Hydrogen successfully tested to power turbine at compressor station in Germany

GRTgaz Deutschland and Open Grid Europe (OGE), in cooperation with Solar Turbines, tested the use of a natural gas blend containing hydrogen to power a turbine in a gas compressor. Only green hydrogen was used during the test, accounting for up to 25% of the blend.

Transmission system operators GRTgaz Deutschland and Open Grid Europe (OGE) worked with Solar Turbines, a US manufacturer of gas turbines, on a project testing a blend of natural gas and hydrogen, known as blending, in Germany.

The tests took place at the Waidhaus compressor station in Bavaria on the MEGAL pipeline. MEGAL is 51% owned by OGE and 49% by GRTgaz Deutschland. The tests focused on using natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen to power a turbine in a gas compressor. These gas turbines are usually powered by natural gas drawn from the pipeline network.

“This test is a good example of cross-border cooperation in addressing important challenges in the energy industry. In the spirit of international partnership, I am confident that we will continue to write MEGAL’s success story,” said Nicolas Delaporte, CEO of GRTgaz Deutschland.