a low to no-load capacity, then ramp-up very quickly to full load” he said.

“This means we can use the units to support critical loads within the Port Lincoln facility, while also contributing generation to the grid during periods of low wind or solar output.

“The hydrogen is also produced by the electrolysis plant on site, so we have a truly self-contained solution to firming renewable energy supply within the South Australia grid."

BHGE and H2U will collaborate on the development of the NovaLT range for its integration in the first green hydrogen power plant of Port Lincoln.

The CTO of turbomachinery process and solutions at BHGE, Luca Maria Rossi, said the collaboration with H2U is aimed at ensuring the NOx emissions of a 100% Hydrogen fired turbine can be managed within applicable limits.

“Building on our previous experience with hydrogen fuelled generation in the Fusina project, we can deliver the same world-leading capabilities and the design features of the NovaLT platform while operating on 100% hydrogen," Rossi said.

“As the cost of renewable energy continues to decrease globally, Hydrogen is the perfect energy vector to time-shift renewable electricity generation to meet demand.

“South Australia is at the forefront of both renewable generation and hydrogen infrastructure developments and we are very pleased to be able to work with H2U to showcase our products in this important market."

Dr Pigneri said the cost of Hydrogen generated from electrolysis using cheap renewable energy from wind and solar is now comparable with the cost of natural gas in South Australia.

“The South Australian Renewable Hydrogen and ammonia Supply Chain Demonstrator at Port Lincoln is leading the Australian charge to a 100% Renewable Hydrogen Economy with strong export potential," he said.

The Port Lincoln project, announced by H2U in February 2018 is one of 21 projects to receive funding from the South Australian Government’s Renewable Technology Fund, designed to accelerate investment in the next generation of renewable technologies.

The project received $4.7 million in grants and $7.5 million in loans.