IHI and GE Vernova are co-developing a new gas turbine combustor to burn up to 100% ammonia in GE Vernova’s F-Class gas turbines.
IHI Corp. (IHI) and GE Vernova completed a new large-scale combustion test facility in Hyogo, Japan, at IHI’s Aioi Works facility. It’s designed to test advanced combustion systems at GE Vernova’s F-class gas turbine operating conditions, including pressure, temperature, air, and fuel flow rates. The end goal is to develop a commercially viable 100% ammonia-powered gas turbine by 2030.
“This announcement signals a shift from initial studies on the ammonia value chain to the practical implementation of technologies and engineering projects, aiming to decarbonize power generation by using ammonia as a fuel,” said Jeffrey Goldmeer, GE Vernova Senior Director, Technology Strategy. “This marks a new phase of collaboration between GE Vernova and IHI, with the goal of developing decarbonization pathways that safeguard existing power generation investments.”
This summer, IHI will be conducting rigorous combustion tests using full-scale prototype combustors operating on 100% ammonia, aiming. IHI will bring its ammonia combustion expertise, and GE Vernova will bring its global technical teams and shared best practices developed at GE Vernova’s advanced combustion test facility in Greenville, South Carolina.
“This milestone marks a significant step forward in the joint technology roadmap sealed with a Joint Development Agreement in 2024, aiming to lead to a 100% ammonia-capable combustion system by 2030,” said Kensuke Yamamoto, IHI Executive Officer, VP of Business Development Division, and GM of Ammonia Value Chain Project Department. “IHI has developed a 100% ammonia firing gas turbine IM270 (output 2MW) and will level the technology to develop large-scale combustion technology. IHI’s combustor development role lies in this new flagship test facility, which will be a crucial hub for IHI’s and GE Vernova’s project. The establishment of the large-scale combustion test facility underscores IHI’s and GE Vernova’s commitment to driving innovation in more sustainable energy solutions, with ammonia as a promising fuel for future power generation.”
Overview of the Large-scale Combustion Test facility built in IHI Aioi Works. Credit: GE Vernova
This project falls under the joint development agreement that the two companies signed in 2024. Goldmeer spoke of the agreement and combusting ammonia in an interview with Turbomachinery International at POWERGEN 2024.
“The fundamental question then is what combustion system resolves the fundamental chemistry issue, because this is a chemistry issue,” Goldmeer said. “The science itself behind these systems isn’t new but the application is.”
Today, GE Vernova’s technology either runs at or near stoichiometric—i.e., fuel and air in perfect chemical balance—or on the lean side, but the rich side of the stoichiometric dome—fuel-rich and oxygen lean—provides less air for the nitrogen to turn into NOx when using ammonia. To this point, GE Vernova and IHI are developing a two-stage combustion system with a rich dome to resolve the ammonia-NOx problem—building upon IHI’s development of a 2-MW gas turbine using 100% liquid ammonia and GE Vernova’s expertise in engineering and manufacturing of gas turbine combustion systems and balance of plant systems.
“The solution is we don’t take today’s combustion systems and repackage them; we go back to the fundamental science of combustion and look for the answer there and it gives us the answer,” Goldmeer said. “We’ll be focused on the technological development and technical deliverables, aiming for the validation of the combustion technology in the next two years and a potential commercially available product by 2030.”
