Duke Energy to Unfurl its Embarkment on Green Hydrogen Project

Duke Energy is set to embark on a groundbreaking project, marking a significant milestone in the United States' pursuit of clean energy. This initiative aims to demonstrate the successful creation of clean energy through an end-to-end system encompassing production, storage, and combustion of 100% green hydrogen. Duke Energy, headquartered in North Carolina, collaborated on this pioneering technology with Sargent and Lundy and GE Vernova. The culmination of their efforts will be implemented at Duke Energy's DeBary power plant located in Volusia County, Florida.

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The comprehensive end-to-end system commences with the existing 74.5MW DeBary solar plant, which generates clean energy to power two 1MW electrolyser units responsible for separating water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen atoms.

The generated oxygen is released into the atmosphere, while the green hydrogen is carefully stored in nearby reinforced containers to ensure safety. During periods of peak energy demand, the system will release the stored green hydrogen to a combustion turbine (CT), which will be upgraded using GE Vernova technology to operate on a blend of natural gas and hydrogen or even pure hydrogen, up to 100%.

Construction of this groundbreaking demonstration project in DeBary is scheduled to commence later this year, with an estimated completion time of around one year. Duke Energy anticipates that the entire system will be installed and fully operational by 2024.

Regis Repko, Senior Vice-President of Generation and Transmission Strategy for Duke Energy, emphasized the pivotal role hydrogen can play in the company's clean energy future. He highlighted hydrogen's potential for decarbonization across various sectors of the US economy and its capacity for long-duration energy storage, which will contribute to enhancing grid reliability as Duke Energy continues to integrate more renewable energy sources into its system.

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Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, boasts a substantial energy capacity of 10,500 megawatts, supplying electricity to approximately 1.9 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers within a vast 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida.

According to the article by Procurement Resource, Duke Energy is pioneering an end-to-end clean energy system in the US. The project, in collaboration with Sargent and Lundy and GE Vernova, will be deployed at their DeBary power plant in Florida. It integrates a 74.5MW solar plant with electrolysis units to produce, store, and use 100% green hydrogen. The hydrogen will power a combustion turbine during peak demand, enhancing grid reliability. Construction begins this year, targeting full operation by 2024, and Duke Energy aims to advance clean energy with hydrogen's decarbonization potential.