Mitsubishi Power Cuts Through the Complexity of Decarbonization: Offers the World’s First Green Hydrogen Standard Packages for Power Balancing and Energy Storage

New Green Hydrogen Projects Total More Than $3 Billion Investment

LAKE MARY, Fla. (Sept. 2, 2020) — Mitsubishi Power — a world leader in power generation and short- and long-duration energy storage — accelerates the path toward 100% carbon-free power generation by launching the world’s first standard packages 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 components to successfully operate a low-carbon power grid. Mitsubishi Power’s standard packages cut through the complexity power generators and grid operators encounter when integrating renewable power, gas turbines, green hydrogen and other energy storage technologies. 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 the Hydaptive™ package and the Hystore™ package. The Hydaptive™ package provides renewable energy flexibility by acting as a near-instantaneous power balancing resource that greatly 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 100% 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. 

Mitsubishi Power’s standard packages cut through the complexity power generators and grid operators encounter when integrating renewable power, gas turbines, green hydrogen and other energy storage technologies. Shown: Schematic of the Hydaptive™ package.

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. 

With these packages, Mitsubishi Power seamlessly optimizes integration across renewables, energy storage, and gas turbines, which all work together to create and incorporate green hydrogen — the key to reaching zero-carbon emissions. The green hydrogen energy storage system includes three key elements. First, electrolysis plants convert excess renewable energy into hydrogen. Next, storage mediums such as salt caverns, pipelines or above ground vessels store this “green hydrogen” for hours to seasons, depending on the grid’s needs. Finally, hydrogen-enabled simple cycle or combined cycle gas turbine power plants convert the green hydrogen into centralized dispatchable electricity. Together, this storage system enables further balancing of renewable energy and better equips states and utilities to reliably and cost effectively meet their climate goals.

Mitsubishi Power’s previously announced green hydrogen projects in Delta, Utah, are the inspiration for the Hystore™ package. These are the Advanced Clean Energy Storage project and the $1.9 billion Intermountain Power Project. Today, 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. Danskammer’s CEO William Reid said, “We are committed to helping New York meet its climate targets. We selected Mitsubishi Power’s product because it would ready our facility to be a hydrogen-based zero-carbon power generator. By partnering with Mitsubishi Power for integrated green hydrogen generation and storage technologies, we hope to provide leadership in developing short- and long-duration energy storage infrastructure in New York State.”

The second project is being developed by Balico, LLC in Virginia. Balico’s CEO Irfan K. Ali said, “Balico’s fully permitted 1,600 megawatt Chickahominy Power Project is poised to deliver the critical Dominion Zone PJM market and Virginia the most efficient and reliable gas turbine technology in the world. We are excited at the prospect of even further environmental improvement by incorporating Mitsubishi Power’s innovative renewable hydrogen based technologies.”

EmberClear chose Mitsubishi Power’s package for its fully permitted 1,084 MW Harrison Power Project in Cadiz, Ohio. EmberClear’s President and CEO Raj Suri said, “We look forward to the flexibility the Mitsubishi Power technologies will provide as we ramp green hydrogen integration. We expect this plant to be the first hydrogen-capable project to reach commercial operation east of the Mississippi River. We also plan to use Mitsubishi Power as the green hydrogen integrator in our Eastern Pennsylvania project, which is in the early stages of development.”

Mitsubishi Power’s package approach includes a technology, services and financial wrap, which ensures technical and commercial predictability and provides customers confidence that the integrated solutions will operate safely, reliably and cost effectively for decades.

Paul Browning, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas said, “We previously announced two green hydrogen projects in Delta, Utah, that were the inspiration for the Hystore™ package, which provides massive long-duration storage of renewable energy. We are now announcing three additional projects that will utilize the Hydaptive™ package to provide greatly improved power plant flexibility and make a power plant “hydrogen ready” as hydrogen infrastructure matures and renewable storage requirements increase. These standard packages offer a total solution to our customers who are seeking to integrate power generation with power storage. With these projects and others to come, we will create a true path to the zero-carbon power grid of the future. Together with our customers, we are creating a Change in Power.”

*Based on U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook 2020.

About Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.

Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. (Mitsubishi Power) headquartered in Lake Mary, Florida, employs more than 2,000 power generation, energy storage, and digital solutions experts and professionals. Our employees are focused on empowering customers to affordably and reliably combat climate change while also advancing human prosperity throughout North and South America. Mitsubishi Power’s power generation solutions include natural gas, steam, aero-derivative, geothermal, distributed renewable technologies, environmental controls, and services. Energy storage solutions include green hydrogen and battery energy storage systems. Mitsubishi Power also offers digital solutions that enable autonomous operations and maintenance of power assets. Mitsubishi Power is a part of Mitsubishi Power, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI). Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, MHI is one of the world’s leading heavy machinery manufacturers with engineering and manufacturing businesses spanning energy, infrastructure, transport, aerospace and defense. For more information, visit the Mitsubishi Power Americas website and follow us on LinkedIn