KUALA LUMPUR: Gas power generation is poised to be a "dependable" backup source to renewable energy (RE) in Asia following the ongoing decarbonisation efforts in the power sector.
GE Gas Power chief commercial officer Jim Suciu said gas power would be the big piece in the future as most countries globally began to switch from coal-fired power to gas-fired power generation for environmental sustainability.
"The potential of gas turbine continues to advance RE and takes gas asset to move into cleaner fuel like hydrogen in the future," he said at a webinar conference titled - Resilience: Powering through Challenging Times on Tuesday.
GE Gas is capable of converting the full spectrum of liquid and gas fuels to energy, with natural gas-fueled combined cycle power plants, offering one of the cleanest and most efficient methods of producing electricity from fossil fuels.
Its portfolio of gas power systems and services include industry-leading gas and steam turbines, generators, heat recovery steam generators, condensers and other balance of plant equipment.
GE Gas president and chief executive officer for Asia Pacific Ramesh Singaram said the company had installed a 900GW capacity from gas-powered generation in the region, representing about 12 per cent of the global total capacity.
"Decarbonisation is going to be more rapid over the next 10 years and gas will have its place just like RE (solar and wind). The capacity is driven by growth," he said.
Ramesh expects about 400GW capacity from gas-power generation would be added in Asia over the next decade, while two-third of the projection would be derived from RE.
"However, some countries can afford coal and I don't think it can diminish. But there is always a role for gas," he said.
Rames said uncertainties over nuclear power generation and replacement from fossil fuel to cleaner energy would drive the capacity for gas and RE in Asian countries.
Citing an example, he said Asean has 92 per cent electrification adoption from its over 630 million population. However, the remaining 60 million people had yet to receive electricity.
"Hence, the growth rate and opportunity in the region would for over the next decade with 270GW of power going to be added," he said.
GE Gas chief marketing officer Brian Gutknecht said gas would play an important role in helping to decarbonise in several ways.
"It offers the flexible capacity for our gas plant, being able to decarbonise them by blending it with an increasing amount of hydrogen. We see a long-term role of gas plant technology continues to play.
"The flexibility attributes to ramp rate and being able to turn down the minimum load to low load and, fast start time and higher efficiency," he said.
Ramesh said GE Gas was executing about 41 new projects in Asia with different phases of installation and commissioning, amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We have 1,300 people move in different places in the region. We want to improve the whole execution and focus on operational excellence and customer experience.
"Our primary goal is to focus on quality and on-time delivery. We will continue with the progressing improvement, connecting the enterprise, supporting our customer in optimising and managing their asset," he said.
Ramesh said the affordability of liquified natural gas (LNG) with rapid transition and governments specific policy of decarbonisation, had enabled power development planning between gas, RE and coal in the region in the last 10 years.
"For the next 10 decade, it will make a shift and Asia has a role for gas beyond than just providing intermittent generation support for RE. But gas can be dependable power as well.
"We have active projects in Asia with a different phase of execution, ranging from Japan Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand.
"It is an active space in term of gas, but we see the impact of affordable energy making its wave as gas has its role beyond just renewable grid firming," he added.