Backgrounder

Hydrogen Hub Winners

Date

Author

Eric Johnson

In this Backgrounder...

This morning (Friday, October 13, 2023) the Biden administration announced the winners of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs grant program. The seven winners are: Non-Federal Funding The high ratio of private:grant funding is of particular note. The H2Hub program required a minimum 50% non-federal match (a 1:1 ratio), but the winners put up $43 billion ...

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This morning (Friday, October 13, 2023) the Biden administration announced the winners of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs grant program.

The seven winners are:

Non-Federal Funding

The high ratio of private:grant funding is of particular note. The H2Hub program required a minimum 50% non-federal match (a 1:1 ratio), but the winners put up $43 billion to the federal government’s $7 billion for a ratio of over 6:1.

Summaries

Descriptions from the White House press release:

Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub (Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2); Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey) — The Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub will help unlock hydrogen-driven decarbonization in the Mid-Atlantic while repurposing historic oil infrastructure and using existing rights-of-way. It plans to develop renewable hydrogen production facilities from renewable and nuclear electricity using both established and innovative electrolyzer technologies, where it can help reduce costs and drive further technology adoption. As part of its labor and workforce commitments to the community, the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub plans to negotiate Project Labor Agreements for all projects and provide close to $14 million for regional Workforce Development Boards that will serve as partners for community college training and pre-apprenticeships. This Hydrogen Hub anticipates creating 20,800 direct jobs—14,400 in construction jobs and 6,400 permanent jobs. (Amount: up to $750 million)

Appalachian Hydrogen Hub (Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2); West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania) — The Appalachian Hydrogen Hub will leverage the region’s ample access to low-cost natural gas to produce low-cost clean hydrogen and permanently and safely store the associated carbon emissions. The strategic location of this Hydrogen Hub and the development of hydrogen pipelines, multiple hydrogen fueling stations, and permanent CO2 storage also have the potential to drive down the cost of hydrogen distribution and storage. The Appalachian Hydrogen Hub is anticipated to bring quality job opportunities to workers in coal communities and create more than 21,000 direct jobs—including more than 18,000 in construction and more than 3,000 permanent jobs, helping ensure the Appalachian community benefits from the development and operation of the Hub. (Amount: up to $925 million)

California Hydrogen Hub (Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES); California) — The California Hydrogen Hub will leverage the Golden State’s leadership in clean energy technology to produce hydrogen exclusively from renewable energy and biomass. It will provide a blueprint for decarbonizing public transportation, heavy duty trucking, and port operations—key emissions drivers in the state and sources of air pollution that are among the hardest to decarbonize. This Hydrogen Hub has committed to requiring Project Labor Agreements for all projects connected to the hub, which will expand opportunities for disadvantaged communities and create an expected 220,000 direct jobs—130,000 in construction jobs and 90,000 permanent jobs. (Amount: up to $1.2 billion)

Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub (HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub; Texas) — The Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub will be centered in the Houston region, the traditional energy capital of the United States. It will help kickstart the clean hydrogen economy with its plans for large-scale hydrogen production through both natural gas with carbon capture and renewables-powered electrolysis, leveraging the Gulf Coast region’s abundant renewable energy and natural gas supply to drive down the cost of hydrogen—a crucial step to achieving market liftoff. This Hydrogen Hub is expected to create approximately 45,000 direct jobs—35,000 in construction jobs and 10,000 permanent jobs. (Amount: up to $1.2 billion)

Heartland Hydrogen Hub (Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota) — The Heartland Hydrogen Hub will leverage the region’s abundant energy resources to help decarbonize the agricultural sector’s production of fertilizer, decrease the regional cost of clean hydrogen, and advance the use of clean hydrogen in electric generation and for cold climate space heating. It also plans to offer unique opportunities of equity ownership to tribal communities through an equity partnership and to local farmers and farmer co-ops through a private sector partnership that will allow local farmers to receive more competitive pricing for clean fertilizer. The Heartland Hydrogen Hub anticipates creating upwards of 3,880 direct jobs–3,067 in construction jobs and 703 permanent jobs. (Amount: up to $925 million)

Midwest Hydrogen Hub (Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2); Illinois, Indiana, Michigan) — Located in a key U.S. industrial and transportation corridor, the Midwest Hydrogen Hub will enable decarbonization through strategic hydrogen uses including steel and glass production, power generation, refining, heavy-duty transportation, and sustainable aviation fuel. This Hydrogen Hub plans to produce hydrogen by leveraging diverse and abundant energy sources, including renewable energy, natural gas, and low-cost nuclear energy. The Midwest Hydrogen Hub anticipates creating 13,600 direct jobs—12,100 in construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs. (Amount: up to $1 billion)

Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub (PNW H2; Washington, Oregon, Montana) — The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub plans to leverage the region’s abundant renewable resources to produce clean hydrogen exclusively from renewable sources. It’s anticipated widescale use of electrolyzers will play a key role in driving down electrolyzer costs, making the technology more accessible to other producers, and reducing the cost of hydrogen production. The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub has committed to negotiating Project Labor Agreements for all projects over $1 million and investing in joint labor-management/state-registered apprenticeship programs. This Hydrogen HUb is expected to create more than 10,000 direct jobs—8,050 in construction jobs and 350 permanent jobs. (Amount: up to $1 billion)

Additional detail at the Department of Energy’s OCED website.

