General Electric, GRTgaz, Ineris, McPHy and the network of French Universities of Technology have signed a research memorandum of understanding to accelerate innovation around hydrogen.
By bringing together French industrial leaders and leading academic institutions, the research memorandum of understanding aims to accelerate innovation around hydrogen for all uses, including low-carbon projects for gas-fired power generation and industrial applications.
This memorandum establishes a hydrogen (H2) research framework with dedicated resources in France to design and run a joint program, fostering collaboration and innovation in support of the energy transition.
General Electric, GRT Gaz, Ineris, McPhy and the network of French universities of technology (UTBM, UTC and UTT) have announced the signature of a memorandum of understanding creating a research framework on hydrogen for power generation. The aim of this collaboration is to strengthen R&D knowledge on hydrogen production, transport, storage, distribution and safety, for all uses including electricity generation. It will create a research cluster based in France, with a particular focus on the practical application of hydrogen as a fuel for gas turbine power generation. In addition to integrating the necessary systems, this work will also address modelling of their operation, development of accessories and specific components, system safety and certification.
This collaboration brings together :
- GE Gas Power - a global leader in natural gas power technology, services and solutions;
- GRTgaz - a European leader in gas transmission and a global expert in gas systems. In France, the company operates over 32,000 km of underground pipelines to transport gas from suppliers to consumers connected to its network, and invests in innovative solutions to accommodate renewable gases and hydrogen on its network;
- Ineris - The French National Institute for the Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS ) is the leading public expert in the field of technological risks.
- McPhy - an industrial group specializing in zero-carbon hydrogen production and distribution equipment (electrolyzers and recharging stations);
- The French universities of technology, UTBM in Belfort-Montbéliard, UTC in Compiègne and UTT in Troyes - these three institutions are grouped together in the Université de Technologie (UT) network, with a view to structuring, sharing and promoting the same original training and research model. These three institutions are public establishments of a scientific, cultural and professional nature, whose principal missions are engineering training and the development of technology.
This new hydrogen research framework has four strands, focusing on different aspects of the development and supply of hydrogen-fuelled gas power plants:
- system integration and operability modeling, aimed at developing an integrated model of the combustion turbine and hydrogen storage, blending and consumption, and designing cost-effective solutions corresponding to market needs. This model aims to develop a global solution, centered around a hydrogen-fueled gas turbine that will supply electricity on demand and ensure grid stability in a context of reduced carbon emissions;
- R&D on accessories and components for hydrogen production, including the development of robust equipment (valves, hoses, seals, analyzers/sensors, flow meters, etc.), simplification of purge systems, and gas separation technology. This section therefore focuses on the qualification of all peripheral systems required for plant operation, to enable the conversion of existing gas-fired power plants to operation with higher levels of hydrogen in the fuel;
- safety and certification of components and systems, to guarantee the highest safety standards;
- a test platform equipped with an electrolyzer, to put the concepts and solutions developed into practice and validate them on an industrial scale. This includes enhancing the capabilities of the hydrogen test bench at GE Gas Power's Belfort production site, where the 9HA advanced gas turbine is manufactured.
In parallel with this work, a hydrogen research facility will be set up to host students from the relevant academic institutions, with initial funding and supervision to kick-start the research program. This collaboration is designed to attract the interest of key European or national innovation players responsible for the engineering, development, production and use of H2 systems and their successive stages (feasibility, engineering, installation/assembly and commissioning of prototypes).
Read the full press release.
