Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania to test hydrogen blending

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania has launched a multi-phase hydrogen blending project to determine optimal blend percentages and their environmental and consumer benefits.

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of NiSource, has partnered with EN Engineering to construct a hydrogen blending skid to enable controlled blending of hydrogen at various percentages, ranging from two to 20%.

The blended hydrogen will be injected into its training centre’s Safety Town gas system in Monaca, Pa.

“At NiSource we believe that a balanced energy future is one where no one is left behind, and to achieve that goal, we must include a diverse portfolio of energy sources to meet our current and future energy needs,” said president and CEO Lloyd Yates at the launch.

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“Our existing natural gas infrastructure positions us well to bring our customers along into the energy of the future, and hydrogen blending is one promising solution we are exploring to enhance sustainability and to deliver a safe and reliable energy source to our customers.”

To demonstrate the efficacy of the blended fuel, NiSource built a specially designed on-site model home equipped with natural gas appliances to simulate everyday usage in a residential home environment.

Ongoing field confirmations are being evaluated of the effect of hydrogen on the natural gas itself, equipment, piping and the net change in carbon emissions from blending, with favourable results so far, the company has reported.

Throughout the multi-phase hydrogen blending project, NiSource intends to continue to evaluate the viability of hydrogen-natural gas blends for other applications such as factories and power plants.

Based on the results and data collected, future phases of the programme could include the introduction of a hydrogen blend into a live gas environment using the company’s existing gas distribution infrastructure that serves customers today.

This blending programme forms one facet of NiSource’s ‘Future of Energy’ strategy, which includes a range of clean energy solutions ranging from solar, wind, electricity and renewable natural gas to secure a sustainable energy future for all.