The Role of Hydrogen-Ready Gas Turbines in Low-Carbon Power Generation

The global energy community seeks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel combustion by 2050. For the power generation industry, this is a challenging goal. According to the IEA's Electricity 2025 report, "Global electricity demand rose by 4.3% in 2024 and is forecast to continue to grow at close to 4% out to 2027. Over the next three years, electricity consumption is forecast to rise by an unprecedented 3,500 TWh."

Meeting growing global electricity demand while reducing carbon emissions will require a mix of solutions. This article discusses the role of traditional natural gas turbines and the transition to hydrogen-ready gas turbines in power generation. It also examines the concept of hydrogen blending and how hydrogen-ready turbines can help decarbonise electricity production — an approach that may serve as a bridge between traditional power generation and future zero-carbon solutions.

The article also looks at how John Crane experts are positioned to deliver customised solutions to help meet electricity demand for a more sustainable future.

A Sustainable Power Generation Mix

Gas turbine power plants are an essential component of a robust energy security strategy, capable of producing electricity on demand. As the energy transition progresses and renewables come online, leveraging the flexible operation of gas turbines can help fill gaps in electricity supply to maintain grid stability when renewable electricity is insufficient.

Developing hydrogen-ready power generation turbines is a promising pathway to decarbonising utility-scale electricity production. Turbines fuelled by 100% hydrogen can generate low-carbon power, and when renewable hydrogen is used, the electricity produced becomes truly carbon-free. Hydrogen blending is a valuable mid-point in achieving net zero goals, reducing fossil fuel usage by employing a blend of hydrogen and natural gas to fuel power generation turbines.

John Crane has decades of experience with mechanical seal and filtration solutions for gas turbines used on compressor trains, generator packages requiring compressed fuel gas and power stations in both onshore and offshore locations around the globe. Our fuel gas filtration solutions have been designed to overcome the challenges of common fuel gas issues in the field where liquid contaminants, oil or heavy hydrocarbons can damage critical equipment.

Hydrogen Blending for Power Generation Turbines

To reach net zero, a significant portion of power generation activities must leverage renewable and low-carbon energy sources. However, the most prevalent renewables — chiefly wind and solar — are intermittent in nature. This intermittency creates a need for auxiliary power when renewables cannot meet demand. Though an increasing capacity of power is generated by a combination of renewable energy plus energy storage, in the near-to mid-term gas turbine power plants are expected to play an important role as large fleet of existing assets are still within their design lifetime.

Hydrogen fuel blending in natural gas turbines can occur either by injection into natural gas pipelines or on-site blending at power plants. In both cases, this can help firm up electrical grids by supplying on-demand power while reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

Substantial advancements have been made in researching and validating fuel-blending technologies for turbines. These technologies represent one vehicle for extending the operational lifespan of existing assets.

Near-term Pathway to Decarbonisation

The blending of fuel gas displaces natural gas with hydrogen, a low-emissions alternative. The result is power generation that produces fewer GHG emissions.

By retrofitting existing infrastructure, industries can adopt hydrogen blending relatively quickly for impactful, near-term decarbonisation results.

Technological Feasibility

Due to the rise of biogas and syngas fuel blends, mixing fuels is a mature practice, and work to perfect hydrogen-specific blending is well underway.

Although technologically feasible, large-scale implementation of hydrogen blending for power generation turbines is limited by the current availability of hydrogen supply and blending facilities.

Preserves the Value of Existing Equipment

Many natural gas turbines are recent installations, particularly in developing nations. Realising the full value of these expensive assets is pivotal to the energy transition; hydrogen blending has the potential to keep existing equipment relevant as nations strive to reach net zero by 2050 goals.

It's possible to retrofit facilities to accommodate the blending of fuel. Maintaining the value of existing power generation assets while lowering carbon emissions is an effective strategy for meeting electricity demand in the near term while working toward future goals.

Retrofitting Existing Assets

Traditional gas turbines aren't able to run on pure hydrogen, as its combustion characteristics are different from those of methane (natural gas). Hydrogen-ready turbines require modified combustors, modified catalytic convertors, updated fuel nozzles, sophisticated control systems and other modifications to manage hydrogen's unique properties.

“Hydrogen gas turbines are preparing to take on a central role in the carbon neutral energy system. It is believed that today most existing gas turbines can operate with hydrogen blending up to 30%.” This is according to an Energy & Turbomachinery Network (ETN) Global report.

