China’s Huizhou CHP plant starts operating with hydrogen-ready turbines

GE Vernova announced that the Guangdong Huizhou Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant has achieved commercial operation.

The Chinese state-owned power utility Guangdong Energy Group's CHP plant is powered by hydrogen-ready 9HA.01 combined-cycle power generation equipment. It is expected to inject up to 1.34GW of electricity into the grid and steam for the industrial process of the chemical complex present in Huizhou, a city in southeast Guangdong Province, China.

GE Vernova’s gas turbines are expected to burn up to 10% by volume of hydrogen blended with natural gas within the next two years.

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“Hydrogen energy will play an important role in the future energy system in Guandong Province, an agglomeration of cities aiming to strengthen international cooperation and promote lower-carbon, inclusive, coordinated and more sustainable development,” said a representative from Guangdong Energy Group.

“...We trust GE Vernova advanced H-Class gas turbines will help promote the use of hydrogen blending in power generation across other provinces, as aligned to China's Medium and Long-term Plan for the Development of Hydrogen Energy Industry (2021–2035) objectives.”

Although hydrogen supply in Guangdong Province is still highly dependent on the gray hydrogen production method, which is mainly based on the production of hydrogen from industrial byproducts and coal power, the national and provincial energy plans encourage the development of renewable energy for hydrogen production.

“GE Vernova believes that the Guangdong Huizhou project could serve as a model to develop hydrogen-blended H-class natural gas power generation across other provinces,” said Xu Xin, president of GE Vernova China Gas Power Services.

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“In Guangdong, we focus on helping to address the growing electricity and steam needs while reducing carbon emissions. China's Medium and Long-term Plan for the Development of Hydrogen Energy Industry proposes an accelerated conversion towards efficient hydrogen production from renewable energy, and we are proud Huizhou plant is expected to become the first hydrogen-blended natural gas facility to use GE Vernova’s gas turbines in China.”

GE Vernova has over 120 units worldwide that have run fully or partially on hydrogen and accumulated over 8.5 million operating hours.

Guangdong Huizhou project marks the first localised 9HA.01 manufactured by General Harbin Electric Gas Turbine in China. Harbin Electric also provided steam turbine, generator and balance-of-plant equipment for the power plant.

GE Vernova has been operating in China for over 40 years. The company serves around 110 customers and more than 240 gas turbines in the country, with an installed power capacity of 50GW.