As more renewables come online, renewable power production swings will become larger. Flexible gas-fired power stations, notably OCGTs, will be needed to provide backup to the power supply to fill the gap, when solar and wind energy are not available.  

Natural gas turbines offer emissions reductions between 50-70% compared to coal in heat and power generation. New CCGTs, in particular, offer unprecedented emission reduction potential (both in terms of CO2 and local air pollutants such as NOx, SOx and PM). In fact, industry experts note that a fully renewable system cannot function without gas turbines and the flexibility their fast ramp-up provides. The European gas turbine industry had a 2020 commitment of being capable of co-firing 20% hydrogen – this was surpassed.

New turbines can handle 30% of hydrogen blends. For example, Vattenfall’s Berlin cogeneration for district heat and power. This is another technology that offers Europe an opportunity for climate leadership and creating jobs through the energy transition.