Mitsubishi Power announces hydrogen projects for power balancing and energy storage

Mitsubishi Power is entering an accelerated path toward carbon-less power generation with the launch of a new standard package for green hydrogen integration. Intermittent renewable capacity is expected to almost quadruple by 2050 and recent power shortages in California and elsewhere have elevated industry concerns that power balancing and energy storage are essential for operating a low-carbon power grid.

In addition to two previously announced hydrogen projects, Mitsubishi Power has been selected as the green hydrogen storage integrator for three projects, totaling more than $3 billion, using its new standard packages.

Mitsubishi Power’s integrated green hydrogen solutions are called the "Hydaptive package and the Hystore package." The Hydaptive package provides renewable energy flexibility by acting as a near-instantaneous power balancing resource that enhances the ability of a simple cycle or combined cycle power plant to ramp output up and down to provide grid balancing services. It integrates a hydrogen and natural gas fueled gas turbine power plant with electrolysis to produce green hydrogen using renewable power and onsite storage of green hydrogen. Patent-pending TOMONI software and controls enable rapid load response by integrating operations of the gas turbines and the electrolysis plants. The package is available for new gas turbine power plants or as a retrofit to existing plants to improve flexibility and extend asset life.

The Hystore package combines the Hydaptive package with access to large-scale off-site hydrogen production and storage infrastructure, enabling large-scale renewable energy storage that shifts variable renewable energy over time, from hours to seasons, and provides reliable and cost-effective carbon-free energy when the grid needs it most.

Previously, Mitsubishi announced green hydrogen projects in Delta, Utah, which in turn helped lay the groundwork for the Hystore package. These are the Advanced Clean Energy Storage project and the $1.9 billion Intermountain Power Project.

Now, Mitsubishi Power is announcing three new projects, with investments totaling more than $3 billion, that can use the Hydaptive package to help convert units over time from natural gas to hydrogen energy storage. These projects each include JAC gas turbine power islands that are initially capable of operating on 30% green hydrogen, with future capability of operating on 100% green hydrogen.

The first project is at Danskammer Energy, LLC in Newburgh, New York, with a capacity of 600 MW. The second project is being developed by Balico, LLC in Virginia. The third is EmberClear, which chose Mitsubishi Power’s package for its fully permitted 1,084 MW Harrison Power Project in Cadiz, Ohio.