US hydrogen economy gets another boost as SunHydrogen joins Texas Hydrogen Alliance
September 25, 2024The coalition of H2 industry leaders in the state is steadily and strategically growing
SunHydrogen has announced that it recently joined the Texas Hydrogen Alliance, a coalition of leaders in the H2 industry that is committed to supporting the state’s hydrogen economy.
The company is developing a renewable H2 production method
The company is working on the development of a method of production using solar energy and water electrolysis. By joining the alliance, it aims to become a bigger contributor to the hydrogen economy in the state as well as in the country as a whole.
The Texas Hydrogen Alliance was initially created in 2021 and is a nonprofit trade organization that brings industry leaders, innovators, policymakers and regulators together to work toward policies that will help to accelerate the adoption of H2 as a clean energy, promote the production of low-carbon H2, and develop a strong storage and distribution infrastructure. At the same time, it is seeking to build new economic growth and innovation opportunities for those within the sector.
The hydrogen economy is already growing in Texas
“We believe our business plan is very well-aligned with current plans to expand the hydrogen economy in Texas, including the creation of a hydrogen trucking corridor throughout the state,” said Tim Young, CEO at SunHydrogen.
The company is developing solar panels made with low-cost materials that are abundantly available and that do not require any other source of power outside sunlight in order to power renewable H2 production. The panels are also being developed with scalability in mind, which is an important issue in the realm of green H2 production.
SunHydrogen plans to support a hydrogen economy by installing its green H2 panel arrays at and near roadside refueling locations on major trucking routes that have high land and sun access. They are also aiming to reduce the cost of clean H2 that are currently a barrier for many transport companies considering the adoption of H2.
Texas has been laying out the groundwork
The Federal Highway Administration awarded a $70 million grant to Texas in January 2024, providing important financial support to the establishment of a hydrogen trucking corridor in the state for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Producing fuel cell grade hydrogen from renewable power at the same location, and then supply it to a refueling station at that location, is the way to go to make affordable hydrogen available for both cars and trucks. Here in Europe and especially in the UK, the high cost of hydrogen from electrolysers powered by very expensive grid electricity, is holding up the development of the market of hydrogen powered vehicles, including local commuter train networks to replace diesel electric traction.