Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and GKN Hydrogen have collaborated on a research demonstration project with the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to explore an innovative clean renewable hydrogen storage solution. The project, situated at NREL's Flatirons Campus in Arvada, Colo., uses GKN Hydrogen's metal hydride storage technology to store hydrogen in a solid state, unlike traditional gaseous storage tanks. The objective is to assess the technology's performance, its integration with clean energy systems like microgrids or fuel cells, and to determine the most advantageous applications of solid-state hydrogen storage. The initiative showcases how surplus renewable energy can be converted into clean renewable hydrogen for sustainable energy needs. The project will utilize renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to produce clean hydrogen through an electrolyzer, storing up to 500 kilograms of hydrogen in GKN Hydrogen's system without compression. This stored hydrogen can then be utilized in an on-site fuel cell to generate zero-emissions electricity. GKN Hydrogen's Chief Operating Officer, Jim Petrecky, expressed optimism about the potential of hydrogen to revolutionize the energy sector, highlighting the benefits of their storage systems in terms of safety, footprint, and operational costs. The project also aims to evaluate various commercial and industrial decarbonization applications using NREL's Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) platform, incorporating solar, electrolyzers, battery storage, and fuel cells. The U.S. Department of Energy's support, with a $1.7 million grant to NREL, and SoCalGas's $400,000 contribution to the project underscore the significance of advancing hydrogen storage technology. The collaboration seeks to accelerate the deployment and interoperability of hydrogen technologies and renewable energies at a larger scale to facilitate the transition toward a net-zero emissions economy. The project is scheduled to continue until December 2026, aiming to address the complexities of modern energy systems and enhance energy system reliability and resiliency.