Gas

Proposed Entergy Texas CCGT plant to run on hydrogen, gas

Proposed Entergy Texas CCGT plant to run on hydrogen, gas
(Source: Pixabay).

Entergy Texas is seeking regulatory permission to build a 1,215-MW dual-fuel combined cycle power plant in the southeast part of the state.

The planned Orange County Advanced Power Station would be located near Bridge City, Texas. The gas turbines installed would be designed to run both on natural gas and hydrogen, the latter of which is carbon-free when burned for electric generation.

“The Orange County Advanced Power Station is a Texas project for Texas customers,” said Sallie Rainer, president and CEO of Entergy Texas. “The addition of this facility will continue our work to provide reliable, low-cost and clean energy in Southeast Texas and will provide more than $1.5 billion in net benefits to customers by reducing reliance on energy markets.”

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Hydrogen is already used in industrial processes by many companies in the region. It can be produced by steam reforming of natural gas (which does include carbon emissions) and by electrolysis, separating the oxygen and hydrogen molecules in water.

The fuel can be stored nearby in facilities such as in Entergy Texas’s Spindletop storage facility and can be deployed alongside natural gas to produce lower emissions energy reliably when needed, including working in hours when intermittent renewable resources do not generate power, according to the utility. 

“Southeast Texas is well-positioned to play a key role in the transition to increased use of hydrogen in electric generation,” said Rainer. “Our region is home to hydrogen producers, pipelines, storage and industrial users. We look forward to working with industry partners on the role the Orange County Advanced Power Station will play in providing reliable power while also meeting the sustainability needs of our customers and communities, and also to establish Southeast Texas as a global hub for hydrogen production and consumption.”

Within the coming months, Entergy Texas intends to file a request for approval to construct the Orange County Advanced Power Station with the Public Utility Commission of Texas. If the Public Utility Commission approves Entergy Texas’s application, construction will begin in the second quarter of 2023.

Entergy Texas expects the plant to be in service by summer 2026.