Constellation achieves 38% hydrogen blending at gas plant

US energy producer Constellation Energy Corp (NASDAQ:CEG) has blended 38% hydrogen with natural gas during a test at its 753-MW combined-cycle natural gas plant in Alabama that has been in operation since 2010.

The company said today this represents an industry record for blending hydrogen with natural gas, almost doubling the previous blending record for similar generators.

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The blending test was conducted on May 18 together with Siemens Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on a Siemens Energy SGT6-6000G gas turbine. It showed that the plant can safely operate on a 38% hydrogen blend with only minor modifications. The company estimates that this blend rate would reduce the power station's carbon emissions by some 270,000 tonnes a year, equivalent of taking over 60,000 cars off the road.

“This test proved what we’ve suspected for years -- that blending clean hydrogen with natural gas can safely reduce emissions without major modifications to an existing plant that’s well over a decade old,” said Constellation president and chief executive Joe Dominguez.

The trial will help inform the company's plans for shifting its natural gas generators to carbon-free technology in the coming years.