SECOND EDITION: ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT CAPABILITIES AND NEAR-TERM AVAILABILITY OF HYDROGEN-FIRED GAS TURBINES CONSIDERING A LOW-CARBON FUTURE

Gas turbines continue to play a vital role in the global push for decarbonization, both for near-term reductions as coal phases out for natural gas operation and long-term transitions to carbon-free fuels. While decarbonization presents a threat to traditional combustion-based power generation, it offers an opportunity for a renewed role of the existing and future gas turbine fleet in a carbon-free future. This renewed role positions gas turbines to help stabilize power grids with large portfolios of intermittent renewable generation sources, with the gas turbines operating on low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen. Historical approaches to decarbonization of gas turbine combustion face hydrogen fuel content limitations, while simultaneously implementing dry, low-NOx (DLN) technologies. In 2020, we presented a review of the current state-of-the-art, and we projected the emerging technologies for DLN, high hydrogen combustion capabilities. In this paper, we revisit those projections and update the current state-of-the-art combustion capabilities through the last three years of development along with new initiatives to push capabilities further. Readers of this paper will take away an understanding of where the field is on low-NOx, high hydrogen combustion. Additionally, an overview takeaway will be understanding of the current capabilities of each of the OEMs and other major players, including the developing technologies and targets that each is working towards for a carbon-free, dispatchable power generation source.