Leading the Way to Carbon-Free Generation, Long Ridge Energy Terminal to Add Hydrogen Fuel Capability

Black & Veatch program management team guiding retrofit of plant aiming to be powered by carbon-free hydrogen within a decade

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With global energy solutions leader Black & Veatch as program manager, Ohio’s Long Ridge Energy Generation is retrofitting its 485-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power plant to run on a blend of natural gas and carbon-free hydrogen, making it the nation’s first large gas turbine plant to transition operations to hydrogen fuel.

Long Ridge is working to reconfigure the plant to use a mix of natural gas and hydrogen – a rising star in power generation – after it begins commercial operations in August 2021. As the first worldwide plant to blend hydrogen in a General Electric H-class gas turbine, the Hannibal, Ohio-based site initially will burn 5 percent hydrogen by volume in the natural gas stream. The program is outlining the changes necessary to transition entirely to using 100 percent green hydrogen – produced by electrolysis that separates water into its oxygen and hydrogen elements – over the next decade.

With a goal of carbon-free baseload power production, Black & Veatch is providing expertise in the development of the plant’s hydrogen integration strategy to ensure safe, reliable industrial practices for the site. The plant also will serve as a key component of a low-carbon industrial complex that will sell power to on-site tenants and third parties seeking to decarbonize and balance their power resources.

Bo Wholey, president Long Ridge Energy, offers the perspective his team has brought to their hydrogen strategy: “As the number of companies with carbon-free energy goals continues to grow, we decided to make Long Ridge the first in the U.S. to burn hydrogen in a large gas turbine. We want to accelerate the transition to hydrogen as quickly as possible.”

The project reflects Long Ridge’s long-term commitment to providing clean energy against a backdrop of growing demands by industry stakeholders for decarbonized power. The Long Ridge site is ideally situated along the Ohio River with industrial byproduct hydrogen readily available in the Ohio River valley. Its location at a port facility allows a quick-to-market solution while underground salt deposit geology can provide carbon or hydrogen storage. The river also provides an ample resource for production of green hydrogen.

“Balanced energy portfolios that maximize the use of next-generation, emissions-free fuel sources such as hydrogen will be critical to managing the energy transition and `repowering the power industry,’” said Mario Azar, president of Black & Veatch’s power business. “The first-of-a-kind Long Ridge project represents a significant step for the U.S. power industry and reflects the growing place for hydrogen as an important pillar of the global decarbonization effort.”

Once completed, the Long Ridge Energy Generation Project will be among the world’s lowest emission baseload power plants of any type while being compact, low-impact and significantly more advanced than earlier generations of natural gas plants.

As part of the project, Long Ridge has partnered with energy infrastructure company New Fortress Energy’s new Zero division, which is focused on investing in and deploying advancing hydrogen production technologies to reach zero-emission targets.

Editor’s Notes:

• For more details about the Long Ridge Energy Terminal, click here.
• In January, Black & Veatch announced that it has joined the Hydrogen Council – a global initiative of leading energy, transport and industry companies – reflecting its ongoing commitment to global decarbonization and further advancing efforts to create a more balanced energy portfolio.
• In December, the company joined the Center for Hydrogen Safety, a global nonprofit that supports and promotes the safe handling and use of hydrogen across industrial and consumer applications.

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch is an employee-owned engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people in over 100 countries by addressing the resilience and reliability of our world’s most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2019 were US$3.7 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

About Long Ridge Energy Terminal

The Long Ridge Energy Terminal is the Appalachian Basin’s leading multi-modal energy terminal, with a 485-MW Long Ridge Energy Generation Plant under construction, nearly 300 acres of flat land, two barge docks on the Ohio River, a unit-train-capable loop track and direct access to Ohio Route 7. Long Ridge is owned by a subsidiary of Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC and an affiliate managed by GCM Grosvenor. For more information about Long Ridge, please visit www.longridgeenergy.com.

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