San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) has submitted a proposal with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for a renewable hydrogen demonstration project on the University of California San Diego campus.
The study will include installation of an electrolyser to produce hydrogen and to study blending hydrogen with natural gas in the existing gas system.
The project is part of SDG&E’s multi-pronged sustainability strategy to explore the feasibility of emerging technologies to rapidly decarbonise multiple economic sectors – from buildings and transportation to industrial and manufacturing processes – to help California reach its carbon neutrality goal by 2045.
If approved by the CPUC, the project would study the feasibility of injecting up to 20% of hydrogen into plastic natural gas pipe.
An isolated section of a gas line serving a UC San Diego apartment complex would use hydrogen blended gas for common building equipment such as boilers and water heaters.
Hydrogen used in this study would be produced onsite via a dedicated, grid-connected electrolyser.
The results of the study would help inform the development of a renewable hydrogen blending standard for California.
The project would fulfil a key recommendation in a recent “Hydrogen Blending Impacts” study (sponsored by the CPUC and performed by UC Riverside) calling on utilities to conduct “real world demonstration of hydrogen blending” to fill knowledge gaps that cannot be addressed through modelling or lab experiments.
“Because of California’s abundant solar energy resource and strong history of clean energy innovation, we are well-positioned to pioneer a clean hydrogen economy,” said state Senator Ben Hueso, who represents the San Diego and Imperial County areas.