The manufacturer of construction and mining equipment Caterpillar Inc. announced on May 31 a three-year project with Minnesota-based District Energy St. Paul to demonstrate a hydrogen-fueled combined heat and power (CHP) system. The project is supported and partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and backed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

“Caterpillar is focused on supporting our customers with reliable, sustainable power solutions,” said Joe Creed, Caterpillar group president of Energy and Transportation. “This hydrogen demonstration project will enable us to evaluate additional hydrogen fuel options for an existing energy-efficient engine, providing even more possibilities for helping our customers meet their climate-related goals and objectives.”

CHP systems from Caterpillar provide both electricity and heat simultaneously, increasing overall efficiency and reducing exhaust emissions. To assess the potential of a hydrogen-fuelled CHP system under real-world operating conditions, power and heat from the demonstration project will integrate into District Energy St. Paul’s electrical and thermal infrastructure. District Energy St. Paul distributes chilled water and hot water to heat and cool buildings and single-family homes in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, and adjacent areas.

Scheduled to start early next year, the demonstration project builds on Caterpillar’s 35 years of experience with high-hydrogen fuel. The company currently offers a 1250 kW Cat® generator set capable of operating on 100% hydrogen, including fully renewable green hydrogen, on a designed-to-order basis, as well as commercially available power generation solutions from 400 kW to 4.5 MW that can be configured to operate on natural gas blended with up to 25% hydrogen.