Nel Hydrogen US, a subsidiary of Nel ASA, has received a contract for a 1.25 megawatt (MW) containerized PEM electrolyzer from a leading utility in the US. The client will be installing an MC250 electrolyzer at a nuclear power plant for self-supply of hydrogen to meet turbine cooling and chemistry control requirements.

Nel launched the MC250 and MC500 containerized PEM electrolyzers earlier this year. The products, which deliver (246 and 492 Nm³/h hydrogen, respectively, integrate Nel’s newly developed 1.25 MW PEM cell-stack, allowing for higher capacities per unit and lower cost. The platform allows multiple units to be integrated in the field—a key consideration during the development.

A primary project outcome includes the successful operation and control of what will be the first PEM electrolyzer at a nuclear generating plant in the US configured for dynamic dispatch.

In addition, the project will demonstrate the economic feasibility of hydrogen production at nuclear sites and provide a blueprint for large scale carbon-free hydrogen export in support of DOE’s H2@Scale program objectives.

The purchase order has a value of approximately US$2.6 million, and the electrolyzer will be delivered in 2022. The project is funded by the Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, through the H2@Scale Program.