The California Hydrogen Hub and the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub have garnered a mixed $57.5 million within the first tranche of funding below the Division of Power’s (DOE’s) $7 billion Regional Clear Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program.
H2Hubs, managed by DOE’s Workplace of Clear Power Demonstrations (OCED), is backed by funding from the Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act (IIJA), which designates $7 billion for establishing six to 10 regional “clean hydrogen” hubs nationwide. In response to the DOE, the program basically seeks to kickstart a nationwide community of hydrogen producers, customers, and native connective infrastructure “to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier that can deliver or store tremendous amounts of energy.” The funding, half of a bigger $8 billion IIJA package deal, shall be met with the H2Hubs selectees’ value share of greater than $40 billion.
The primary awards to the California Hydrogen Hub and PNWH2 this month mark progress for the formidable initiative that might facilitate the manufacturing, supply, storage, and end-use of three million metric tons of “clean hydrogen” per 12 months, attaining practically a 3rd of the U.S.’s 2030 clear hydrogen manufacturing aim, the DOE has stated. The OEDCin October 2023, selected five other projects of several vying for the profitable billion-dollar alternative first introduced in September 2022.
The DOE suggests the awards conform to federal steerage for what constitutes “clean hydrogen.” Clear hydrogen, it stated, “refers to hydrogen produced through electrolysis—separating liquid water into hydrogen—using renewable or low-carbon emissions energy sources, such as wind, solar or nuclear. Clean hydrogen can also refer to hydrogen produced using steam methane reforming with carbon capture and permanent storage (CCS) technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
ARCHES Will get $30M for California Hydrogen Hub
On July 17, the OCED awarded the California Hydrogen Hub—led by the Alliance for Renewable Clear Hydrogen Power Programs (ARCHES)—$30 million out of the whole mission federal value share of as much as $1.2 billion to start Section 1 of the mission plan.
ARCHES’ project—estimated at about $186 million—envisions a number of hydrogen manufacturing services at 10 websites all through California (with most within the Central Valley) to provide “hundreds of metric tons per day (MTPD)” via renewables and biogenic sources. ARCHES continues to be figuring out ultimate siting for mission places throughout California, OCED stated.
Finish-users will embody energy producers. The Los Angeles Division of Water and Energy (LADWP) will look to transition its current 778-MW Scattergood plant in Los Angeles—at the moment comprised of six gas-fired combustion turbines—to a rapid-response mixed cycle system that shall be able to working a combination of pure fuel and hydrogen. The 346-MW “Scattergood Generating Station 1 and 2 Green Hydrogen-Ready Modernization Project,” recognized as an integral element of LADWP’s Draft 2022 Strategic Lengthy-Time period Assets Plan (SLTRP), is envisioned to be totally operational by the tip of 2029. An important a part of the mission envisions deploying an air-cooled condenser to adjust to California’s once-through cooling coverage.
Northern California Energy Company (NCPA) is, in the meantime, trying to transition its 2012-opened (and later upgraded) 300-MW Lodi Energy Center (LEC) to hydrogen energy. The mission makes use of Siemens Power SGT6-5000F generators, which might already burn as much as 45% hydrogen. NCPA is now also developing the Lodi Hydrogen Center. The mission, anticipated to be accomplished by summer time 2027, will make the most of recycled wastewater from the close by Lodi Wastewater Air pollution Management Facility as feedstock and extra renewable vitality to provide hydrogen on-site to energy the LEC.
Along with these tasks, ARCHES anticipates growing and constructing “distributed fuel cells” that shall be used “to support grid operations throughout the state and to provide resilience in key regions of the state, including on the Federally Recognized reservation of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians.”
Amongst different noteworthy tasks is the hub’s improvement of the Scripps Marine Vessela “first-of-its-kind hydrogen-powered 140-foot, 50-person marine” analysis vessel, which is anticipated to make use of liquid hydrogen “to replace tens of thousands of gallons of diesel fuel per year.”
