Monday, August 17, 2009

Worlds first Zero Emissions Powerplant

Enel opens hydrogen power plant

Enel opens hydrogen power plant

Italian energy company Enel says it's opened what it calls the world's first industrial-scale, zero-emissions power plant fueled by hydrogen.

The 47 million euro ($A79.78 million) project in Fusina, on the coast near Venice, generates enough electricity to meet the needs of 20,000 households while avoiding the emission of 17,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, Enel said in a statement on Friday.

Though similar plants have been built as a test, this is the largest in the world and the first of its kind, the Rome-based company said.

The plant has a capacity of 12 megawatts and burns hydrogen gas in a turbine developed in partnership with General Electric.

Enel said the only by-products of the process are hot air and water vapour. These are used to generate steam, which is sent to an existing coal-fired plant to produce another potential four megawatts of energy.

The hydrogen is brought to the plant through a specially built pipeline and is a by-product of chemical manufacturing in the nearby industrial zone of Porto Marghera, Enel said.

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