Standard content for Members only
To continue reading this article, please login to your Utility Week account, Start 14 day trial or Become a member.
If your organisation already has a corporate membership and you haven’t activated it simply follow the register link below. Check here.
Centrica Business Solution has announced plans to begin injecting hydrogen into the gas engines at its 49MW Brigg peaking plant in Lincolnshire.
The company initially plans to blend hydrogen into the fuel mix at rates of up to 3% in a 12-month trial conducted in partnership with HiiROC and part-funded by the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC).
It subsequently intends to increase the proportion of hydrogen in the fuel mix to 20%, with a view to eventually moving to 100% hydrogen and rolling out the technology across all its gas peaking plants.
The hydrogen will be produced using a proprietary technology developed by HiiROC that converts biomethane and natural gas into hydrogen and carbon black through a thermal plasma electrolysis process. Carbon black – a form of pure, solid carbon – can be used in applications including tyres, rubbers, toners, building materials and soil enhancers.
Greg McKenna, managing director of Centrica Business Solutions, said: “Gas still plays a huge role in maintaining a secure, stable supply of power in the UK, with around 40 per cent of our power coming from natural gas. So, it’s vital that we find ways to reduce the carbon intensity of gas plants like that at Brigg.
“We’re delighted to get the grant funding from the NZTC in order to explore the role of hydrogen in providing the low carbon back-up power we’ll need in order to maintain security of supply as more renewable energy comes on stream.”
Ahead of the trial Centrica has increased its stake in HiiROC to around 5%, having already secured a stake in a £28 million funding raise in November last year.
HiiROC chief executive Tim Davies said: “This exciting project with Centrica and the NZTC at the Brigg facility will be a first step on the journey to enable the decarbonisation of gas peaking plants.
“With the continued and crucial rollout of renewable energy generation, intermittency of power supply is a key issue, and the programme we are developing with Centrica will explore routes to address intermittency without generating CO2 emissions.”
Please login or Register to leave a comment.