SoCalGas, NREL, and GKN Hydrogen Launch Hydrogen Storage Pilot Project
Mary Holcomb, Digital Editor
(P&GJ) — Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas), GKN Hydrogen, and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have kicked off a pilot project to test an innovative hydrogen storage system at NREL's Flatirons Campus in Arvada, Colorado.
The project uses GKN Hydrogen's technology to store hydrogen in a solid state using metal hydrides, offering an alternative to traditional gaseous storage tanks. Researchers aim to evaluate the system’s performance and its potential integration with renewable energy technologies like microgrids and fuel cells. The goal is to explore scalable solutions for clean energy storage and assess their role in advancing a net-zero emissions economy.
"This demonstration project highlights how surplus renewable energy can be used to create and store clean renewable hydrogen to help sustainably meet our country's growing energy demands," said Jawaad Malik, chief strategy and sustainability officer at SoCalGas. "Continued advances in long-duration storage technologies could play a crucial role in supporting on-site clean energy systems and offer an additional path to help accelerate the decarbonization of hard-to-electrify industries."
The system will use renewable energy sources, including solar and wind, to convert water into hydrogen via an electrolyzer. The hydrogen will then be stored as a solid by bonding with metal hydrides, allowing storage of up to 500 kilograms at low pressure without the need for compression. When needed, the hydrogen can power an on-site fuel cell to generate zero-emissions electricity.
"We believe that hydrogen has the potential to revolutionize the energy sector, and our solutions are designed to make this transition as seamless as possible," said Jim Petrecky, chief operating officer at GKN Hydrogen. "Our storage systems promise significant potential benefits in the areas of safety, footprint, and operational and maintenance costs."
The project leverages NREL’s Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) platform to explore commercial and industrial applications for hydrogen storage. Researchers aim to validate use cases integrating solar power, electrolyzers, battery storage, fuel cells, and distribution equipment.
"The ARIES platform and infrastructure in Colorado aims to help accelerate the deployment of innovative energy technologies related to renewable energy, storage solutions, and interactive loads," said Katherine Hurst, NREL's principal investigator. "This project will be the world's largest hydrogen storage system connected to renewable energy, and the findings could be integral to advancing the interoperability of hydrogen technologies and renewable energies at scale."
The U.S. Department of Energy provided $1.7 million to fund the deployment of GKN Hydrogen's storage system. SoCalGas contributed $400,000 to support research and identify potential commercial applications. The project is set to run through December 2026.
Related News
Related News
- Energy Transfer Subsidiary Selects KTJV for Lake Charles LNG Export Project
- Phillips 66 to Shut LA Oil Refinery, Ending Major Gasoline Output Amid Supply Concerns
- FERC Sides with Williams in Texas-Louisiana Pipeline Dispute with Energy Transfer
- U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Pipeline Permits
- ConocoPhillips Eyes Sale of $1 Billion Permian Assets Amid Marathon Acquisition
- U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Pipeline Permits
- Malaysia’s Oil Exports to China Surge Amid Broader Import Decline
- U.S. LNG Export Growth Faces Uncertainty as Trump’s Tariff Proposal Looms, Analysts Say
- Marathon Oil to Lay Off Over 500 Texas Workers Ahead of ConocoPhillips Merger
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
Comments