National Grid and the Town of Hempstead, announced a joint project to build one of the first and largest clean hydrogen projects in the country, to decarbonize networks. The HyGrid Project located in Point Lookout on Long Island will blend green hydrogen into the existing distribution system to heat approximately 800 homes and fuel 10 municipal vehicles.
National Grid will expand the existing hydrogen facility, which was developed in 2009 by the Town and the company to provide locally produced green hydrogen for vehicles. This project was a national success in demonstrating decarbonized transportation. The Town of Hempstead and National Grid will now expand the project to blend hydrogen for heating homes and transportation at the same time. This green hydrogen can be safely injected into the National Grid distribution system as a clean energy source for customers adjacent to the facility.
“We believe that hydrogen can transform the energy industry, and we are on the forefront,” said Rudy Wynter, president, National Grid, New York. “This will be the largest green hydrogen blending project for direct use by utility customers in the Northeast and one of the first in the country. This exciting project shows that hydrogen blending can be used to decarbonize the existing networks.
This vision began 12 years ago and now we have an exciting option that helps meet the goals of New York State’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) by using a safe, reliable and cost-efficient energy system to benefit our customers.”
Much of the equipment required to deliver zero-carbon hydrogen is already in place. The Town of Hempstead has existing wind and solar equipment at the site for generation of hydrogen fuel for its vehicles, and National Grid has an adjacent facility that provides energy for the Point Lookout neighborhood. These facilities will be combined, and National Grid will install new equipment that will increase the hydrogen production capacity in the town.
Hydrogen Blending Benefits:
- Hydrogen is zero carbon when produced using renewable power.
- Hydrogen is very flexible and the least disruptive zero-carbon energy for customers.
- Hydrogen blending is no cost to customers who can use existing equipment and be part of the transition to net-zero.
“I’m proud to join with my colleagues on the Hempstead Town Board to announce this exciting partnership with National Grid on a transformative clean energy project that will expand and improve the hydrogen fueling facility in Point Lookout, while developing one of the first green hydrogen blending projects in the nation,” said Don Clavin, supervisor, Hempstead Town. “The Town of Hempstead continues to be a clean energy leader amongst municipalities, as we have demonstrated the use of wind, solar and green hydrogen, among an array of projects, at our Point Lookout Energy Park. We are ready to work with National Grid to build on this legacy and thank them for their partnership on this cutting-edge initiative that will deliver zero-carbon energy to America’s largest township for years to come.”
Additional Actions to Decarbonize the Network:
National Grid is also working on other projects:
- New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Advanced Energy and Research Technology Center at Stony Brook University to assess the compatibility of hydrogen blending in National Grid’s existing gas infrastructure.
- Partnering with Standard Hydrogen Corporation to develop the nation’s first multi-use, renewable hydrogen-based energy storage and delivery system in the Capital region of New York, which is pending regulatory approval. The system will have the ability to power fuel cell automobiles, shift energy peaking, provide backup power, and blend hydrogen into the gas network – all from one system and site.
- Joined the Low Carbon Resources Initiative led by Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and the Electric Power Research Institute with over 40 utility and industry partners to focus on large scale deployment of technologies like hydrogen and RNG. National Grid is also part of the HyBlend, a collaborative research project managed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Here are links to National Grid’s website for more information about the company’s net zero commitment and Hydrogen Hub Vision.
