Doosan Enerbility is embarking on the technology development and demonstration of a high-efficiency H-class* hydrogen gas turbine using homegrown technology.

* High-efficiency turbine that is made out of superalloy and designed to withstand high temperatures going up to 1500℃ or higher.

Doosan Enerbility announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with 12 parties from the Korean local industry, academia and research sectors*, including the Korea East-West Power Company (EWP), on June 16th at the Bundang Doosan Tower on pursuing a “National Project on the Technology Development & Demonstration of 50% Hydrogen Co-fired, H-class Industrial Gas Turbine”. The signing ceremony was attended by Young-moon Kim, President & CEO of Korea East-West Power Company, and Yeonin Jung, President & COO of Doosan Enerbility, among others.

* Korea East-West Power Co. (EWP), Korea South-East Power Co.(KOEN), Doosan Enerbiity, KEPCO Research Institute, KEPCO E&C, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM), Ulsan Technopark, Unicon System, Valmax Co., Sungsan Co., Incheon National University and Inha University.

This project, led by Korea Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning(KETEP) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), will be carried out until December 2027.  The twelve participants of the project will be taking part in the development of technology for a hydrogen gas turbine that is fueled by eco-friendly hydrogen, and which will be applied later on to the Ulsan Combined Cycle Power Plant that is operated by Korea East-West Power Co.

An LNG gas turbine can be converted to a hydrogen gas turbine by applying hydrogen combustion technology.  With a high-efficiency H-class hydrogen gas turbine, fuel costs can be saved by up to approximately KRW 70 billion* annually compared to that of the existing (E-class) hydrogen gas turbines.  Furthermore, if hydrogen is used as 50% of the fuel mix, this would lead to a maximum 21.4% reduction of carbon emissions compared to the existing 100% LNG-fueled gas turbines.

* Assuming that this is for a 50% hydrogen-fueled gas turbine with an annual operating rate of 50% and that the KOGAS’ average fuel cost and hydrogen cost for first half of the year are applied.

“The H-class industrial gas turbine technology is a technology requiring the highest level of expertise, one that has yet to be commercialized in the global market. As such, we will do our utmost to successfully execute this project to ensure that Team Korea for Hydrogen Gas Turbines can become the first-mover of this market,” said Hongook Park, CEO of Doosan Enerbility’s Power Services Business Group. “We expect that the successful completion of this project will contribute to promoting the Korean hydrogen industry and achieving the NDCs(Nationally Determined Contributions).”

Doosan Enerbility, which was the fifth in the world to successfully develop a gas turbine for power generation, is stepping up its efforts in the development of hydrogen gas turbines.  With the ultimate goal being to complete development of a 400MW 100% hydrogen-fueled gas turbine by 2027, the development of a 50% hydrogen co-fired gas turbine and 100% hydrogen-fueled gas turbine are being pursued simultaneously.