FLEX4H2’s goal is to support European ambitious climate targets towards shifting away from the use of fossil fuels. In this context, utilisation of hydrogen offers a unique chance to decarbonise the power generation sector reliably, independently from weather or seasonal conditions, contributing to the ongoing effort in the fight against climate change, enabling CO2-free, dispatchable power generation.
FLEX4H2 aims to develop a fuel-flexible combustion system and will contribute to the EU Green Deal towards decarbonisation of the electric power sector.
The aforementioned goal translates into the project’s main objective – to design, develop and validate a safe, efficient and highly fuel-flexible combustion system capable of operating with any concentration of hydrogen blend up to 100% H2. Crucially, this objective will be pursued at the most challenging hydrogen combustion conditions, i.e., at H-Class operating temperatures, required for highest cycle efficiency, while still meeting emission targets without any use of diluents. The design of the combustor will be based on Ansaldo Energia’s Constant Pressure Sequential Combustion technology (CPSC) and will be demonstrated in a stepwise approach, at full gas turbine operating conditions (TRL6).
The new, improved combustor design will be fully retrofittable to existing gas turbines, thereby providing significant opportunities for refurbishing existing assets. Furthermore, FLEX4H2 will present credible pathways for comprehensive exploitation of the project’s results and thereby provide the basis for a firm contribution to the EU Green Deal towards decarbonisation of the electric power sector by 2030 and beyond.
