Revolutionary Hydrogen-Natural Gas Blend Power Generation Test by Mitsubishi Power at Takasago Hydrogen Park

Mitsubishi Power, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), has successfully carried out a groundbreaking demonstration blending 30% hydrogen with natural gas in a state-of-the-art 1,650-class J-series Air-Cooled (JAC) gas turbine. This test was conducted at both partial and full load, in a grid-connected setup at the T-Point 2 Combined Cycle Power Plant Validation Facility. Located in Takasago Hydrogen Park at the Takasago Machinery Works in Takasago City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, this facility boasts a 566 megawatt (MW) output. Remarkably, this demonstration, which utilized locally produced hydrogen from Takasago Hydrogen Park, is the first of its kind globally to test power generation on a large frame gas turbine with a 30% hydrogen fuel mix while connected to the local power grid. Mitsubishi Power aims to further develop hydrogenfired gas turbine technology at Takasago Hydrogen Park, a unique site for integrated testing of hydrogen production, storage, and power generation, advancing towards a carbon-neutral society.

This demonstration, supported by funding from Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), used a Dry Low NOx (DLN) combustor. It confirmed that low nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions and stable combustion are achievable with hydrogen co-firing, and that it’s feasible to switch between natural gas and hydrogen fuel blends during both partial-load and full-load operations. Looking ahead to 2024, Mitsubishi Power plans a 100% hydrogen-firing test using a smaller, mid-sized H-25 gas turbine (40 MW class), previously installed for compressor driving at the park’s combustion test facility. Additionally, the company is set to expand the hydrogen storage facility and conduct tests with a 50% hydrogen blended fuel, marking significant strides in hydrogen energy utilization.