The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $62m for 20 projects across 15 states to accelerate the research, development, and deployment of clean hydrogen technologies.
The projects will advance elements of hydrogen fuelling infrastructure, develop and demonstrate hydrogen-powered container-handling equipment for use at ports, and improve processes to deploy hydrogen techs.
Part of the US National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap, the investments support several end-uses for clean hydrogen and work together with DOE’s Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs and tax incentives in 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act.
DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) will manage the projects, which span five areas:
- Components for hydrogen fuelling of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (four projects, $8.5m). These will develop advanced components to enable gaseous and liquid hydrogen fuelling for medium- and heavy-duty hydrogen-powered vehicles.
- Standardised hydrogen refuelling station of the future (four projects, $40m). Selected projects will develop and demonstrate a low-cost, standardised, and replicable advanced “hydrogen fuelling station of the future.”
- Hydrogen fuel cell-powered port equipment (one project, $2.5m). The project is to design, develop, and demonstrate a hydrogen fuel cell “top loader” (for handling containers) and a mobile refueller at the Port of Oakland.
- Enabling permitting and safety for hydrogen deployment (seven projects, $7m). Selected projects will identify the primary challenges to siting, permitting, and installation across the value chain from hydrogen production through end-use, and explore opportunities to address them.
- Equitable hydrogen technology community engagement (four projects, $4m). Selected projects will improve the capacity of DOE and DOE-funded projects to conduct effective community-engagement activities.
At this point, selection for award negotiations is not a commitment by DOE to issue an award. Further negotiations are now ongoing.
