Facility would use nuclear power to produce 100 tonnes a day for four US states
The Great Lakes Clean Hydrogen Hub coalition (GLCH) has submitted an application for federal funding from the $8bn (€7.2bn) US Department of Energy programme to support the creation of regional clean hydrogen hubs.
GLCH’s full application details a $2bn plan to create a clean hydrogen hub to serve Ohio, Michigan and portions of Pennsylvania and Indiana.
The proposed hub will use nuclear power to produce clean hydrogen at a competitive cost, a statement said. The hub will use proven production technologies to minimise the time required to achieve full production of 100-plus tonnes of hydrogen per day.
The coalition said last year that low-carbon hydrogen would be produced onsite at Energy Harbor’s Davis-Besse nuclear station about 30 km east of Toledo in Ohio.
GLCH said it aims to transform the Midwest into a powerhouse for low-carbon hydrogen production to accelerate the decarbonisation of regional industries such as manufacturing, power generation, refining and mobility.
By creating a supply of clean hydrogen, GLCH aims to help major industries across the Midwest to decarbonise. It will also serve the hydrogen needs of the growing transport market – including road haulage, buses, rail, aviation, and marine – as it attempts to move to a zero-emission future.
GLCH is led by prime applicant, the multinational chemical company Linde, and includes Energy Harbor, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, GE Aerospace, the University of Toledo and the Glass Manufacturing Industry Council.
GLCH said its member companies have "shovel-ready" opportunities to replace fossil fuels with clean hydrogen.
