Hydrogen ready, when you’re ready

As part of a fuel flexibility initiative, Cat (R) Electric Power and District Energy St. Paul collaborated on a project that successfully demonstrated a 2.0 MW combined heat and power (CHP) system powered by a Cat G3516 gas generator set operating on 100% hydrogen fuel. The objectives of the project were to demonstrate a hydrogen-fueled power delivery and control system utilizing a Cat G3516 generator set and to: 

• Identify any barriers to adoption
• Evaluate the solution’s impact on local air quality
• Validate the reliability and durability of a hydrogen system

How did hydrogen perform in a real-world distribution system?

To fully assess the hydrogen solution under real-world operating conditions, power and heat from the demonstration project were fed into District Energy St. Paul’s distribution system. The system used 100 percent hydrogen fuel and 100 percent natural gas fuel for up to 200 hours with each fuel type.

“As technology in our industry continues to advance, we will need a range of fuels and energy sources to capture the optimal function and efficiencies of these energy systems,” President and CEO of District Energy St. Paul Luke Gaalswyk said. “It has been exciting for our team to help advance the data on hydrogen use with a global leader like Caterpillar in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).”

District Energy St. Paul’s (DESP) commitment to environmental stewardship

District Energy St. Paul is a leader in community energy, providing St. Paul with reliable service, stable rates, and sustainable heating and cooling services for 41 years.

Committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, DESP has already made notable progress on carbon reduction targets. The integration of renewable energy through CHP solutions using solar thermal and biomass has helped the system achieve nearly 50 percent renewable heat and reduced the system’s greenhouse gas emissions by 77 percent over two decades. The United Nations Environment Program has recognized DESP for best practices.

Exploring hydrogen-powered solutions

The hydrogen CHP project is the latest example of Caterpillar’s contribution to a reduced-carbon future through continued investments in new products, technologies and services.

In addition to the G3516 fuel-flexible generator set used by District Energy St. Paul, Caterpillar’s hydrogen-fuel power technologies currently include a range of commercially available generator sets from 400kW to 4.5MW configured to operate on natural gas blended with up to 25 percent hydrogen by volume through factory-installed hardware and retrofit kits.

“The success of this CHP demonstration highlights our commitment to understanding our customers’ needs and delivering tailored energy solutions that help them achieve their energy goals,” said Melissa Busen, senior vice president for Caterpillar’s Electric Power Division. These solutions build on Caterpillar’s 35 years of enterprise experience in hydrogen fuels that support numerous power generation projects across multiple industries, including gas turbines currently operating on natural gas blended with up to 80 percent hydrogen by volume. As the infrastructure for hydrogen continues development today and in the future, Caterpillar will continue to pioneer products that are ready to meet that challenge. Learn more about how Caterpillar is combatting electric power challenges today.