On Day 2 of H2Tech's H2Tech Solutions virtual event, Dr. Laura Nelson, Special Advisor to the Green Hydrogen Coalition, spoke about utilizing green hydrogen as a unique, game-changing resource for decarbonizing North America.

The Green Hydrogen Coalition (GHC) is a 5013C non-profit corporation with the mission to facilitate policies and practices to advance the production and use of green hydrogen in all sectors, accelerating a carbon-free future by prioritizing green hydrogen project development at scale, and leveraging multi-sector opportunities to simultaneously scale supply and demand.

“There is such a nexus between our energy sources and our environment,” Dr. Nelson said. “We have an opportunity to decarbonize a globally produced and traded commodity, as well as the sectors in which it is used.”

 

 

Dr. Nelson spoke about the GHC’s core efforts, which include a focus on the power generation sector, including the planned conversion of the Intermountain Power Project (IPP) in Utah from a coal-fired plant to the U.S.’s largest green hydrogen generation facility. Two coal-fired units have been in operation since 1986, producing a net capacity of 1,800 MW. A 2,400-MW high-voltage DC system transmits power to California, Nevada and Utah, and the transmission system is interconnected to 370 MW of wind generation. The coal units are to be retired by 2025, and the IPP will be converted to an 840-MW natural gas, combined-cycle gas facility running a 30% blend of green hydrogen that will eventually ramp up to 100% by 2045.

The facility is also connected to salt domes (caverns) that can hold up to 5,500 tons of H₂ per cavern, which is equivalent to 200,000 hydrogen buses, 1,000,000 fuel cell vehicles, and 14,000 tube trailers used for delivery. The area has the capability for more than 100 caverns to be constructed.

Dr. Nelson said, “This unique geologic formation—away from a coastline—provides a significant opportunity to store vast amounts of hydrogen once produced to use and distribute as needed—the hydrogen won’t degrade in storage in these salt caverns. This can also be used as a fuel source to deploy for other multi-sector applications. I like to think of it as a renewable energy reserve.”

Renewables such as wind, solar and geothermal activity in the area can be repurposed to produce green hydrogen and then that hydrogen can be released when those resources are unavailable. The plant will also use less water, which can be put back into the system and used (e.g., for agriculture). The workforce can be re-trained and utilized, Dr. Nelson said.

She went on to provide examples of cases where green hydrogen was being used around the world.

The H2Tech Solutions virtual conference runs from 18–19 May. Please visit www.H2-TechSolutions.com to view the event agenda and register for free on-demand access to the speaker presentations!