SSE and Siemens Energy have launched “Mission H2 Power” – a multi-million-pound co-investment which aims to deliver gas turbine technology capable of running on 100% hydrogen, fuelling the transition to net zero and potentially boosting the UK’s energy security.
The project will build on the existing partnership between SSE and Siemens Energy. It will support the decarbonisation of SSE’s Keadby 2 Power Station in North Lincolnshire, which is powered by Siemens Energy’s SGT5-9000HL gas turbine.
The co-investment will see Siemens Energy develop a combustion system for its SGT5-9000HL gas turbine capable of operating on 100% hydrogen, while maintaining the flexibility to operate with natural gas and any blend of the two.
This will see additional facilities constructed at Siemens Energy’s Clean Energy Centre in Berlin to allow testing of the technology for large gas turbines to take place.
Delivering low-carbon power stations will be essential to providing a clean power system in the UK, with the plants fulfilling a vital role as flexible back-up in a renewables-led system.
Analysis from National Energy System Operator shows that around 7GW of low-carbon flexible power will likely be needed on the system by 2035, with around half of that capacity provided by hydrogen-fired power stations.
Finlay McCutcheon, Managing Director of SSE Thermal, said: “It isn’t enough for developers to simply talk about an ambition to transition from gas to hydrogen – delivering a clean power system requires bold action which is why we’re entering into this collaboration with Siemens Energy, a long-standing partner of SSE.
“We know hydrogen-fired power stations will be an essential element of the energy mix in a net zero world and Mission H2 Power will help us accelerate their deployment through engineering excellence.
“As the UK’s clean energy champion, SSE is uniquely positioned to take a leading role on the deployment of low-carbon flexible power stations.
“Our projects will be pivotal in providing flexible backup to renewables and while we still need to see a rapid acceleration in policy and deployment, the need for this technology is beyond question – it is a matter of when not if and this partnership can help us reach that destination as soon as possible.”
Darren Davidson, Vice President of Siemens Energy UK&I, said: “We’re delighted to be building on our existing partnership with SSE and developing plans to help kickstart the zero-carbon hydrogen economy.
“The UK Government wants to deliver clean power by 2030, and hydrogen can be an important part of that energy mix. We recently welcomed UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to our Siemens Energy site in Berlin. This partnership is a great example of how we can share knowledge and work together to deliver on energy security.
“We are living in a transformative time for the energy sector. Our HL-class gas turbine has set records for efficiency and power performance. This new collaboration is a significant step in reaching the point where large gas turbines can run on 100% hydrogen.”
Clare Jackson, Chief Executive of Hydrogen UK, said: “We’re thrilled to see Hydrogen UK members working together to place hydrogen at the forefront of the UK’s industry emissions reduction efforts. This partnership demonstrates the pioneering work British industry is doing to incorporate hydrogen into our energy mix and provide low-carbon power to the grid sooner rather than later.”