(P&GJ) — Mitsubishi Power Americas has delivered two M501JAC advanced-class gas turbines to the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) Renewed project in Delta, Utah, and the turbines are now awaiting installation and on-site testing before commencing full operation in 2025.
Aerial view of the IPP Renewed site under construction. (Photo: Business Wire)
The IPP Renewed project gas turbines will utilize 30% hydrogen fuel at start-up in 2025, with a goal of achieving 100% hydrogen by 2045 and ultimately resulting in dispatchable carbon-free utility-scale power generation. This blend of natural gas and hydrogen will reduce carbon emissions by more than 75% when compared to IPP’s present operations.
A pipeline from the ACES Delta hub will feed the IPP Renewed project with hydrogen to operate the J-Class turbines. The hub is a utility-scale renewable energy hub that will produce, store, and deliver green hydrogen to the Western United States.
Additionally, the hub will use renewable energy-powered electrolyzers to split water into oxygen and hydrogen.
Once installed and in operation, the turbines will deliver 840 megawatts of net generation output. Mitsubishi Power will provide service and maintenance for the gas turbines under a 20-year long-term service agreement.
The hydrogen will be stored in two underground salt caverns, each the size of the Empire State Building capable of holding 150,000 MWh (Megawatt hour) of clean energy. It would take more than 80,000 shipping containers of lithium-ion batteries to produce the equivalent megawatt-hours of energy that one hydrogen salt cavern can store.
Mitsubishi Power gas turbines have more than 3.5 million hours of high-hydrogen operating experience, accumulated over 40 years and across 29 facilities.
The high-performance units began the journey via ship, transferring in Long Beach, California, to Apex, Nevada, before arriving in Utah. The journey covered approximately 5,877 miles in 30 days