H2@Scale to get a shot in the arm from Energy Department funding
July 27, 2020The DOE announced about $64 million in funding for 18 projects to support the vision.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced funding of about $64 million in Fiscal Year 2020 for 18 projects that will support the vision of H2@Scale. This will help to progress affordable hydrogen production, storage, distribution and usage.
The funded projects will push forward the next research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) round.
The money will go to RD&D activities under the multi-year initiative to bring the benefits of hydrogen fuel into reality throughout the US economy. H2@Scale is a concept that examines the benefits of the widescale production and use of US hydrogen to support resiliency in the power generation and transmission sectors. At the same time, it is also meant to bring together diverse multibillion-dollar American industries, domestic competition and to create employment.
“Hydrogen has the potential to integrate our nation’s domestic energy resources, add value in industrial and energy-intensive sectors, and broaden technology choices for medium- and heavy-duty transportation,” said US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. “These projects will bring us closer to realizing hydrogen’s full potential for a resilient, flexible, and affordable energy system for all Americans.”
The projects supporting H2@Scale are funded through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is providing that funding through its Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO). Each project will feature various forms of collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing Office at the EERE.
Those collaborations will focus on the manufacture of reliable and affordable electrolizers. Furthermore, the collaborations will involve the Vehicle Technologies Office at EERE for the development of low-cost but high-strength carbon fiber for the purpose of use in hydrogen storage tanks.
Among the other areas to receive funding to support hydrogen fuel production, storage, distribution and use include identifying fuel cell systems that are both durable and cost effective for use in vehicles, in addition to medium- and heavy-duty truck components.
This investment into the H2@Scale vision will also bring on largescale hydrogen utilization demonstrations at ports and data centers in American industrial sectors such as steel making. Moreover, the projects will also assist in establishing a comprehensive training program that will form the base for a solid American H2 and fuel cells workforce.