Linde

Linde Gas aims to develop a system for natural gas-fired power plants using post-combustion carbon capture and hydrogen technologies. This unique process produces and stores hydrogen when it is not profitable for the power plant with carbon capture to export electricity to the grid. The process then uses that stored hydrogen to offset natural gas fuel consumption when electricity prices are high. Integrating an electrolyzer for hydrogen production and tanks for hydrogen storage with a natural gas power plant that has carbon capture will enable the plant to operate under more steady-state conditions, improve its efficiency, and increase its capital utilization. Eliminating frequent starts and stops of these large power systems will also reduce fugitive carbon emissions during ramp-ups and ramp-downs. This project is the first of its kind to consider the effect of CO2 emissions certificate prices on the value proposition of hydrogen systems in the electric grid when hydrogen is mainly used for co-firing in the gas turbine. The value of this process design becomes greater as the differential in high and low prices of electricity increases and value for CO2 emissions improves.