The ETN states that modifications for retrofitting turbines could include:

• Safety, ventilation, fire and explosion
• Gas supply systems
• Fuel mixing systems
• Combustion systems
• Flue gas systems and heat recovery steam generators
• Instrumentation and control systems

Each application requires a customised engineering assessment to ensure that modifications support operational requirements. John Crane offers robust filtration solutions for power generation customers, and over the last few decades, we have supplied more than 500 customised John Crane Indufil® fuel gas skid layouts to OEMs and end-users around the globe to strengthen gas turbine reliability.

John Crane's Indufil fuel gas filtration systems are designed with interlinked transfer valves with bolted construction and provide a safe, leak-free solution, minimising gas leakage into the atmosphere, in accordance with ISO 15848 (fugitive emissions). In addition, our filter elements contribute to the significantly improved pressure drop performance, increased filtration efficiency and coalescing performance to improve gas reliability.

Development of Hydrogen Blending Technology

Gas turbine OEMs worldwide have made considerable progress toward manufacturing units capable of using hydrogen-fuel blends and up to 100% hydrogen. A range of projects, including utility-scale gas turbines, are underway to validate this new technology.

Power generation turbines have been proven to successfully operate with up to 30% hydrogen. Further developments include test projects to demonstrate the real-world feasibility of turbine operation using 100% pure hydrogen and testing units capable of switching from natural gas to full hydrogen without interrupting operation.

The progress in implementing blended fuel gas technology, particularly for utility-scale turbines, indicates a hopeful future for decarbonising the industry.

John Crane's Fuel Gas Filtration Technologies

Our fuel gas filtration solutions help ensure the purity of fuel gas, including blends and pure hydrogen operation. Potential contaminants include rust from upstream carbon steel pipelines and other solids introduced during gas transport. Contaminants also include liquids like hydrocarbons and condensates.

Fuel gas filtration employs three primary stages:

• Strainer: for large solid contaminants
• Pre-separator: for large liquid and solid contaminants
• Coalescer: for fine contaminants, both solid and liquid

John Crane multistage fuel gas conditioning units remove solid and liquid contaminants using optional cyclonic and magnetic pre-filtration. This technology prevents magnetic and/or larger particles from contaminating the final high-efficiency filter elements. Our engineers work with gas turbine OEMs to implement filtration solutions that help optimise value and effectiveness.

The Transition to Low-Carbon Power Generation

Full hydrogen and hydrogen-gas blend turbines are critical to supporting low-carbon power generation, and the industry is progressing toward developing and adopting this new technology.

A move to zero-emissions: Current regulations encourage using clean fuels such as low-carbon hydrogen produced from renewable sources.

Supporting renewable grid energy: Integrating hydrogen turbines for on-demand power generation can compensate for the intermittent nature of renewables, thus firming up the electrical grid and supporting reliable distribution.

Demonstration of turbine capability: Major OEMs are undertaking projects to prove the real-world feasibility of turbine operation using gas blends and up to 100% hydrogen. Testing is in progress in industries such as oil and gas and power generation.

Research and development are moving the industry forward, supporting the transition from natural gas to hydrogen. Advancements in material science are helping to overcome challenges such as hydrogen embrittlement, and industry groups are collaborating to optimise hydrogen production, storage and transportation to ensure a reliable global supply chain.

John Crane provides numerous engineered services to support power plant performance and reliability, including fuel gas filtration technologies for blended gas mixtures or individual filters for natural gas and hydrogen for hydrogen-ready power turbines. With continued focus, today's obstacles will drive innovation and success, paving the way for tomorrow's low-carbon electricity generation.

Solutions for Powering a Sustainable Future

Gas turbines are essential to power generation, helping fill gaps in electricity supply to maintain grid stability when renewable energy is insufficient. Hydrogen-ready turbines offer a potential pathway for decarbonising the global power generation industry.

OEMs have already made significant progress in developing innovative technology for blending fuels. As the energy transition progresses, using hydrogen-blended and full-hydrogen turbines alongside renewable energy sources could enable near-zero-emission power generation while enhancing energy security.

John Crane partners with customers to provide customised sealing and filtration solutions that reduce fugitive emissions, supporting a safer, secure energy future and a scalable hydrogen ecosystem. Contact our experts to learn how we can help you engineer a better future.