Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) has introduced a new innovative solar-powered hydrogen (H2) generation system.
The project is a partnership between SoCalGas, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the STARS Corporation. The generation system uses sunlight to convert natural gas and water into H2 and capture the carbon dioxide (CO2) to prevent carbon emissions.
H2 has many applications, including powering vehicles and homes, but unlike methane, it is not typically found on its own in nature so researchers have developed ways to produce it from other compounds.
SoCalGas supports efforts to increase H2 production, particularly for use along ‘California’s Hydrogen Highway’, a series of H2-fuelling stations throughout the state. Currently there are 35 H2 fuelling stations in the state, with another 29 stations in development. Increasing this fuelling infrastructure could help speed the deployment of zero emission H2 fuel cell vehicles which play a significant role in reducing California’s greenhouse gas and smog emissions, according to the California Air Resources Board.
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