Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is launching the country’s most comprehensive end-to-end hydrogen study and demonstration facility, which will look at the zero-carbon fuel hydrogen’s future potential as a renewable energy source for not only PG&E customers, but the entire global natural gas industry.
The study’s focus is a large-scale project called Hydrogen to Infinity, which would combine hydrogen and natural gas in a stand-alone transmission pipeline system.
Hydrogen to Infinity will allow PG&E and its partners (Northern California Power Agency [NCPA], Siemens Energy, the City of Lodi, GHD Inc., and the University of California at Riverside) to conduct a comprehensive study of various hydrogen blend levels in a multi-feed, multi-directional natural gas pipeline system that is independent of the company’s current natural gas transmission system.
The specialized facility will enable the research of hydrogen injection, storage, and burning of various hydrogen blends in a range of end applications in a controlled and safe manner. The Siemens Energy 5000F4 Gas Turbine at NCPA’s Lodi Energy Center power facility, which is close to H2, will take a hydrogen-natural gas blend for electric generation.
Investing in the Future
“This demonstration plant represents a huge step forward in our ambition to diversify our natural gas system for our consumers and examine hydrogen’s role in California’s decarbonized future,” said Janisse Quiones, PG&E Gas Engineering Senior Vice President. “Our feasibility studies of hydrogen are a critical aspect of our development and evolution as a natural gas utility as we advance PG&E’s climate goals and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, notably from fossil fuels.” Not only for PG&E, but for the whole worldwide network of natural gas pipeline operators, this new center will deliver important research, eliminate information gaps, and unleash potential.”
Hydrogen to Infinity will be housed at a new 130-acre site in Lodi, California, that will act as a research and development center for hydrogen production, pipeline transit, storage, and combustion.
Areas of focus within the pilot include:
- Technical, operational, and safety needs
- Market development
- Energy resiliency and flexibility
- Commercial and government partnerships
- Unprecedented functional test environment for ongoing research
- Training environment for new technology
Source: PG&E
