Caterpillar extends range of hydrogen-blend gas gen sets

Cat CG260 gas generator set with hydrogen capabilities (Photo: Caterpillar)

Caterpillar has added the Cat CG260 gas generator sets to its portfolio of commercial power solutions capable of using hydrogen fuel.

The 12- and 16-cylinder versions of the CG260 are now approved for operation using up to 25% hydrogen gas by volume.

Available in 50 and 60 Hz variants, the CG260 can deliver up to 4.5 MW of electric power for continuous, prime and load management requirements.

Additionally, Caterpillar has also introduced retrofit kits which can update the CG260 gen sets to use the hydrogen fuel mix.

With the addition of the Cat CG260 to the lineup, Caterpillar now offers hydrogen-blend gas generators which can produce between 400 kW and 4.5 MW. Retrofit kits are available for the CG132B, CG170B, CG260 and G3500H platforms.

“The movement toward lower carbon solutions for power generation is accelerating,” said Melissa Busen, vice president for Caterpillar Large Electric Power. “Caterpillar is positioned today with a large and growing lineup of technologies to help customers integrate hydrogen-fuelled systems into their power strategies.”

In addition to the gas-blend gen sets, Caterpillar has offered demonstrator Cat G3516 gas gen sets capable of operating on 100% hydrogen since 2022. Recommended for locations with an abundant supply of hydrogen fuel, they are available with a maximum rating of 1000 kW for 50 Hz or 60 Hz continuous applications.

In addition, Caterpillar recently announced a successful collaboration with Microsoft and Ballard Power Systems to demonstrate the viability of large-format hydrogen fuel cells to deliver backup power for data centers.

The project simulated a 48-hour backup power event at Microsoft’s data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, using two Cat Power Grid Stabilization (PGS) 1260 battery energy storage systems and a 1.5 MW hydrogen fuel cell. The test was backed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.