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GE and BP Form Alliance to Develop and Deploy Hydrogen Power Technologies

GE and BP have formed a global alliance to jointly develop and deploy technology for at least five hydrogen power plants. The announcement builds from the preliminary agreement reached by GE and BP in 2006. (Earlier post.)

These projects first gasify a fossil fuel to convert it into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The hydrogen-rich syngas is used as the fuel gas to generate electric power from turbines in a power plant. The carbon dioxide is captured, transported and stored in deep geological formations such as oil and gas fields. By combining hydrogen power generation with carbon capture and storage in one integrated project, 90% of the carbon dioxide in the original fuel is captured.

Initially, the companies expect to work together to apply GE’s proprietary gasification and turbine technology to the development of five hydrogen power plants that would use petroleum coke or bituminous coal as feedstock.

Each commercial-scale hydrogen power plant is expected to generate about 500 MW of electricity—enough to power approximately 325,000 US homes. One of these 500 megawatt power plants, fed by coal with 90% carbon capture and geological storage, would be expected to capture around four million tons of carbon dioxide a year.

As a first step, BP and GE expect the petroleum coke-fueled project being planned at Carson in California, where Edison Mission Energy is Hydrogen Energy’s partner, to use GE technology. (Earlier post.)  In addition, GE Energy Financial Services will have the opportunity to invest equity in projects offered by BP.

BP recently announced its intention to form, subject to regulatory approval, Hydrogen Energy, a new company to be jointly-owned with Rio Tinto, to identify, build and operate hydrogen power plants with carbon capture and storage. (Earlier post.) On completion of the company’s formation, today’s agreement would be expected to transfer to Hydrogen Energy.

GE and BP—through Hydrogen Energy—will apply their technologies, project experience and assets to optimize the integrated design of hydrogen power projects. The collaborative effort will draw upon the companies’ technologies and experience in areas such as coal gasification, reforming technology, gas turbines and carbon capture and storage.

In some cases, injection of captured carbon dioxide into oil reservoirs for storage also may result in the production of otherwise unrecoverable oil. For these enhanced oil recovery applications, the carbon dioxide has significant value, which helps make carbon capture and storage economically viable. For hydrogen power projects to be able to compete effectively in the electricity market, they would require appropriate policy support and a regulatory environment that recognizes and encourages the low-carbon benefits they can deliver, according to the two companies.

Comments

Aussie

I believe these plants may be dependent on major government assistance. I live in the back blocks so I haven't seen the newspaper ads where BP and Rio call for a big subsidy to sequester CO2 in a saline aquifer beneath suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. I'm sure I read recently that a UK project for burying coal derived CO2 in old North Sea gas domes has now been cancelled due to lack of govt support.

If these 'facts' check out hydrogen from coal is falling at the first hurdles.

Henry

You still loss 10% of the Hydrogen every week.
You have to use trucks rather than pipes to distribute the hydrogen.
You actually end up using more fuel than if you used the CNG directly - look at the CNG Prius and compare it to any "Hybrid" Fuelcell vehicle.
You still have to pay or subsidize the $1000000+ car due to expensive materials used like platinum.

John Schreiber

This process will require lots of fresh water, I would think.

SJC

"The carbon dioxide is captured, transported and stored in deep geological formations such as oil and gas fields.
By combining hydrogen power generation with carbon capture and storage in one integrated project, 90% of the carbon dioxide in the original fuel is captured."

This sounds like a good plan. If electricity generated without releasing so much CO2 costs a bit more,
we can all decide if that is worth it. I think it would be worth it if the CO2 actually stays in the ground.

Henry

90% of the original fuel's carbon is recaptured. Great but the process requires the same amount of fossil fuel to break the hydrogen from the fossil fuel. Net effect - used twice as much fuel. Its great for oil companies they just tricked you in buying twice the oil.
If you put gasoline on your skin instead of in your mouth it will not harm you less not in the long run. Earth is a closed system just like the human body. A little earthquake,erosion or flood and out comes the sequestered CO2.

Henry

water and sugar is heavier than carbon dioxide.
What happens when you leave a coke bottle open? You lose the fizz - CO2.

sjc

NOVA just showed a solar program titled "Saved by the Sun" on our local PBS. It showed a German farmer who put in 1 megawatt of panels and sells power to the utilities.

The German government guarantees $0.50 per kwh for the next 20 years and the utility routinely sells base power for $0.20 per kwh. Germany has a goal of providing 30% of their grid power by renewables in the next 20 years.

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