A trio of gas utilities plan to study hydrogen blending in California
Three natural gas utilities have proposed hydrogen blending projects in California to evaluate how hydrogen could be delivered through the state’s natural gas system. If approved, the results of the study would help inform the development of a renewable hydrogen blending standard for California.
Southern California Gas Company and San Diego Gas & Electric proposed demonstration projects on college campuses, while Southwest Gas seeks to test the viability of delivering a hydrogen/natural gas blend to customers in Northern California’s more challenging climate.
The joint filing was submitted in early September, and though the three utilities are all looking at hydrogen blending, their approaches differ.
SoCalGas’ project would fuel existing residential and light commercial equipment in academic buildings, student amenities and housing at UC Irvine, initially blending 5% hydrogen through mixed steel and plastic pipes with the goal of increasing the blend up to 20%. “This demonstration project offers a real-world environment to better understand how clean fuel blends can be delivered to customers connected to the grid today,” said Neil Navin, vice president for clean energy innovations at SoCalGas.
The SDG&E project would study the feasibility of injecting a mixture of up to 20% hydrogen into an isolated section of a plastic natural gas pipe serving building equipment such as boilers and water heaters for a UC San Diego apartment complex. Hydrogen for the project would be produced on-site from a dedicated, grid-connected electrolyzer. “Achieving the state’s climate goals, including reaching carbon neutrality by 2045, will require a broad range of clean energy technologies,” said SDG&E CEO Caroline Winn. “That’s why we are investing in the research, development and demonstration of emerging hydrogen innovations that have the potential to be a game changer.”
Southwest Gas’ project would use plastic and steel natural gas pipe while testing the safety of using the blend in the more extreme conditions experienced at higher elevations and in below-freezing temperatures. “Hydrogen and RNG are powerful solutions for our energy future that are helping to transform how we fuel our lives, homes and businesses while honoring our commitment to environmental stewardship and emissions reductions for long-term change,” said Dr. Laura S. Nelson, Southwest Gas’ vice president of sustainability and public policy.
The projects follow recommendations from a recent study intended to help establish standards and protocols for hydrogen use throughout the state. The study was conducted by the University of California at Riverside and sponsored by the California Public Utilities Commission.