Hydrogen and natural gas are combining in an unexpected way at Southern California Gas Company, which is partnering with Doosan Mobility Innovation and GTI to launch DMI’s hydrogen-fueled drone for natural gas pipeline inspections.
“Partnering with Doosan Mobility Innovation in demonstrating their first-of-its-kind hydrogen drone technology offers us a unique opportunity to improve our natural gas pipeline inspections, with longer flying time powered by hydrogen fuel-cell technology and high-quality imagery that we’ve never experienced before,” Neil Navin, vice president of clean energy innovations for SoCalGas, told American Gas.
According to DMI, the drone offers the best fuel-cell power pack performance, with up to 120 minutes of flight time and up to 11 pounds maximum payload.
The effort is part of a larger project focused on advancing hydrogen technologies. GTI and SoCalGas, along with several additional project partners, are working on a U.S. Department of Energy project that intends to show renewable hydrogen can be a cost-effective fuel for multiple end-use applications, including drones, when coupled with large-baseload consumers that use hydrogen for clean, reliable, stationary power.
“Hydrogen is a critical part of a sustainable energy future that offers great versatility,” Navin said. “This project is one of many exciting ventures we have planned for hydrogen usage to support SoCalGas’ net-zero goal and help California reach carbon neutrality faster.” —Carolyn Kimmel