Top officials at GE Vernova said they believe a “manufacturing deviation” at a facility in Canada is the likely cause of a turbine blade breakdown at Vineyard Wind 1 that resulted in foam and fiberglass washing up on Nantucket.

Scott Strazik, the CEO of GE Vernova, said there is no indication of an engineering design flaw with the turbine blade. He said the company is re-inspecting all of the 150 blades that have been manufactured at a plant in Gaspe, Canada, to see if the problem occurred with other blades.

Strazik said the deviation — later identified as a “insufficient bonding” — should have been caught during the company’s quality assurance process. He said the re-inspection process will rely on ultrasound and other techniques to identify any problems. The Vineyard Wind 1 project will remain on pause while the investigation of what went wrong with the blade is conducted.

“I have a high degree of confidence we can do this,” Strazik said in a call with financial analysts in connection with the company’s second quarter earnings release. “We’re not going to talk about the timeline today. We have work to do.”

Strazik added: “We are going to be thorough instead of rushed.”

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, GE Vernova appeared to take full responsibility for the situation and the suspension of construction at Vineyard Wind 1 ordered by the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, or BSEE.

“We do not have an indication as to when BSEE will modify or lift its suspension order,” the filing states. “Under our contractual arrangement with the developer of Vineyard Wind, we may receive claims for damages, including liquidated damages for delayed completion, and other incremental or remedial costs. These amounts could be significant and adversely affect our cash collection timelines and contract profitability. We are currently unable to reasonably estimate what impact the event, any potential claims, or the related BSEE order would have on our financial position, results of operations, and cash flows.”

Strazik said the Cambridge-based company is continuing to install turbines at the Dogger Bank wind farm in the United Kingdom, which is using the same 13-megawatt Haliade-X turbines as Vineyard Wind 1. Previously, one of the blades there broke but that was blamed on a faulty installation.

The Nantucket Select Board met in executive session on Tuesday to discuss a legal strategy going forward with GE Vernova, the manufacturer of the turbines, and the wind farm developers, Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. The board is expected to hold a public meeting where the situation will be discussed Wednesday evening.

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Hydrogen, as an alternative fuel for gas turbines, will play a role in decarbonizing traditional power generation, however, concerns have been raised by industry leaders about whether there is a sufficient supply of green hydrogen to sustain this green transformation.

“I get into conversations about hydrogen co-firing [and] the thing that comes up almost every time is ‘are we really going to have supply’?”

This was the question posed by Jason Jermark, vice president of Global Services Operations at Siemens Energy, who refers to the hydrogen supply issue as the “elephant in the room”.

Jermark was joined by industry heavy hitters, such as Jeffrey Goldmeer, Emergent Technologies Director – Decarbonization, GE Vernova and Benjamin Thomas, senior manager of Hydrogen Production Engineering of Mitsubishi Power Americas for a panel discussion on the future of gas turbine decarbonization.

Decarbonizing gas assets with hydrogen and ammonia was front and center of the discussion at POWERGEN International, which took a candid turn to explore some of the headwinds facing the sector.

Hydrogen as an alternative

“To be honest, years ago I was skeptical of it,” said Jermark.

“If you think about the scale that’s going to be required, to be able to support the vast amount of [gas] generation that we have, is it going to be possible… and is this really the best use of the hydrogen molecule?”

According to Jermark, there has been a four-fold increase in hydrogen supply projects globally in the last few years. An increase in projects in action and an increase in the speed of production prove the industry is asking for hydrogen to future-proof generation, he suggests.

“Because of the continued interest in the production front, it leads us to believe the supply will happen.

“It may not happen at the scale and speed that some would like, it also may happen in pockets, based on local availability, but it is going to be there.”

Hydrogen as an alternative to gas is not new. Siemens Energy has been using hydrogen in various applications for over four decades, with about 2.5 million operating hours accumulated across that time frame.

The market is maturing, said Jermark, spurred on by the [Inflation Reduction Act] and applicable tax credits in the US, as well as other carbon tax regulations in the EU and Asia.

However, even if supply is available, the panelists questioned whether hydrogen in co-firing is the best use of the molecule.

The role of ammonia

Jermark stated that while the hydrogen gas turbine market is more mature than ammonia, ammonia has a higher energy density and a broader available network to transport it.

“Ammonia is also an interesting application…there’s a lot of discussion about using it as alternative co-firing for gas turbines – our focus is how can we have the infrastructure in place to be able to transport it.”

Benjamin Thomas added that the outlook is quite complex in Japan, where LNG is currently being imported. The country needs products that can work in a variety of situations. There are different grid profiles to respond to in Japan, as wind and solar are developed, which is why there is a big focus on developing ammonia, a big focus for countries without a large hydrogen supply.

