Overview
South Australia’s goal to generate more electricity from renewable sources has produced an unexpected result: More wind and solar energy is being generated than the demand required from industry and consumer energy users. While this may be a positive boon from an environmental standpoint, it has also created numerous intermittency issues.
The South Australian government has established Hydrogen Power SA to offer grid firming services via several new hydrogen electrolyzers, including at the massive Whyalla Hydrogen power facility. This plant will house one of the world’s largest hydrogen production and storage plants, using surplus wind and solar energy to produce renewable hydrogen through water electrolysis.
The Whyalla facility will employ four GE Vernova LM6000VELOX aeroderivative gas turbines, marking the first commercial-scale deployment of GE Vernova’s turbines capable of operating on 100% hydrogen. This groundbreaking technology is expected to provide zero CO2 emissions at the exhaust when fueled entirely by renewable hydrogen.
Outcomes
By deploying GE Vernova’s first-of-its-kind aeroderivative solution, able to operate on 100 percent hydrogen, we’ll be able to support South Australia’s continued energy transition and decarbonization journey.
John Ivulich
CEO and Country Chair, ATCO Australia
When Australia’s national government abandoned any concrete plans to meet the terms of the Paris Agreement, states like South Australia picked up the ball by crafting their own renewable energy initiatives.
South Australia’s state government initiated the Hydrogen Jobs Plan power plant project to help the region become a 100% renewable energy generator by 2027. One part of the plan involves bringing the Whyalla hydrogen power plant in South Australia’s Upper Spencer Gulf online. The facility is expected to be one of the world’s largest hydrogen production and storage plants, producing green hydrogen via solar/wind-driven water electrolysis and storing it on site. This hydrogen will also be used to produce electricity to help meet domestic demand and ensure grid stability when other renewable sources are unavailable or not meeting full demand.
To produce this electricity, the plant plans to employ four GE Vernova LM6000VELOX aeroderivative gas turbines, which are configured to burn numerous types of fuel, including blended hydrogen. However, the Whyalla project marks the first time that GE Vernova’s LM6000VELOX aeroderivative package is expected to operate at commercial scale using 100% renewable hydrogen.
The Whyalla Hydrogen power facility represents a major milestone for hydrogen-based power generation. Unlike traditional fossil fuel plants, burning hydrogen produces only water vapor and heat, offering a sustainable solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This project exemplifies South Australia’s commitment to renewable energy leadership while showcasing the potential of hydrogen to transform power generation globally.
Contact us
*Trademark of GE Vernova and/or its affiliates
