Electrolysers use electricity to split water into its components—oxygen and hydrogen. When renewable electricity is used in this process no CO2 emissions are created. This green hydrogen can then be used for clean transportation or industrial applications or blended with natural gas to lower the carbon content of the fuel. Green hydrogen offers the ability to store renewable electricity across months and seasons, an advantage over battery storage.
H2U Technology’s new electrolyser, called the Gramme 50, is designed to be built in 200 KW blocks that can be stacked to produce as much as 80 kg of green hydrogen a day, which could power up to 80 homes per day in a microgrid. The blocks can be manufactured in large numbers and added at any time to match hydrogen demand. SoCalGas’ research with H2U Technologies will also include validation studies on the performance of new non-precious metal catalysts, materials used in very small quantities to initiate and accelerate the chemical process of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. In addition, the proposed research will include testing methods and materials that could reduce production costs and rapidly advance scale-up of manufacturing.
“Innovations that make green hydrogen production more cost-effective and scalable are critical to providing clean, safe and reliable energy for the nearly 22 million Californians we serve while reaching our net-zero emissions goal,” said Neil Navin, SoCalGas Vice President of clean energy innovations. “Partnering with H2U Technologies will provide meaningful advancements that aim to move this important technology forward.”
“Renewable electricity production is expected to grow exponentially in California, US, in the next two decades, so the ability to store it by producing green hydrogen will be crucial,” said Jim Disanto, H2U Technologies Board Chairman. “We’re excited to advance our electrolyser technologies and new catalysts with the help of SoCalGas. It will be of great benefit to Californians and all of society.”
SoCalGas’ work with H2U Technologies is part of the utility’s Research, Development and Demonstration programme, which collaborates with industry experts to identify, develop, test, and commercialize transformational new energy technologies designed to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, maintain energy affordability, and advance the safety and reliability of California’s energy delivery systems.
SoCalGas recently announced its commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045. In doing so, it became one of the largest gas distribution utilities in the nation to include scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions in its target, aligning with the Paris Climate Agreement’s recommendations to limit global warming to 1.5°C by achieving net-zero by mid-century.