Also, in South Korea, a country focused on decarbonizing its gas-fired combined cycle plants, it’s critical to secure the hydrogen required and to transport it effectively. “The best way to do that is with ammonia as the carrier,” added Thomas.

Thomas explained that this drive for decarbonization is opening up opportunities for partnerships and wider developments such as that of zero carbon propulsion systems, providing support for the international maritime organization remit in reducing emissions.

Jeff Goldmeer highlighted that when it comes to ammonia, there is a technology challenge and an economics challenge.

“Study after study has shown that if you want to move hydrogen over long distances, you don’t want to do it as hydrogen, you need to move it as another molecule.

“Ammonia tends to be one of the simplest and cheapest molecules, a lot of people want to talk methanol but then you need to source carbinol. Ammonia just needs nitrogen, which is easily available.”

According to Goldmeer, from an economic perspective, ammonia makes the most sense.

There are technical challenges, however, emphasized Goldmeer. “We acknowledge ammonia does have a toxicity issue,” adding that even small amounts of ammonia will create a NOx problem.

“You need to be 99.9% ammonia-free in your hydrogen to avoid a NOx problem, so face the NOx problem and say I need a new combustor.”

Despite these technical challenges, Goldmeer and the other panelists agreed that there’s a well-established industry in the production and safe use of ammonia.

Currently 15-20 million metric tons of ammonia are moved by ship around the world and many ports already have ammonia bunkering capacity, proof of the molecule’s technical and economic viability.

No matter the molecule or path to decarbonization, the industry experts agreed that it’s a complicated journey and requires time and collaboration.

Concluded Jermark: “I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all answer [to that] which is why the situation is so complicated.”

Listen to this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast with Javier Cavada, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power EMEA, for insights into achieving speed and scale in decarbonizing generation.

The 1.2 GW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant includes two generating blocks, each including a GE 7HA.02 gas turbine, an STF-A650 steam turbine, a W84 generator, and GE’s integrated Mark* Vle control system to provide gas turbine generator control and performance visibility.

The equipment will be monitored by GE’s Monitoring & Diagnostics (M&D) Center in Atlanta.

Three Rivers is GE Vernova’s third GE H-Class combined cycle plant developed with the CPV team. The other projects are the Towantic Energy Center in Connecticut and the Fairview Energy Center in Pennsylvania.

The platform will accelerate GE’s GridOS software portfolio designed for grid orchestration, adding new capabilities for connecting systems and integrating data across the grid more easily and at scale.

The Greenbird integration platform is delivered as a service (iPaaS) and is built with containerization and a suite of cloud services, which will accelerate the availability of key GridOS components.

Thorsten Heller, CEO of Greenbird Integration Technology, commented: “Our technology platform is purpose-built to support a distributed data and IT architecture and aligns perfectly with GE Vernova’s vision for the GridOS federated grid data fabric and one network model, providing the data foundation utilities need to transform their operations.”

The acquisition will advance the AI- and data-driven vision for GridOS that GE Vernova’s Digital business believes will help solve grid orchestration challenges while cultivating an energy data ecosystem that advances decarbonization and electrification.

“Utilities have an urgent need to connect data from multiple sources to gain visibility and effectively automate their grid operations. Fragmented data is a major obstacle to modernizing the grid and is holding the energy transition back,” said Scott Reese, CEO of GE Vernova’s Digital business.

“The Greenbird acquisition brings the proven ability to connect multiple data sources and accelerates our vision for GridOS that is making energy security a reality for many of the world’s leading utilities. Data and AI are key to helping utilities run a reliable and resilient grid and this acquisition is a massive accelerant to making that vision a reality for utilities of all sizes.”

An example of the need for more connected and integrated data is evident in the exponential growth predicted for electric vehicles (EVs).

Data integration is also key to solving renewables connection challenges and driving deeper visibility into the impact of renewable assets on the grid.

Such use cases require the integration of forecasting, simulation, historical grid OT, sensor, line, and inertia data.

“Having access to utility data in context gives grid operators an opportunity to better leverage AI for automation and potentially enables the grid to be self-describing and self-healing in the future,” said Mahesh Sudhakaran, general manager, Grid Software at GE Vernova’s Digital business.

The financial terms of the Greenbird acquisition are not being disclosed.

Originally published by Power Engineering International.

The Guernsey Power Station is owned and operated by Caithness Energy and equipped with three GE 7HA.02 gas turbines powering three W84 generators, three STF-A650 steam turbines and three GE triple pressure with reheat Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSG).

GE will also provide predictive analytics under a 20-year agreement.

