If the Alabama test has any implications for the broader hydrogen industry, it suggests mixing the fuel with natural gas could hold even greater potential for existing natural gas plants than previously supposed. But don’t expect to see utilities blending hydrogen in their power plants on a regular basis in the immediate future, Frank Wolak, president and CEO of FCHEA, said.
Previous tests have demonstrated the feasibility of blending 5-15% hydrogen in existing natural gas-fired plants, Wolak said. And while there are turbines in the works designed to run on greater percentages of hydrogen, Wolak said this was the first test outside a laboratory setting to exceed that range.
