(Milwaukee, Wisconsin / USA) – The US energy supplier WEC Energy Group is testing the co-combustion of hydrogen in a natural gas power plant to generate electricity. As part of the pilot project, hydrogen and natural gas will be mixed in a ratio of 25/75 to power one of WEC subsidiary Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp.'s power plants. to operate. The plant in northern Michigan uses RICE (reciprocating internal combustion engine) technology. The engines were manufactured by the Finnish company Wärtsilä Oyj Abp and put into operation in 2019.
The WEC Energy Group is working with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) on the project. The non-profit energy research and development organization is leading the technical implementation of the project and is studying how hydrogen can be used to generate electricity to reduce carbon emissions. According to the information, this is “one of the first hydrogen pilot programs of its kind” in the United States.
Net zero emissions by 2050
WEC Energy Group aims to achieve net-zero emissions from electricity generation by 2050 and net-zero emissions of methane from gas-fired power plants by the end of 2030. “As we commission more and more renewable energy, we must ensure that the lights stay on even when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing,” said WEC CEO Gale Klappa. “The possibility of including hydrogen as a clean energy source in our power plants is an important step on the way to a sustainable future.”
WEC Energy Group provides electricity and gas to 4,6 million customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. The company has 7.000 employees. Sales in 2020 were $1,2 billion.
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© WEC Energy Group