GE and Caithness Energy noted that coal-fired generation retirements in the PJM energy market might outpace new entry. At the same time, load will increase, which can create concerns over resource adequacy and grid stability in the region.

“In 2022, coal-fired plant retirements accounted for approximately 89% of retired capacity in the PJM region and as more and more coal fired plants are retired, the need for thermal resources and the essential reliable and flexible power they provide is crucial for grid stability and to help meet the increasing demand for power,” said Ross D. Ain, President of Caithness Energy.

GE said the Guernsey Power Station can deliver the equivalent electricity needed to power approximately 1.4 million U.S. homes within the PJM market.

The addition of this aftermarket control system upgrade and field service capability will allow GE Gas Power to further develop GE’s proprietary Mark Vle controls systems platform, as well as streamline and improve the delivery and service of its controls offerings for customers.

GE Gas Power will be equipped to offer customer support across both new and serviced units, as well as a lifecycle strategy to support their fleet’s controls needs.

As part of the controls business line, GE will continue to invest in its Mark VIe controls product line, as well as other systems and related products.

This new controls business line will be led by Mani Elango within GE Gas Power.

Eric Gray, CEO of GE Gas Power stated that controls are critical for their customers and the integration of Nexus Controls will help improve their customers’ experience throughout the lifecycle of their plant.

“This acquisition will also strengthen the quality, service, and delivery of an end-to-end controls experience, brought to life by a single controls business line with world-class talent,” said Gray.

Nexus Controls has been operating worldwide for over a century. The company’s over 900 employees have delivered support at more than 11,000 customer sites across almost every stage of the industrial control system lifecycle.

Originally published by Power Engineering International.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) said a recently completed demonstration showed reduced CO2 emissions when blending hydrogen with natural gas to generate power at NYPA’s Brentwood Small Clean Power Plant on Long Island.

The demonstration project, led by NYPA, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), GE and Airgas, is the first retrofit of an existing NYPA facility that enabled use of hydrogen blended with natural gas.

The project took place between Fall 2021 to Spring 2022 and also included the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), GE and Airgas. The demonstration used blends of 5%-44% hydrogen to identify and document any resulting impacts on GE’s LM-6000 combustion turbine engine and plant operations.

The results found that following expected trends, carbon emissions decreased as the amount of hydrogen increased.

In addition, at steady state conditions, the exhaust stack NOx, CO, and ammonia slip levels showed that emissions could be maintained below the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Title V Regulatory Permit using existing post-combustion emissions reduction systems, with no known detrimental effects on gas turbine operations.

The 45 MW Brentwood plant consists of a GE LM6000 GT equipped with single annular combustion (SAC) technology. SAC is not a dry-low emissions combustor technology and requires water injection for NOx control. The plant is also equipped with post-combustion catalyst systems for NOx and CO control. The plant’s location and layout, along with its relatively low capacity factor as a peaking unit, facilitated the temporary modifications required for this demonstration project.

Here are some specific findings:

• CO₂ (carbon dioxide) mass emission rates (ton/hr) decreased as hydrogen fuel percentages increased. At 47 MWg (megawatt gross), CO₂ mass emission rates were reduced by approximately 14% when using 35% hydrogen cofiring.
• At steady water injection conditions, other emissions including NOx (nitrogen oxides), CO (carbon monoxide) and ammonia levels were maintained below regulatory operating permit limits, using the existing SCR (selective catalytic reduction) and CO catalyst post-combustion control systems.
• Engine control was stable throughout the duration of the test and combustion equipment was in good condition before, during and after the test.

The report also details several challenges that would prevent ongoing plant operation using the blend, including volume of hydrogen required, little industry experience with blending and restrictive code requirements.

The test represents the first utility-scale hydrogen blending project in New York, which is mandating a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040.

A summary of the demonstration findings can be found here. The full report is available on EPRI’s website here.

GE H-Class equipment will power a natural gas-fired combined cycle plant expected to be built in Plaquemine, Louisiana.

The 725 MW Magnolia Power Generating Station is owned by Kindle Energy. It will be fueled initially by natural gas, with the eventual ability to blend up to 50% hydrogen, GE said.

Kindle Energy’s Magnolia Power Project will include a GE 7HA.03 gas turbine, the second deployment of its kind in North America. In June 2022 we reported that the first GE 7HA.03 gas turbine reached commercial operation at Florida Power & Light’s (FPL) Dania Beach Energy Center in near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The plant will also include a GE STF-A650 steam turbine and a triple pressure with reheat Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG). The company’s Mark VIe control system would provide turbine generator control, data collection and performance visibility.

Once in operation in 2025, GE said the plant will be the most efficient in the MISO South system.