The ARCHES mission can even comprise greater than 60 hydrogen fueling stations, serving greater than 5,000 Class 6-8 vans and 1,000 gas cell electrical buses. Below the 18-month Section 1 of the mission, ARCHES plans to finish planning and improvement actions.
Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub Kicks Off Section 1
On July 24, OCED separately awarded the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub—led by the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Affiliation (PNWH2)—$27.5 million out of a complete federal value share of as much as $1 billion to start Section 1 of its plan. The 12 to 18-month Section 1, which can contain “planning and development activities,” has an estimated complete mission quantity of $125 million.
PNWH2’s project seeks to create a hydrogen “ecosystem” by connecting eight nodes throughout Washington, Oregon, and Montana. “The Hub plans to incorporate multiple projects in distinct Hub nodes (project groups) across the region and produce all of its hydrogen via electrolysis using clean, carbon-free energy, facilitating greater connectivity and expansion of a clean West Coast freight network that links to the California Hydrogen Hub,” OCED stated.
“Once the entire award is complete, the Hub intends to deploy electrolysis—a hydrogen production process that splits hydrogen from water—at scale by producing at least 335 metric tons per day of clean hydrogen powered by at least 95% carbon-free energy feedstock and ultimately achieving 100% carbon-free energy feedstock by 2035.”
After PNWH2 wraps up Section 1, it intends to start Section 2, which incorporates finalizing engineering designs and enterprise improvement, website entry, labor agreements, allowing, offtake agreements, and group engagement actions. Section 3 will deal with implementation—set up, integration, and development actions—and is anticipated to final roughly 2 to 4 years. Section 4 will ramp up the H2Hub to full operations over an estimated 2 to 4 years, together with information assortment to research the H2Hub’s operations, efficiency, and monetary viability.
Not less than 4 nodes are affiliated with energy technology. In Centralia, Washington, Fortescue Future Industries, in partnership with First Mode, Puget Sound Power, Amazon, and Centralia School, plans to site a 300-MW electrolyzer project on a 137-acre remediated coal mine adjoining to TransAlta’s Centralia coal energy plant, which is slated for closure in 2025. “The proposed facility will produce green hydrogen at scale for use locally in the Pacific Northwest in heavy-duty transportation, grid reliability, maritime, industrial processes, and other hard-to-abate sectors,” the corporate has stated. The mission might start development in 2026 and be accomplished in 2028.
In St. Regis, Montana, St. Regis Photo voltaic plans to implement hydrogen manufacturing by way of proton change membrane (PEM) electrolysis to develop a hydrogen refueling station for heavy-duty transportation alongside the I-90 hall. Different “potential” finish makes use of might embody energy for an information heart, aviation (drones), and long-duration vitality storage for peaking energy supposed all through the area.
In Ferndale, Washington, ALA Renewable Power with HTEC Hydrogen Expertise & Power Corp wish to produce hydrogen for heavy-duty transportation, refineries, and energy technology, that includes an electrolysis-based manufacturing plant, hydrogen liquefaction plant, and cryogenic storage tanks. Likewise, in Boardman, Oregon, MHI Hydrogen Infrastructure, Williams Subject Providers Group, and utility Portland Basic Electrical (PGE) plan to develop an “electrolysis-based hydrogen production plant, hydrogen liquefaction plant, and liquid hydrogen cryogenic storage tanks producing clean hydrogen for end-uses, including peaking power, refinery, transit buses, port equipment, and up to 10 heavy-duty truck refueling stations.”
Different nodes within the hub will deal with supporting the hydrogen provide chain for heavy-duty transportation, producing hydrogen for inexperienced fertilizer, offering hydrogen for transportation and cement manufacturing, and supporting clear public transit with hydrogen refueling stations.
—Sonal Patel is a POWER senior editor (@sonalcpatel, @POWERmagazine).
