Estudo da aplicabilidade da mistura de gás natural e hidrogénio para a geração de energia na Central Termoeléctrica de Maputo

Abstract

The increase in the heat retention effect emanating from the earth's surface is largely explained by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution in the mid-18th century. Fossil fuels are the most used means of energy generation today, however, due to the environmental problems associated with their combustion, there is a need to find cleaner energy sources, and hydrogen begins to be researched globally as a major source of energy competitor to the energy vector of the future and possible successor to fossil fuels. On the other hand, Mozambique has been discovering huge amounts of natural gas, making it one of the largest reserves in the world. At the same time that it cyclically faces extreme weather events, which requires concerted action by the government to mitigate them, as mentioned by the President of the Republic of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi in his speech on 30 September 2020, emphasizing the importance of implementing an energy transition program, with cleaner and environmentally friendly sources, setting the goal of achieving an increase in the contribution of renewable energies to 20% in the national energy matrix, by 2040, looking at the high potential of Mozambique for the generation of renewable energy. The present work proposes a pioneering initiative for the decarbonization or minimization of the emissions inherent to the generation of electric energy through the combustion of natural gas, having as field of research or study the Thermoelectric Power Plant of Maputo. The study aims to analyze and substantiate the applicability of the mixture of natural gas and hydrogen as a fuel for power generation at the Maputo Thermoelectric Power Station without modifying its original plant or structure, seeking to combine the global trend (hydrogen) to reduce inherent emissions of the burning of fossil fuels and the available resource (natural gas), without compromising the correct functioning of the plant's equipment or the efficiency of its plant. Hydrogen will be produced in situ (in place) through the process of electrolysis of water, using wind energy (a renewable source) as the primary source, which will allow us to classify the hydrogen produced as green hydrogen, which will be stored and then injected into the plant's gas network in a controlled manner. In the next phase, the mixture will be directed to the combustion chamber, where it will burn continuously, producing gas at high temperature and pressure, expanding in the turbine to produce rotational energy supplied to an output shaft, which in turn, through an induced magnetic field inside the generator, generates electricity.