The company’s 7HA.03 gas turbine pulls much of its design from decades of overall HA experience. However, it does include the first adoption of GE’s DLN 2.6e combustion system on its 60Hz gas turbine line. Another innovation is a larger titanium R1 blade to enable greater volume of airflow and output.

The 430 MW model has a 75 MW-per-minute ramp rate, 64% net combined-cycle efficiency and can turn down to 30% load while staying within emissions compliance, according to GE.

Magnolia’s STF-A650 features a separate high pressure and combined intermediate pressure and low pressure section. This unit uses GE’s ST modularized approach utilizing shared HP, IPLP, and LP modules across the entire combined cycle ST portfolio.

GE said it plans to invest up to $5 million over the next two years to add a second manufacturing location for its TM 2500 and LM2500XPRESS aeroderivative gas turbines.

The facility is planned for the company’s existing Global Technology Center in Greenville, South Carolina. GE said the facility would complement the company’s other manufacturing site in Veresegyhaz, Hungary.

“GE’s Global Technology Center in Greenville will significantly increase its manufacturing capability to support deliveries in the Americans region, but also the global aeroderivative growth,” said GE in a release.

GE said it believes its aeroderivative units will help manage power shortages, stabilize the grid, and support renewables growth. Aeroderivatives can start and stop daily and quickly, further enhancing their suitability to support renewable energy generation and grid balancing.

The site, expected to add up to 25 employees, is expected to adopt lean methodologies to drive its transformation: two new lean lines will be created to start manufacturing aeroderivative units from the fourth quarter of 2022.  

GE also announced two orders for its aeroderivative technology.

MORE: GE enhancing support for aeroderivative gas turbines in Australia

In March 2022, West Texas Gas (WTG) ordered two GE LM2500XPRESS equaling 60 MW of power. Each of the two LM2500XPRESS power packages includes a GE LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbine modular package and emissions control system.

With what GE said is the units’ ability to start in five minutes or less from cold iron, the turbines will help WTG’s North Permian Midstream plant to process gas. The first unit is expected to be commercially operable in October, while the second unit is expected to be commercially operable by year’s end.

GE also announced an order with Greek construction company TERNA SA for a GE TM2500 aeroderivative gas turbine to support summer peak power needs on Greek Island of Kos avoid blackouts.

GE TM2500 can reach full power in less than 10 minutes with an efficiency of 37% at 60 Hz and 35% at 50 Hz. GE said it offers multi-fuel flexibility operating on either natural gas or liquid distillate fuels.

In Kos, due to the lack of natural gas, the nearly 34 MW unit will be fueled by light distillate provided by a tanker every 2-4 weeks and stored in large tanks. It then will be purified by a GE supplied liquid fuel module and stored in smaller tanks for use in the TM2500 gas turbine generator.

GE Gas Power announced $4.2 million in federal funding for two projects aimed at supporting the development of new gas turbine technologies.

The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) OPEN 2021 program to promote new approaches to clean energy challenges. In February 2022, ARPA-E announced $175 million for 68 OPEN 2021 research and development projects.

GE’s two projects are “Lifted-flame combustion for high-hydrogen reheat gas turbines” and “Manufacturing high-yield investment castings with minimal energy.” Both initiatives will be conducted at GE’s Global Technology Center in Greenville, South Carolina.

As part of these projects, GE will conduct cutting-edge research for gas turbine decarbonization in close collaboration with industrial companies and educational institutions.

Lifted-flame combustion for high-hydrogen reheat gas turbines

In this project GE would investigate a lifted-flame combustion approach for advanced gas turbine engines powered by mixtures of natural gas and hydrogen. The company says further gains in combined cycle efficiency are likely to be incremental without game-changing technical and operating cycle advances.

GE says the new technology and research aim to break the current, materials-limited upper bound efficiency barrier for new gas turbines, targeting net plant efficiencies of 67% or greater on a wide range of fuel compositions.

“Our goal of increasing gas turbine combined cycle plant efficiency by 5 or more percentage points in the next decade will position GE’s technology to help lead the energy transition,” said Jeffrey Goldmeer, Emergent Technologies Director for Decarbonization at GE Gas Power.

The foundational testing of the technology would be conducted at the Atlanta-based Georgia Institute for Technology. The project would be executed in South Carolina.

Manufacturing high-yield investment castings with minimal energy

This project would develop and combine key elements of casting technology, including an innovative furnace development and 3D printed additive ceramic mold technologies the company says would fundamentally change the production of high-value metal components for gas turbines.

The new system could produce cast parts using up to 90% less energy than traditional methods, as well as provide improved quality, consistency, and yield, all at lower cost.

GE plans to develop this solution along with DDM Systems, a company known for the precision investment castings of complex engineered components.