As the world transitions toward cleaner energy sources, hydrogen has emerged as a vital player in the energy landscape. While production and end use of hydrogen is critical to achieving a robust hydrogen economy, large scale storage solutions are needed to bridge the gap between the two. From stationary and portable power to transportation, all applications of hydrogen need storage capacity in one form or another, and there are a variety of ways to do so. 

There are many ways to store and distribute hydrogen, as a compressed gas, in liquid form, in chemical compounds like ammonia or methanol.  As more hydrogen is produced in the United States, we need to expand our storage options into larger vessels, tanks, and explore other opportunities. One significant opportunity for large-scale, long-term hydrogen storage is utilizing our countries underground geological formations such as salt caverns, aquifers, depleted oil and gas fields, hard rock caverns, and coal seams.

With news of the world’s first hydrogen-powered commercial passenger ferry commencing service on San Francisco Bay, now is the right time to look at recent hydrogen and fuel cell-powered developments in the marine sector. All aboard!

After the monumental $8 billion Hydrogen Hubs program was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, it was safe to say that the entire world, not just the U.S. and potential winners, were anxiously awaiting the results.  In October 2023, the first seven Hydrogen Hub projects were announced.  

The seven Hub winners chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) include 16 states and are projected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the regions they represent. They were selected to showcase different hydrogen production pathways, as well as how that hydrogen will be utilized, in markets such as heavy-duty vehicles, fuel production, power generation, and industrial decarbonization.

The year is already half-way over, and there has been a lot of significant hydrogen and fuel cell activity here in the U.S. and around the world.  Since our End of Year 2023 new member update, the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) has welcomed 7 members to the association that we are excited to introduce to you below. 

The rail industry is essential to the movement of American goods and people across the country. Although rail is a relatively clean mode of travel and transport of goods, in order to achieve strong net zero goals, investment is required to abate this hard-to-decarbonize sector that accounts for 2% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

FCHEA member Renewable Innovations was on the scene at the ACT Expo and CEO Robert Mount offers insights about the show in this guest blog post.

As those interested and involved in advancing the hydrogen and fuel cell footprint in the United States (U.S.) wait on 45V tax guidance and Hydrogen Hub contract negotiations to finalize, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently injected a major research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) investment to move the ball down the field.

 In addition to the $7 billion allocated to the now famous Hydrogen Hubs, the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (IIJA) also authorized a total of $1.5 billion for RDD&D activities in the Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis, Manufacturing, and Recycling Program.  On March 13, DOE announced $750 million in funding to support 52 projects in 24 states. 

Since our last new member update in June, the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) has welcomed 13 additional members to the association.

The Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) has welcomed fourteen new members to the association since the first of the year!  Learn more about them in this post.

The public and private sector are doubling down on its commitment to deploying what experts say is a crucial piece to a net zero carbon future. A recent report by the International Renewable Energy Association (IRENA) proclaimed the 2020’s as the “decade of hydrogen,” with the industry primed to see rapid growth similar to what wind energy saw in the 1990’s, solar in the 2000’s, or batteries in the 2010’s.

FCHEA memership grew by quite a bit in 2022! Read about the 13 companies that joined in the second half of the year.

Hydrogen is increasingly important in a critical role in our nation’s energy transition, providing a reliable fuel for storage and grid management.

The Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub program is intended to demonstrate the large-scale production, processing, delivery, storage, and end-use of clean hydrogen, through the deployment of at least 4 hubs across the United States. The Hubs program is driving significant interest both in the public and private sectors, with groups across the country announcing plans to pursue funds from the program.

The Pacific Ocean is surrounded by countries actively using hydrogen today, and Japan, South Korea and Australia are collectively committed to expanding hydrogen networks despite the distance between them.

Hydrogen development and usage in Africa is currently poised for a revolution, as multiple countries across the continent begin to utilize clean hydrogen and visualize it being a major part of the future energy economy.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 was recently introduced by Senators Manchin and Majority Leader Schumer. The new legislation would invest $369 billion in energy security and climate change provisions, including new and critical ones for hydrogen and fuel cells.

The mining industry, with its focus on extracting the necessary minerals and fuels that power the modern economy, is the perfect example of a hard-to-decarbonize sector. The machinery is huge, energy-intensive, and switching to electric battery systems can hurt productivity by increasing charging time. Hydrogen is the solution that mining companies have been looking for. By utilizing hydrogen, companies can keep the heavy machinery online and productive, so it seems likely that more hydrogen-powered machines and mines will appear in the future, reducing carbon emissions in local mine environments and across the planet.

China and India have recognized the value of hydrogen and have been working hard to establish domestic clean hydrogen production chains over the last couple of years.