NiSource Commences Long-Term Hydrogen Blending Project

NiSource Inc. has launched a multi-step hydrogen blending project that utilizes a blending skid in a manufactured setting, mixing hydrogen and natural gas at specific levels to identify optimal blend percentages for environmental and consumer benefit.

The program was launched on Oct. 5 at the Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania (CGP) Training Center’s Safety Town in Monaca, PA. Elected officials, community leaders, and NiSource president and CEO Lloyd Yates attended the launch of the completed hydrogen blending skid.

Yates said: “Integrating hydrogen into our energy future is complementary to renewable energy and could further enhance the global energy transition underway. Our overall goal remains to lower emissions and ensure the availability of an array of environmentally sustainable energy sources while balancing affordability, reliability and other economic considerations for our customers.”

CGP, a subsidiary of NiSource, collaborated with EN Engineering to construct the hydrogen skid, which connects to Safety Town’s natural gas system to allow for the integration of hydrogen blends from 2 - 20%. On the site, NiSource constructed a model home equipped with natural gas-burning appliances to simulate daily usage in a residential capacity. Data is being collected to record hydrogen’s effect on natural gas, equipment, piping, and carbon emission reduction.

Later phases of the hydrogen blending project will require NiSource to evaluate blends in industrial applications, such as factories and power plants. The results from the industrial tests will determine whether NiSource integrates a hydrogen-natural gas blend into a live-gas environment, using the current gas distribution infrastructure to reach customers in its service area.

“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,” said Yates.