Almost time for the COMPRESSORtech2 Hydrogen Summit

The COMPRESSORtech2 Hydrogen Summit, a one-day event to be held April 25 at Houston’s Intercontinental Hotel, will showcase the promise and challenges posed by hydrogen in the U.S. gas infrastructure.

There’s still time to register for the event, which will feature speakers from Enbridge and Williams Companies, two of the largest midstream operators in North America.

Other speakers will discuss the technical challenges of hydrogen compression and the reforms that are leading to an increase in investment in the sector. The speaking list is extensive and includes experts from component makers, consulting companies and OEMs.

Jeff Falkiner, manager, operations & maintenance engineering – transmission operations at Enbridge Gas Inc. (EGI), will start the day with a morning keynote address highlighting key engineering elements in repurposing natural gas assets for blended hydrogen service.

Falkiner is responsible for engineering support for all compression and ancillary equipment in the storage and transmission operation at EGI, which includes a portfolio of more than 800,000 hp. He is a licensed mechanical engineer with 30 years of experience in the natural gas industry, including pipeline and metering, regulation station design and construction, equipment specification, asset management and rotating equipment support.

In his current role, Falkiner is deeply involved in the assessments of hydrogen impacts on and the suitability for compression equipment.

Falkiner will discuss key engineering elements for repurposing natural gas assets for blended hydrogen service. Although hydrogen is not an energy source, it does have a major role to play in decarbonizing existing energy infrastructure. He will lay out the importance of ensuring due diligence prior to repurposing natural gas assets. He will also discuss efforts underway to decarbonize gas turbine driven compressors.

Jacob Saletsky, an engineer who supports Williams’ New Energy Ventures group in Tulsa, OK, will serve as the afternoon keynote. In his current role, he supports the development and execution of projects centered around decarbonization of existing natural gas gathering, processing, and transmission assets, and is also involved with energy transition technologies such as hydrogen, ammonia, carbon capture, renewable natural gas, waste heat recovery, and utility-scale solar.

Saletsky has been at Williams since 2020, and prior to his current role, he worked as an asset integrity engineer out of Salt Lake City, Utah, and a tactical project engineer out of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Saletsky’s will address why Williams has plans to play a large role in clean hydrogen production and transmission. He will describe the motivations behind using hydrogen-based fuel to decarbonize existing natural gas assets.

The presentation will include a summary of its recent field test in Wyoming on a legacy Cooper 6V-250 reciprocating engine. He will discuss the results of those field tests, the effects of hydrogen blending on combustion emissions and stability and the modifications needed for permanent installation. His presentation will include how Williams will utilize these results and the next steps for Williams.

Falkiner and Saletsky are the highlights in a roster of speakers that will cover a broad range of topics addressing hydrogen and its impacts on the technologies used in gas compression. With hydrogen expected to play a critical role in the future energy mix, this is an event not to miss for anyone involved at any level of the gas compression industry.

Contact Daniel Brindley for sponsorship opportunities. To register, click here.