Uncovering the economic tipping point between H₂-based gas turbines and CCS-enhanced gas turbines

University of Mons, 20 place du parc, 7000 Mons, Belgium

Abstract

In the pursuit of carbon neutrality, decarbonizing electricity production is a central yet complex challenge. While renewable sources like wind and solar are increasingly viable, their intermittency necessitates reliable and dispatchable alternatives. Gas turbines (GTs) can provide this flexibility, and two main pathways exist to make them carbon neutral: H₂-based GTs and CCS-enhanced GTs using amine- based carbon capture. Both options are compared technically and economically. It evaluates the feasibility of burning pure hydrogen and capturing 100 % CO₂, and examines their impact on efficiency, CAPEX, and OPEX. Simulations using Aspen Plus and economic modelling reveal that CCS-enhanced CCGTs, despite higher CAPEX, outperform H₂-based CCGTs due to currently prohibitive hydrogen costs. The study finds a LCOE of 140 €/MWh for CCS versus 1660 €/MWh for hydrogen, and payback of 23 years for CCS with EGR while no payback for hydrogen. A user-friendly online tool was also developed to assess scenarios based on real-world parameters. These findings underscore the current economic advantage of CCS-enhanced turbines, while highlighting the need for hydrogen cost reductions to make H2-based systems viable.