Texas hydrogen fuel project to become a massive hub
May 2, 2022This could also open the door for other regional H2 hubs to develop using DOE funding.
Two years after a Texas-based hydrogen fuel project received its US Department of Energy (DOE) funding, it is aligned to become a massive American H2 hub.
This was announced at the RE+ Texas conference that recently took place in San Antonio.
The passing of last fall’s bipartisan infrastructure law gave the DOE a May 14 deadline to provide a minimum of four regional hydrogen fuel projects a funding opportunity totaling $8 billion in available funding. That said, it now looks as though the DOE could be looking into the approval of as many as 10 of these H2 hubs. While there will be more of them, this does mean that there will be less per-hub federal funding.
The three-year project launched in Texas was originally a collaboration between Frontier Energy and the University of Texas at Austin. Frontier is a Gas Technology Institute subsidiary. Since the launch, additional corporate sponsors have come on board to fund its path forward.
That said, H2@Scale in Texas and Beyond was one of 18 recipients of a total of about $64 million in DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office funding. That office is within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
The hydrogen fuel project has managed to bring in several corporate sponsors such as Shell and SoCalGas.
Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and Shell are among a number of corporate sponsors invested in H2@Scale in Texas and Beyond. Moreover, additional companies have been showing their own interest in supporting the team’s efforts, providing themselves with an entry into the H2 industry, according to Gas Technology Institute senior director for hydrogen business development Brian Weeks in an RE+ Texas interview.
As a result, the initial strategy has now broadened to include an evaluation of multiple applications and will be acting as a “hydrogen proto-hub” in Texas, according to Weeks. H2@Scale also “has the most technical potential in the U.S.,” he added, when looking specifically at the substantial H2 pipeline network which could become the foundation for a regional hub that extends from Corpus Christie there in Texas all the way into Louisiana.
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Glad to see H2 Hubs being developed and supported by the DOE. Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi should consider joining with Texas and Louisiana and extend the range of this planned hydrogen pipeline and they should carefully consider using the available DOE funds for H2 Hubs in their states. The DOE would be wise to reach out to these three states and provide funding for a pipeline extension and the additional H2 Hubs. Hydrogen can be mixed with natural gas, transported by pipeline, and stored in underground salt formations. Hydrogen currently offers a cost-effective energy alternative and solution for rapidly depleting fossil fuels. Please carefully consider using both hydrogen and saltwater batteries for energy needs in the future. Natural gas will not be an affordable energy resource by the end of this century.
Energy for the world
The welcome move by DOE and technology providers . This will set a bench mark for others in the world to meet this energy transition. Best wishes for hydrogen economy from India.
Shailendra Tiwari
Consultant hydrogen economy and sustainability
California should consider moving ocean water to the Salton Sea. This beautiful location could benefit from a continuous supply of ocean water from California and become a Regional H2 Hub, have underground hydrogen storage and produce environmentally friendly saltwater batteries for the Southwestern United States.
With proper planning and help from the DOE, the Salton Sea could remain a beautiful place to visit and a destination for people and wildlife. The USA would have an energy source for future generations that could last long after fossil fuels are depleted. Lithium production at this location would be short-lived with long-term toxic effects to the environment.