GE to provide turbines for world’s biggest hydrogen only power plant in Whyalla

The South Australian Government says it has chosen global energy giant GE Vernova to supply the turbines for what will be the world’s biggest green hydrogen power plant that is to be built near Whyalla.

GE says it will supply four of its aeroderivative LM6000Velox turbine generators, each equipped with 50 MW LM6000 turbines, that are expected to run on 100 per cent renewable hydrogen, sourced from a 250 MW electrolyser that will be fuelled by the state’s wind and solar power.

They will be the first 100 per cent hydrogen turbines to be installed in Australia, and the biggest installation of its type in the world. It will be the first plant in the world using GE turbines to run on 100 per cent hydrogen.

The 200 MW hydrogen power plant and the 250 MW electrolyser to be built near Whyalla are the main components of the state government’s $600 million Hydrogen Jobs Plan.

It’s an ambitious project to give South Australia – already the world leader with the highest share of wind and solar in its grid – a head start in the green hydrogen economy.

The power plant will play a key role in providing power into the grid at times of peak demand and high prices, and the electricity it generates will not come cheaply, given the inefficiencies of the hydrogen production process.

But it will be significantly lower emissions than gas, and will provide much needed back-up in a grid that is expected to leap from its current level of 74 per cent wind (2022/23) and solar to “net” 100 per cent renewables and more in coming years.

On Sunday, the state government also announced that the Whyalla Steelworks is looking at taking hydrogen from the Whyalla electrolyser to support its switch to “green steel”, and dump the use of coal in its production.

It has also signed a deal to take gas from Santos to fill the gap until enough green hydrogen can be produced at a competitive price. The government is yet to announce the preferred supplier of electrolysers.

The GE hydrogen turbines differ from the ones it supplied to EnergyAustralia’s newly opened Tallawara B gas generator in NSW, which is expected to only run on 5 per cent hydrogen by 2025.

Those 9F.05 gas turbines were hailed by GE as being the first dual-fuel capable gas/ hydrogen power plant in commercial operation in Australia, and the first 9F gas turbine to operate on a blend of gas and hydrogen globally.

However, it said EnergyAustralia’s ability to operate on a blend of 5% (by volume) green hydrogen in 2025 is subject to the development of a hydrogen manufacturing industry..

GE says the aeroderivative turbines slated for Whyalla are highly flexible, offer rapid-start capabilities and are engineered regular starts and stops, necessary for a grid with a high penetration of wind and solar.
 
The hydrogen power plant is scheduled to start operations in early 2026, and will harness surplus wind and solar power.

Energy minister Tom Koutsantonis said the agreement with GE is “indicative of the global significance of this project, which will underpin our state prosperity mission.”

Meanwhile, the state government continued its string of hydrogen related news by announcing that Fortescue Metals, Amp Energy, Origin Energy, The Hydrogen Utility (H2U) and Santos had signed up to pursue developments at the separate Port Bonython hydrogen hub.

The development agreements will be over land parcels at the hub, which the state government hopes will be the centre of a multi-billion dollar green hydrogen economy focusing on local and export demand.