Gas Turbine potential for zero emissions
Natural gas-fired combined cycle power plants are the lowest emitting fossil fuel power plants due to high efficiency and low emission combustion technology, whether the measure is based on CO2, SOx, NOx, particulate matter, or mercury.
Going forward, however, there will be a need to reduce CO2 emissions further and there is a concern that deploying new gas generation capacity will “lock in” CO2 emissions for the lifetime of the power plant.
The contrary is true: Gas turbines currently in operation or yet to be deployed have a pathway to enabling decarbonization and avoiding lock in of CO2 through utilization of hydrogen as a fuel or through carbon capture technologies.
Both technologies are available today from GE gas turbines and the only reason they are not employed more broadly is the lack of infrastructure needed to either provide hydrogen or to transport the CO2 captured.
Here, regulatory, and proactive policy decisions are needed to support the need for:
Maintaining grid stabilization through synchronous generation sources (in versa of inverter coupled DC devices = need for rotating inertia.)
Support coal to gas switching rather than just coal (and nuclear) retirements.
Embrace the first large scale CCUS plant deployment and help to enable other hard to abate industries..
Stop the talk (EU only) – act!
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)