On March 22, 2022, the Combined Heat and Power Alliance (CHP Alliance) released a roadmap to convert all existing and new Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems to 100% clean hydrogen by 2030 or sooner. “Clean Hydrogen and Combined Heat and Power: A Roadmap for Industrial and Commercial Decarbonization,” outlines how clean hydrogen and CHP can and should be used in combination to minimize costs and maximize greenhouse gas emission reductions because CHP is the most efficient method to produce clean heat and power.
Today’s existing and newly installed CHP systems can use a substantial blend of clean hydrogen – ranging from 20-100%, according to equipment manufacturers. Within the decade, and in many cases much sooner, new CHP systems will be capable of burning 100% clean hydrogen. Existing CHP systems, including ones installed today, can convert to 100% hydrogen at a reasonable cost and with minimal downtime because these conversions can occur during scheduled overhauls.
However, a critical barrier to clean hydrogen is its price and the need to scale up production to ensure adequate supply to meet demand. In the past several decades, America has succeeded in driving down the cost of wind and solar energy using a variety of policy tools to scale up these technologies. Federal and state governments should use the same approaches to scale up production and supply of clean hydrogen, which will help drive down the costs and should ensure this fuel is used as efficiently as possible by pairing it with CHP.
This roadmap was made possible by the following sponsors: 2G Energy Systems, American Gas Association, Caterpillar Inc., Northeast-Western Energy Systems, Siemens Energy Inc., INNIO Jenbacher, and Solar Turbines.
Download the full roadmap by filling out the form below.