GE Vernova’s gas turbines help fortify Queensland’s renewable energy grid
The Brigalow Peaking Power Plant will use GE Vernova LM2500XPRESS gas turbines to help ensure continuous, uninterrupted energy delivery during peak demand periods.
Overview
A rapidly progressing energy transition in Queensland makes creating grid stability challenging as old sources are phased out and newer renewable energy generation technologies come online.
The challenge
As one of the world’s most developed countries, Australia is obliged under the auspices of the Paris Agreement to “implement an economy-wide target to reduce greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030.” Many suggest that Australia can “comfortably” meet its target through state-driven renewable energy schemes.
The solution
The state of Queensland in Northeastern Australia has an ambitious operation that will help Australia meet its GHG reduction target while simultaneously keeping its regional electrical grid stable. CS Energy’s Brigalow Peaking Power Plant will produce electricity using a mix of natural gas and green hydrogen.
Outcomes
A foundation for stable renewable energy delivery
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Brigalow Peaking Power Plant can provide… multiple start/stop cycles per day and the ability to ramp up to full power output within a few minutes. This project is an example of how we plan to create clean energy hubs at our power stations to deliver the energy mix needed to reliably transition the grid to renewable energy.
Darren Busine
CEO, CS Energy
CS Energy has provided reliable electricity to homes and businesses in the state of Queensland, Australia, since its foundation in 1997. When Australia ratified its participation in the Paris Agreement in 2017, CS Energy began seriously investigating the energy (and revenue) potential of several renewable energy sources, including green hydrogen.
The Kogan Clean Energy Hub is part of CS Energy’s hydrogen portfolio. Over the next few years, what originally began as the site of a single advanced coal-fired plant (Kogan Creek Power Station) will expand to include both a Renewable Hydrogen Demonstration Plant and the Brigalow Peaking Power Plant.
Expected to be operational by the middle of 2026, Brigalow will help support more renewables entering the grid by using high efficiency gas turbine technology to stabilize the new primary power sources. With the ability to ramp up to full operation in about five minutes, the plant can be on the grid quickly to provide sustained power output during peak demand periods.
Brigalow will employ 12 GE Vernova LM2500XPRESS aeroderivative gas turbine generators to convert a blend of natural gas (sourced from the Roma to Brisbane Pipeline) and hydrogen produced at the Kogan Hydrogen Demonstration Plant.
Eventually, the plant is expected to increase its use of green hydrogen fuel from 35% by volume initially to 100% by the middle of the century.
Case studies
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