Williams Cos. partners with Daroga Power to find long-term hydrogen buyers

Midstream company Williams Cos. Inc. signed a memorandum of understanding with distributed generation developer Daroga Power to seek out long-term, end-use buyers for hydrogen as well as off-take options for environmental attributes connected to hydrogen production in Wyoming.

Williams plans to use its pipelines for hydrogen blending, storage and transportation to local and regional markets, according to an Oct. 18 news release. It will carry hydrogen to the Pacific Northwest through the 4,000-mile, two-way Northwest Pipeline transmission system that passes through Wyoming.

The midstream company is working with the University of Wyoming to study hydrogen production and the impacts of hydrogen blending on the state's energy infrastructure. The Wyoming Energy Authority funded the research, and Williams expects to complete it by 2023. Williams and Daroga plan to start delivering hydrogen in 2025.

Williams' recent efforts to reduce its carbon footprint include joining a group of companies that plan to develop a hydrogen production and carbon capture hub in Appalachia and entering into a deal with Appalachian oil and gas driller PennEnergy Resources LLC to market and deliver certified natural gas. Natural gas is certified as responsibly sourced by a third-party auditor when a driller produces the fuel in an environmentally responsible way that includes taking steps to minimize emissions.