Hydrogen blending, RSG part of Williams net zero plan

Natural gas pipeline and processing company Williams said blending hydrogen may become part of its plans to reach net-zero emissions.

Emissions reduction efforts must still create economic value for shareholders, Brian Hlavinka, director of emerging opportunities at Williams, said this week at the LDC Gas Forum in Boston, Massachusetts. Certifying gas production from the Utica and Marcellus shales into the northeast US as responsibly sourced gas (RSG) — meaning it meets certain environmental, social and corporate governance standards — could be a key way to maintain that economic and climate-based balance, he said.

Hydrogen also has the potential to be a large-scale solution to reach net-zero emissions, but the infrastructure does not yet exist, Hlavinka said. Williams' existing infastructure could be used to start blending hydrogen but there is not yet clear how to make a large-scale impact.

Williams last week held a public hearing with the Wyoming Energy Authority for a grant the company applied for to prove the feasibility study on a hydrogen project in Wyoming.

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) will also play a key role for Williams in the process to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Hlavinka said.

By Nola Z Valente