US power plant engine handles 1/4 hydrogen blend

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A Wärtsilä power plant engine has become the largest ever commercially operated flexible balancing engine to run on a hydrogen fuel blend.

Wärtsilä 50SG engine
Wärtsilä 50SG engine - Wärtsilä

Conducted at the tail end of 2022, the tests took place at WEC Energy Group’s 55MW A.J. Mihm gas-fired power plant in Michigan using an unmodified Wärtsilä 50SG engine. The engine continued to operate commercially during the three-day trial, supplying electricity to the grid.

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Assessments carried out by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) showed that the engine demonstrated both increased efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions, while also staying compliant with NOx emissions. Running on a 25 per cent H2 blend, CO2 emissions from the engine were found to be 9.1 per cent lower than the engine’s standard gas-fired output.  

“These tests provide clear evidence that Wärtsilä’s engine technology can deliver future-proof power solutions that make a huge contribution towards decarbonised operations,” said Anja Frada, COO at Wärtsilä Energy. “The results of the testing with a hydrogen/natural gas blended fuel mix have been outstanding. We continue developing and futureproofing our engines to run on sustainable fuels and expect to have an engine and power plant concept for operating with pure hydrogen available by 2026.

The EPRI report showed that the Wärtsilä engine could operate at a 95 per cent load with the 25 per cent hydrogen blend. Additional testing found that a 100 per cent engine load was possible by reducing the H2 blend to 17 per cent. The project partners claim the tests also demonstrate that hydrogen can be safely and reliably handled and utilised with existing gas-fired engine technology.  

“EPRI is accelerating deployment of a full portfolio of clean energy technologies to support a net-zero future,” said EPRI vice president of Energy Supply and Low-Carbon Resources, Neva Espinoza.

“This demonstration project with Wärtsilä and WEC Energy Group is significant in showing the potential of hydrogen blending in natural gas-fired engines. The learnings from this project will be shared with the energy industry to further progress toward deep decarbonisation targets.”

Hydrogen