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2d ago

Los Angeles Ends Coal Power, Turns to Gas-Hydrogen Blend at Utah Plant

The Intermountain facility will begin January deliveries using turbines built to scale from 30% hydrogen toward fully hydrogen-fueled generation.

Image
This Aug. 20, 2019, file photo shows a trio of concrete stacks at the Navajo Generating Station near Page, Ariz., just south of the Utah border. The three towering concrete stacks are the most visual reminder of a coal-fired power plant that operated for decades in far northern Arizona. On Friday, Dec. 18, 2020, they were scheduled to come down. The 775-foot structures loomed over the now-closed Navajo Generating Station. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File)

Overview

  • Mayor Karen Bass said the Intermountain Power Project delivered its last coal-fired electricity to Los Angeles last week, leaving the city's supply roughly 60% carbon-free.
  • Beginning in January, Intermountain's upgraded units are slated to run on about 70% natural gas and 30% hydrogen, with green hydrogen expected to enter the fuel mix in 2026.
  • Hydrogen is being produced on site with roughly 220 megawatts of electrolyzers and stored in an adjacent salt cavern, targeting about 21 million kilograms per year at full operation.
  • The Utah project received a $504 million U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee, and Mitsubishi Power supplied electrolyzers sourced from China, according to project officials.
  • LADWP approved an $800 million conversion of two Scattergood units to run on gas-hydrogen blends as officials pledge strict NOx controls and some advocates warn of higher costs and fossil fuel lock-in.