HYFLEXPOWER:

The world’s first integrated power-to-X-to-power hydrogen gas turbine demonstrator

 

Generating renewable electricity is one of the main ways in which we can reduce CO2 emissions and tackle climate change. However, sources of renewable energy such as wind and sun suffer from supply and demand imbalances. Energy storage in the form of hydrogen could provide a remedy for this problem: excess renewable electricity is fed into an electrolyser to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. The green hydrogen is stored and subsequently used in gas turbines to produce electricity when needed, releasing the stored energy back to the grid.

 

In this line, HYFLEXPOWER project will develop and operate the first fully integrated power-to-hydrogen-to-power industrial scale power plant, including an advanced dry-low emissions hydrogen gas turbine. The already installed SGT-400 gas turbine package will be upgraded with the ultimate goal to produce 12 MW electrical energy using fuel mixtures that contain up to 100 % hydrogen.

 

During two demonstration campaigns, the Smurfit-Kappa paper mill in Saillat-sur-Vienne (France) will be powered by a mix of natural gas and hydrogen, ultimately aiming for up to 100 percent hydrogen operation.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE

To test an entirely green hydrogen-based power supply for a completely carbon-free energy mix

TECHNICAL OBJECTIVES:

  • Conversion of excess RES power to chemical energy (H2) through electrolysis of water
  • Integration of H2 storage into the demonstration plant
  • Development of an advanced gas turbine capable of running on high-hydrogen fuels
  • Development and demonstration of an advanced plant concept
  • Running of two extensive pilot plant demonstration campaigns

HYFLEXPOWER Workplan

WP1Work Package 1 - Concept for Hydrogen Integration into Existing Plants

The main goal of WP1 is to evaluate concepts for hydrogen integration into existing plants and to provide required information for the next steps of project execution.

WP2Work Package 2 - Hydrogen Combustion Technology

The overall goal of this work package is to develop a combustion system that can be operated with natural gas / hydrogen mixtures with up to 100% hydrogen.

WP3Work Package 3: Pilot Plant Integration, Commissioning and Validation

The scope of this WP is to build, commission and test the pilot demonstrator plant defined in WP1.

WP4Work Package 4: Economic, Environmental and Social Assessment

Work accomplished under this WP includes:

  • Market analysis of alternative decarbonisation options
  • Environmental assessment of the developed concepts
  • Socioeconomic assessment of the developed concepts and policy recommendations

WP5Work Package 5: Project Coordination, Communication, Exploitation

This WP includes project management and governance as well as communication, dissemination and exploitation activities.

Video introduction

The HYFLEXPOWER project

A presentation of HYFLEXPOWER by the people who have worked tirelessly to demonstrate that green hydrogen can be used to power an industrial site.