Chicago — Key steps were just taken toward a future where environmentally friendly hydrogen helps heat Chicago’s homes and businesses. Peoples Gas spent two weeks testing hydrogen at its Chicago training facility. Hydrogen is zero-carbon, meaning it emits no carbon dioxide when used for heat, cooking and industrial processes.
The testing included blending hydrogen with natural gas at various composition levels, feeding the blended energy into appliances such as kitchen stoves, and making sure any leak can immediately be detected. All the testing was safely done on an internal system, away from the customer distribution system.
While Peoples Gas hosted the testing, industry partner EPRI was on-site to evaluate the performance of several hydrogen-analyzer technologies. Another industry partner Certarus supplied equipment and the hydrogen used for testing.
Illinois State Representative Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar, Chicago Alderman Gilbert Villegas, and leaders from the Chicago Department of Transportation were among other community and industry stakeholders who came to the Peoples Energy Training Center to see this energy of the future in action.
Production of hydrogen has ramped up in Illinois and across the country, and local supply could be ready for use within a decade. Peoples Gas is preparing its system to be able to deliver a hydrogen blend of energy to Chicago homes and businesses.
Hydrogen is among many ways Peoples Gas is working to decarbonize Chicago’s heating system. The company recently announced ultra-efficient gas heat pumps are available for residential use. It also recently began delivering renewable natural gas through its system.
