Photo courtesy of CarbonCredits.com
Duke Energy Florida has launched a new clean energy system that is the first of its kind in the United States. The system can produce, store, and burn 100% green hydrogen fuel at a commercial power plant. The project is called the DeBary Hydrogen Production Storage System. It uses solar power to make hydrogen, stores the fuel, and sends it to a combustion turbine to produce electricity. This project marks an important step in using renewable hydrogen to generate power when needed.
The DeBary project is located in Volusia County, Florida. It sits at an existing Duke Energy Florida site that already includes solar and natural gas power facilities. The hydrogen system is designed to help the utility add more clean energy while keeping the electric grid reliable, especially during times of high demand.
Hydrogen Hits the Grid: How DeBary Produces Power on Demand
The DeBary system combines several steps of green hydrogen production into one working process. It starts with electricity from a 74.5-megawatt (MW) solar array already at the site. This clean power runs electrolyzers, which split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The oxygen is released into the air, while the hydrogen gas is collected.
The system works in three main steps:
1. Solar power runs electrolyzers that split water to produce hydrogen.
2. The hydrogen is stored in reinforced containers on site.
3. The stored hydrogen is sent to a gas turbine that can burn hydrogen alone or mixed with natural gas.
The turbine has been upgraded with technology from GE Vernova. This allows it to run on up to 100% hydrogen. This level of operation has not been demonstrated at this scale before in the United States.