DOE issues two RFIs to move ahead with IIJA $9.5B clean hydrogen initiatives
16 February 2022
The US Department of Energy (DOE) released two Requests for Information (RFI) to collect feedback from stakeholders to inform the implementation and design of Regional Hydrogen Hub and the Electrolysis and Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing and Recycling programs per the IIJA (Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), representing a combined $9.5-billion inverstment.
The IIJA includes $8 billion for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs that will expand the use of clean hydrogen in the industrial sector and beyond; $1 billion for a Clean Hydrogen Electrolysis Program to reduce costs of hydrogen produced from clean electricity; and $500 million for Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing and Recycling Initiatives to support equipment manufacturing and strong domestic supply chains.
The RFI for Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs Implementation Strategy (DE-FOE-0002664) specifically seeks input on:
Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub Provisions and Requirements
Solicitation Process, FOA structure, and Implementation Strategy
Equity, Environmental and Energy Justice (EEEJ) Priorities
Market Adoption and Sustainability of the Hubs
Topics under the Clean Hydrogen Manufacturing, Recycling, and Electrolysis RFI (DE-FOA-0002698) include:
Manufacturing and Supply Chain of Clean Hydrogen Equipment and Components;
Approaches to Recycle Hydrogen End Use Technologies including Fuel Cells; and
Development, Testing and Integration of Electrolyzers.
Feedback received from these RFIs will also support DOE’s Hydrogen Shot efforts to cut to cost of clean hydrogen to $1 per 1 kilogram in one decade.
I suspect hydrogen will power a good deal of our transportation one day and nuclear power our grid.
Batteries are miniature toxic chemical plants with a limited life and a high carbon footprint due to the earth destroying mining of lithium and rare earth elements. There is a documentary called “THE DARK SIDE OF GREEN ENERGY” which will send shivers down your spine.
EVs might work OK down south but in the north they are worthless.
Posted by: William Taylor | 16 February 2022 at 07:08 PM
Fast reactors and fuel cells could be our future
Posted by: SJC | 16 February 2022 at 08:39 PM
Batteries can work fine in the cold, you just have to choose the right battery chemistry. They are proving to be highly recyclable; these pages show new successes almost weekly, e.g.
https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/02/ascend-elements-and-koura-introduce-technology-yielding-999-pure-graphite-from-used-li-ion-batteries.html
I notice that you don't link it. Afraid to debunk yourself?You can tell me about toxic Cd-Te solar panels and un-recyclable wind turbine blades with petroleum-based resins all day, and I'll just nod and agree until I get bored and walk away. I've been skeptical of them for probably longer than you've been alive.
I am looking into thermochemical hydrogen processes at the moment, with an eye toward using nuclear heat as a carbon-free energy source. Hydrogen is easiest to generate from carbon-containing feedstock, whether methane, coal or biomass (I have studied enough chemistry to know the basics), but there are prospects such as the sulfur-iodine cycle which generate hydrogen from little more than water and heat. With high-temperature Gen IV nuclear reactors we could generate all immediate electric power needs, then divert heat not needed for the grid to breaking down carbonaceous wastes into feedstocks and generate hydrogen with any energy left over. I've personally done the replacement of 80% of transportation fuel with grid electricity; it would be greater if I still had a daily commute. If I can do it with negligible support, industrialized countries can do it with full support.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 17 February 2022 at 06:51 AM
I will agree with E-P. I think that, in the future, most of our light duty vehicles will be battery powered along with many heavy duty vehicles and at least some of our short to medium haul aircraft. There is no reason to use hydrogen if battery power will work. I live about as far north as Cleveland but at about 5000 ft altitude so it is cold but maybe not Minnesota cold. Anyway in the last 1500 miles of driving my electric car, I have lost only 48 miles of range from the EPA projected range and I DO NOT hyper-mile as I regularly drive at 70 to 80 mph. So while it does better in the summer, winter is not range a killer.
I also agree that the best way to make hydrogen is with high temperature nuclear power using either high temperature electrolysis or even better high temperature thermal chemical reactions. The major use of clean hydrogen should be to replace the current hydrogen that is made from natural gas using steam reforming and largely used for industrial processes including ammonia.
Posted by: sd | 18 February 2022 at 08:21 AM