Private Sector Partners

All of the winning Hubs have a who’s who of blue chip partners. Here’s a partial list:

Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub

  • Air Liquide
  • PBF Energy
  • Bloom Energy
  • Monroe Energy
  • Enbridge
  • Versogen
  • Holtec
  • PSE&G
  • Chesapeake Utilities
  • sHYp
  • Hydropore
  • PECO
  • US Wind
  • Buckeye
  • IRPL
  • Orsted
  • Chemours
  • DuPont
  • WL Gore
  • MDavis
  • Compact Membranes
  • Braskem
  • Hilco
  • HyAxiom

Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub

Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems

  • BorgWarner
  • Garrett
  • Long Beach Utilities
  • Bosch
  • GE Vernova
  • Lone Cypress
  • SG H2 Energy
  • Brookfield Renewables US
  • GHD
  • Mainspring
  • GH Partners
  • Mavericks Microgrids
  • Capstone Green Energy
  • GKN Hydrogen
  • MCE
  • Sierra Energy
  • Capture6
  • GLDPartners
  • Meska Solutions
  • General Motors
  • Microsoft
  • SoCalGas
  • Michelin
  • Cell Centric
  • Greed Grid Inc.
  • Molten
  • Stapleton Technologies
  • Cemex
  • Monarch Energy
  • Stars Technology Corporation
  • Guidehouse
  • Mote
  • Stratos Fuel
  • Chevron
  • H Cycle
  • Nanoscent
  • Heliogen
  • Symbio
  • Accenture
  • H Gen
  • Termina Lift
  • Acumen
  • Clearway
  • Nightpeak Energy
  • Thyssenkrupp Nucera
  • ADL Ventures
  • Crowley
  • H2B2 Electrolysis Technologies
  • Nikola
  • Toyota
  • Advanced Emission Control Solutions
  • CTE
  • H2C
  • NOY
  • True Zero
  • Aecom
  • De Nora
  • H2 Energy Group
  • Novo Hydrogen
  • Trillium
  • AES
  • Dynamis Energy
  • H2 Precision Partners LLC
  • Nzyme2HC Company
  • Air Liquide
  • Eaton
  • H2U Technologies
  • Oberon Fuels
  • Universal Hydrogen
  • Air Products
  • Eco Energy International
  • HTEC
  • PDC Machines
  • AltaSea
  • EcoEngineers
  • HyAxiom
  • Pennsaco
  • Amazon
  • PG&E
  • Veolia
  • Ambient Fuels
  • Edison International
  • Hysata
  • Plug
  • Verdagy
  • Ameresco
  • EDP Renewables
  • Hyundai
  • Port of Long Beach
  • Versallis
  • Aqua Hydrex
  • Element
  • HyWatts
  • Port of Oakland
  • Vopak
  • ARUP
  • Electric Hydrogen
  • Hyzon
  • Powertap Hydrogen
  • WE New Energy
  • Advanced Structural Technologies
  • Electus
  • Innergex
  • Pulsenics
  • Ways2H
  • Avantus
  • Energetics
  • 352 Innovation
  • Ramboll
  • Watt Enterprises
  • Avina
  • Envirogen TecH2
  • Instant On
  • Raven
  • West Coast Biofuels
  • Baker Hughes
  • EPRI
  • Intersect Power
  • ReCarbon
  • Wood
  • Ballard Erthos
  • Ioniq Power
  • Renew Power
  • Woodside Energy
  • Bayotech
  • Iwatani
  • Zero Avia
  • BHE Renewables
  • Evoloh
  • Javelin Global Commodities
  • ARMI
  • Zero Emission Industries
  • Bio Carbon Fuels
  • Fastech
  • John Cockerill
  • RockeTruck
  • Zeem Solutions
  • Biogenic Energy
  • Friem America Inc
  • Kohler
  • Zero Carbon Energy Solutions
  • Blackcurrant
  • FuelCell Energy
  • ZEV Station
  • Bloomenergy
  • Fusion Fuel
  • LAVO
  • Zhero
  • Boeing
  • Linde

Heartland Hydrogen Hub

HyVelocity Hydrogen Hub

Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen

Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub

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