Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) is collaborating with GTI Energy to study the use of hydrogen and hydrogen blending in hard-to-decarbonize commercial and industrial processes, continuing its efforts to help the company and California achieve net-zero aspirations.

The project's objective is to investigate the utilization of hydrogen in heavy machinery, where it can be blended with natural gas up to 100% hydrogen, with special emphasis on applications that are not easily electrifiable.

The study will primarily examine the costs, safety, and emissions reduction associated with introducing hydrogen into commercial and industrial sectors.

SoCalGas has provided $752,000 in funding for the project, in addition to a $1.77 million grant approved by the California Energy Commission in July 2022.

Highest Potential for Decarbonization

The study will conduct a comprehensive survey of major commercial and industrial sectors to determine the equipment that has the greatest potential for decarbonization using hydrogen blends.

Once these potential applications are identified, the project team will conduct tests on commercial and industrial equipment to explore fuel blending with hydrogen, ranging from lower to higher concentrations, up to 100% hydrogen.

The project will benefit from GTI Energy's extensive expertise in hydrogen applications across diverse industries and aims to generate valuable insights for the widespread implementation of hydrogen in various end-use sectors.

SoCalGas’ Future

Hydrogen is set to play a critical part in SoCalGas' and California's energy future, particularly in decarbonizing hard-to-electrify sectors such as heavy-duty transportation, power generation, and heavy industries.

Toward that end, SoCalGas is working to develop Angeles Link, a proposed, dedicated clean renewable hydrogen pipeline system that could deliver clean, reliable, renewable energy to the Los Angeles region.

In December, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved SoCalGas' request to track costs for advancing the first phase of the project, which could be the nation's largest dedicated clean renewable hydrogen pipeline system and support significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions from:

• Heavy-duty trucks.

• Power generation.

• Industrial processes.

• Other hard-to-electrify sectors.

Angeles Link, the [H2] Innovation Experience, and more than a dozen hydrogen demonstration projects SoCalGas is currently pioneering, are all part of its ongoing efforts to help accelerate California's energy transition.