Hydrogen Energy System Proposed for Renewable Energy in California
SoCalGas, the largest natural gas distributor in North America, recently introduced plans for a proposed hydrogen energy system called Angeles Link to serve Southern California. The proposed system would be the largest of its kind in the U.S., delivering clean energy that is equivalent to nearly 25% of the natural gas SoCalGas delivers today.
Details of the Proposed Hydrogen Energy System
In a nutshell, the Angeles Link will convert 25-35 GW of solar, wind or battery output into carbon-free hydrogen which will be delivered via pipeline to industrial customers, many of which have historically been difficult to electrify (i.e., dispatchable power generation, high-heat industries, etc.). The overall objective is to help facilitate the achievement of California’s mandate for carbon neutrality by 2045.
In the longer run, the system could help offset some of the demand currently met by Aliso Canyon, a natural gas storage site owned and operated by SoCalGas that serves 11 million customers and 17 natural gas plants. In addition, the project could allow 4 natural gas plants to convert to hydrogen plants.
That said, the initiative remains in the very early stages of development, and there are many challenges ahead. One hurdle is obtaining an adequate level of hydrogen supply. The very first high-volume supply chain for green hydrogen has been proposed by a commercialization platform known as “HyDeal” but it won’t be ready until 2030 at the earliest. To be clear, SoCalGas claims that there are “numerous third parties” interested in producing clean hydrogen, but the delivery ecosystem needs to be developed from scratch.
For these and other reasons, it will be years before the project is ready for operation. The project will roll out in phases, the first of which is likely to take up to 18 months. Details on the other phases are forthcoming.
The good news is that SoCalGas currently has 10 hydrogen pilot projects underway and has already started testing the delivery of hydrogen through existing natural gas pipes. Thus, if any company can bring this hydrogen energy system to life, it’s SoCalGas.
