In the United States (US), Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and compatriot fuel cell technology developer Bloom Energy Corporation have announced the powering of a portion of Caltech’s grid with an innovative hydrogen project, that demonstrates how hydrogen could offer a strong solution for long-duration clean energy storage and dispatchable power generation.
According to a joint statement, the project demonstrates the potential to displace traditional natural gas with fuels like hydrogen, which can be made from clean renewable sources and foster the many environmental and economic benefits of a hydrogen economy.
The project showcases how leveraging existing infrastructure with electrolyzers and fuel cell technology may be able to create microgrids that deliver resilient power and can help safeguard businesses, communities, and campuses from power disruptions.
At scale, this technology may help further California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent strategic initiatives to develop a hydrogen economy.
It is becoming clearer with each passing day that hydrogen can and should play a key role in California’s efforts to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Moreover, I am excited to see Caltech, one of our nation’s leading institutions, serving as a testbed for the use of hydrogen with this new and innovative technology on their campus, said Senator Bob Archuleta, Chair of the Senate’s Select Committee on Hydrogen Energy.
Develop hydrogen injection standard
This project takes water from Caltech’s service line and runs it through Bloom Energy’s solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC), which uses grid energy to create hydrogen.
The resulting hydrogen is injected into Caltech’s natural gas infrastructure upstream of Bloom Energy fuel cells, creating up to a 20 percent blend of hydrogen and natural gas.
All of this fuel blend is then converted into electricity with Bloom Energy’s fuel cells, and the electricity is then distributed for use on campus.
Blending hydrogen into natural gas infrastructure statewide – which could help reduce dependence on fossil fuels and ultimately drive down hydrogen costs by scaling production, first requires developing a hydrogen injection standard.
We commend Governor Newsom and SoCalGas for their vision and leadership in the important work to develop the hydrogen economy. As a California manufacturer of Bloom Electrolyzers, we are uniquely positioned to advance the goals of delivering clean and reliable energy in a post-carbon economy. We are working on several major opportunities to deliver our electrolyzers to customers to help grow hydrogen as a significant energy source in the US and internationally, said Greg Cameron, President and Chief Financial Officer at Bloom Energy.
Hydrogen microgrid demonstrator
The global hydrogen economy is expected to potentially produce as much as 80 gigatons of carbon abatement by 2050, which represents approximately 11 percent of required cumulative emissions reductions according to a McKinsey & Co report.
Just this year, SoCalGas unveiled its award-winning H2 Innovation Experience, a state-of-the-art demonstration project designed to show the resiliency and reliability of a hydrogen microgrid.
When coupled with renewable energy, clean hydrogen could help facilitate a scalable, resilient, and decarbonized energy system. SoCalGas is working to help shape California’s 21st-century energy system through investments in clean hydrogen, renewable natural gas (RNG), fuel cells, and carbon management.
This collaborative effort represents a significant step in harnessing hydrogen as a resilient, clean energy solution that’s in line with Governor Newsom’s vision for California. Integrating cutting-edge electrolyzers and fuel cell technology into existing infrastructure demonstrates the potential for building robust microgrids, enhancing power resiliency for businesses, communities, and campuses at scale, said Maryam Brown, President at SoCalGas.
