Mitsubishi Power Americas and the Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) have achieved a significant milestone in their collaborative effort to develop a groundbreaking clean energy project. The project, known as the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) Renewed, aims to revolutionize power generation by incorporating advanced gas turbines and utilizing hydrogen fuel.
The IPA’s transformational power project, located in Delta, UT, received the delivery of two M501JAC advanced-class gas turbines from Mitsubishi Power. These turbines, manufactured at Mitsubishi Power’s facility in Takasago, Japan, were transported via ship and arrived in Utah after a 30-day journey covering approximately 5,877 miles. The turbines are now awaiting installation and on-site testing before they begin full operation in 2025.
What sets this project apart is the significant role hydrogen will play in the power generation process. The IPP Renewed project gas turbines will initially utilize 30 percent hydrogen fuel upon start-up in 2025, with a long-term goal of achieving 100 percent hydrogen by 2045. This transition is expected to result in dispatchable carbon-free utility-scale power generation, significantly reducing carbon emissions by more than 75 percent compared to the current operations of the Intermountain Power Project.
Once fully installed and operational, the advanced gas turbines will generate 840 megawatts of net generation output. Mitsubishi Power has committed to providing service and maintenance for the gas turbines through a 20-year long-term service agreement. The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the project is TIC – The Industrial Company, a subsidiary of Kiewit.
In addition to the advancements in power generation, Mitsubishi Power is also collaborating with Magnum Development to develop the Advanced Clean Energy Storage project (ACES Delta hub) near the IPP site. The ACES Delta hub will be a utility-scale renewable energy hub that produces, stores, and delivers green hydrogen to the Western United States. This hydrogen will be used to operate the J-Class turbines at the IPP Renewed project. The ACES Delta hub will rely on renewable energy-powered electrolyzers to split water into oxygen and hydrogen, with hydrogen stored in underground salt caverns capable of holding 150,000 MWh of clean energy.
Cameron Cowan, General Manager of the Intermountain Power Agency, emphasized the significance of the project, saying, With the delivery of these two highly flexible J-Class gas turbines from Mitsubishi Power Americas, the IPP Renewed project is well on its way to becoming a beacon of innovation, paving the way for a cleaner, dispatchable energy footprint in the region.
Bill Newsom, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Power Americas, expressed pride in the project, stating, As we continue to support our customers with advances in clean energy technology, IPP Renewed is a perfect example of a real, steel-on-the-ground project. The project demonstrates that bringing together the right partners with the right capabilities supports essential renewable energy infrastructure emergence and moves the country further along the path to net-zero emissions.
This collaboration between Mitsubishi Power Americas and the Intermountain Power Agency represents a significant step forward in the pursuit of clean and sustainable energy solutions. By integrating advanced gas turbines and hydrogen fuel, the IPP Renewed project is poised to transform power generation while reducing carbon emissions and promoting a cleaner energy future.
