Gas Liquids Engineering Ltd. (GLE) has announced the successful completion of detailed engineering for the integration of hydrogen production and storage as a part of ATCO Gas and Pipelines Ltd.’s (ATCO’s) Fort Saskatchewan Hydrogen Blending project. The facility will use an electrolyzer to produce hydrogen from water and electricity, which will then be briefly stored before being introduced into the existing natural gas distribution system to approximately 2100 customers. GLE was responsible for the detailed design of the onsite storage tank, vent stack, and piping connecting these facilities to ATCO’s electrolyzer and blending facility.
Blending began in October 2022 with approximately 5% hydrogen content, and ATCO intends to increase the blend rate to 20% in 2023.
“GLE is pleased to work with ATCO toward producing increasingly environmentally friendly gas products. With the extensive natural gas network that exists in Canada, hydrogen blending into natural gas systems is a natural first step in the development of a hydrogen economy in Canada,” said Justin Wagner, director of facilities engineering at GLE.