Today, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) announced it submitted several research and development initiatives to the U.S. Department of Energy. Particularly to DOE’s “Earthshot” Hydrogen Program through a Request for Information (RFI). Accordingly, these initiatives would look to enable low-cost, clean hydrogen.
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Similarly, SoCalGas aims the submissions to help DOE’s Hydrogen Program prioritize projects that would accelerate clean hydrogen innovations. Particularly, the Company said these projects could reduce emissions, create jobs and facilitate a net-zero carbon emissions economy by 2050.
The collaborators
Accordingly, SoCalGas is working with multiple collaborators on these initiatives; including, for instance, the University of California Irvine, the University of California Los Angeles, and the Green Hydrogen Coalition.
In this sense, Maryam Brown, SoCalGas’ president commented; “Indeed, green hydrogen is a renewable energy source that can be ready-to-go whenever it’s needed; specifically, for power generation, manufacturing, or transportation.”
Similarly, “we believe this flexible, storable fuel will be essential to achieving net-zero emissions in California,” continued Brown. Thus, “that is why we are working collaboratively with these partners to advance these important hydrogen projects.”
SoCalGas on its commitment towards achieving net-zero GHGs
In fact, and it is worth noting, SoCalGas recently announced its commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in its operations and delivery of energy by 2045.
Therefore, in doing so, SoCalGas became the largest gas distribution utility in the nation to include scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions in its target. Also, in aligning with the Paris Agreement’s recommendations to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
About the projects
In this sense, the programs submitted to the DOE request include the HyDeal LA Project. Particularly, this is an initiative to architect the green hydrogen ecosystem; mainly to achieve at-scale procurement of green hydrogen at $1.50/kg in the Los Angeles basin by 2030.
Another project is the Renewable Hydrogen Ecosystem, which will build a facility in the University of California, Irvine (UCI); designed to use hydrogen made from solar and wind energy to create a zero-emissions energy system on the UCI campus.
Lastly, the Direct Solar Methane Conversion Project would be a new technology developed by researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Particularly, it would use solar energy to separate the carbon and hydrogen atoms in natural gas with zero or harmful emissions.
Also, in creating hydrogen and capturing carbon in solid form, which can be used in high-value energy technology applications when commercialized.
Reception
Accordingly, Janice Lin, president and founder of the Green Hydrogen Coalition, said in a statement; “Indeed, the Western United States has abundant renewable resources necessary to make globally competitive low-cost green hydrogen.”
Therefore, “by working to simultaneously aggregate multi-sectoral demand, scale production, and design the needed infrastructure for transport and storage; HyDeal LA aims to make use of these renewable resources to produce and deliver green hydrogen at scale to accelerate multi-sectoral decarbonization in power plants, transportation, and as a feedstock for industrial customers.”
Thus, Lin added, “HyDeal LA represents an opportunity for the U.S. Department of Energy to promote the development of domestic green hydrogen hubs. Also, to establish the U.S. as a leader for this vast new emerging energy export opportunity.”
