RENEWCONNECT - All about renewables & power sector

Green hydrogen–capable gas turbines (H₂‑GTs) promise firm, dispatchable, zero‑carbon power that can backstop high-renewables grids and decarbonize peaking and industrial generation. Within the last 24 months, OEMs have validated 100% H₂ dry‑low‑NOx (DLN) combustors at full pressure ratios—an inflection point that moves H₂‑GTs from concept to pilot-to-early commercialization in the late‑2020s. GE Vernova completed a campaign demonstrating 100% hydrogen operation with <25 ppm NOx (dry) and is targeting commercial solutions for its B‑ and E‑class fleet by 2026 ; Siemens Energy’s HYFLEXPOWER program operated an SGT‑400 on 100% H₂ on-site with integrated power‑to‑H₂‑to‑power; Mitsubishi Power has executed 50% H₂ co‑firing on an advanced‑class unit and is scaling projects tied to salt‑cavern hydrogen storage hubs. [gevernova.com] , [gasturbineworld.com] , [energytech.com] Yet, running turbines entirely on green hydrogen raises tight-linked system questions: Can the fuel be produc...

Tidal energy—delivered via tidal barrages/lagoons (tidal‑range) and in‑stream turbines (tidal‑stream)—offers predictable, twice‑daily generation that can complement variable wind and solar. The global installed base remains small (dozens to hundreds of MW) but maturing: the Sihwa Lake (South Korea, 254 MW) and La Rance (France, 240 MW) barrages demonstrate multi‑decadal performance, while the UK/EU pipeline for tidal stream projects is expanding under targeted revenue support. [en.wikipedia.org] , [en.wikipedia.org] , [oceanenerg...-europe.eu] Our thesis: Tidal power can play a material role in balanced decarbonization portfolios where site conditions (large tidal ranges or high‑velocity currents), policy frameworks and grid needs align. However, making tidal the primary renewable globally is neither realistic nor desirable: total practical resource is regional , costs remain higher than wind/solar, and environmental trade‑offs (especially for barrages) require careful gover...

Hydropower remains the largest single source of renewable electricity worldwide , supplying ~14% of global power and anchoring system flexibility in more than 150 countries. The fleet surpassed ~1.25–1.41 TW of installed capacity by end‑2024, with pumped storage providing >90% of long‑duration energy storage globally. [hydropower.org] , [iea.org] , [hydropower.org] Small hydro (typically <10–50 MW, often run‑of‑river) offers low‑impact, distributed generation with sizable untapped potential (~222 GW identified by UNIDO/ICSHP), but today totals only ~79 GW. If we hypothetically replaced large dams with only small hydro , three structural consequences follow: [renewablee...yworld.com] Massive loss of storage and seasonal flexibility. Reservoir hydropower and pumped storage underpin diurnal and seasonal balancing —capabilities small run‑of‑river projects largely lack. Without this, grids would need trillions of dollars of alternative storage, transmission, and firm capacity. [iea...

  Converting coal power stations to run on biomass —via co‑firing , full conversion , and, in selected cases, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) —can deliver dispatchable, lower‑carbon electricity while leveraging existing assets and workforce. Globally, modern bioenergy is expected to more than double by 2050 in net‑zero pathways, with solid bioenergy serving hard‑to‑electrify sectors and providing firm power; BECCS plays a critical role by delivering durable carbon removals. [iea.org] , [ieabioenergy.com] But conversion is not a silver bullet . The business case depends on sustainable feedstock supply , emissions accounting under RED III and similar frameworks, pellet price volatility , and retrofit costs —especially at utility scale. India’s policy ecosystem is evolving rapidly: a mandatory 5–7% biomass co‑firing obligation in coal plants, the SAMARTH mission for agri‑residue, and MNRE’s revised Biomass Programme to catalyze pellet capacity and cogeneration—c...