Long Ridge Energy Terminal to transition to 100% hydrogen-fired plant

Houston — Long Ridge Energy Terminal will transition its 485-MW combined-cycle power plant in Ohio to run on a blend of natural gas and hydrogen by November 2021, and to burn 100% green hydrogen by 2030, the company announced Oct. 13.

The project will be a partnership between Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure, which is the parent company of Long Ridge, as well as New Fortress Energy and GE Power, whose turbines are installed at the plant.

The plant, based in Hannibal, Ohio, amidst he Marcellus and Utica shale formations, will be the first purpose-built hydrogen-burning power plant in the US and the first worldwide to blend hydrogen in a GE H-class gas turbine, according to the announcement. The turbine can burn between 15%-20% hydrogen by volume in the gas stream initially, with the capability to transition to 100% hydrogen.

By November 2021, Long Ridge will begin blending hydrogen in the gas stream, using hydrogen byproduct from a nearby industrial facility. Longer term, a New Fortress Energy division, called Zero, will focus on investing in and deploying emerging hydrogen production technologies to produce low-cost, carbon-free hydrogen, according to the announcement. The site has access to the Ohio River for water, as well as below ground salt formations for large-scale hydrogen storage.

Additionally, with access to large-scale underground storage, the plant will be capable of supporting a balanced and diverse power generation portfolio in the future; from energy storage capable of accommodating seasonal fluctuations from renewable energy, to cost effective, dispatchable intermediate and baseload power, the announcement said.

"As the cost of carbon free fuels continues to drop, the Long Ridge Energy Terminal is ideally positioned to become a leader in deploying utility-scale green hydrogen solutions and clean energy storage," Joe Adams, CEO of Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure, said in the announcement.