Biggest green hydrogen infrastructure in US might be headed to Los Angeles

SoCalGas is submitting an application for the construction of a massive H2 electrolyzer.

The Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) has announced that it is submitting a green hydrogen infrastructure application to construct an electrolyzer with a capacity between 10GW and 20GW.

The application also includes between 25GW and 35GW of new and curtailed wind and solar energy.

This green hydrogen infrastructure application also involves 2GW of energy storage. The goal of the entire application is to secure the opportunity for the delivery of renewable H2 to the Los Angeles Basin.

Along with the submission of the application, SoCalGas announced its intentions to develop the largest renewable H2 system in the country. It would be called the Angeles Link, and it would deliver the greenhouse gas emission-free fuel to the Los Angeles Basin Region. The application outlined the project’s first phase, and it was submitted to California Public Utilities Commission.

Though the technical details of the green hydrogen infrastructure were slim, some details were released.

SoCalGas explained that the H2 fuel production will be adequate to be able to convert four natural gas power plants into renewable H2. This clean energy move will also displace as much as a daily 3 million gallons of diesel fuel. In addition, it will eliminate the emission of almost 25,000 tons of NOx every year. This new project will mean that the company is providing as much as 25 percent of its natural gas.

The clean H2 will be produced using electrolyzers powered by solar and wind energy. The company has been adding to its message to focus on the emissions-free fuel. Recently, it has started regularly posting on the subject on its social media accounts.

Hydrogen is key to making #greenenergy transportable and continuously available.

Learn more about how #hydrogen is key to a sustainable, green energy mix: https://t.co/VDvo8D8nSg pic.twitter.com/jxAGlvPe36

— SoCalGas (@socalgas) February 16, 2022

The world’s largest green hydrogen infrastructure is located in China. It is the Baofeng Energy 150 MW facility. That said, there are a number of facilities that are even larger in the works. That Chinese location will have the top status for only so long before any of a slew of projects worldwide are completed. That said, this particular project is slated to become the largest in the United States.