Bakken Energy, a developer of affordable clean hydrogen supply, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with each of Cummins Inc. and Schneider National Carriers Inc., to work together on the design of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub to serve the needs of long-haul trucking.

In conjunction with the States of North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Montana, Bakken Energy is working on the design of the Heartland Hydrogen Hub, a regional clean hydrogen hub recently announced by North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.

The Heartland Hydrogen Hub is solidly positioned to obtain federal funding through the Department of Energy’s $7-billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program announced as part of the larger $8-billion hydrogen hub program funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The industry-led Hub will include Bakken Energy’s large scale affordable clean hydrogen production. Bakken Energy has been working with leaders in long-haul trucking on the infrastructure needed to cost effectively distribute clean hydrogen and accelerate the decarbonization of long-haul trucking. The shared vision led to an alliance with Cummins and Schneider.

Long-haul trucking provides for scale to accelerate clean hydrogen adoption and CO₂ emissions reduction. The impact of converting one diesel-fueled, Class 8 heavy-duty truck to clean hydrogen fuel is equivalent to eliminating the CO₂ emissions of thirty-one gasoline-fueled passenger vehicles.

Bakken Energy is committed to the development of world class, large scale, affordable, clean hydrogen production facilities in North Dakota, including the transformation of the Great Plains Synfuels Plant using natural gas from the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation that would otherwise be flared, including carbon capture and sequestration.

Once complete, the facility will produce more than 380,000 metric tons per annum of clean hydrogen from natural gas by leveraging highly efficient Auto-Thermal Reforming (ATR)-based clean hydrogen production processes. Bakken will capture and permanently sequester more than 95% of the produced CO₂ in geological storage locations.

The production facility will serve the clean hydrogen needs of long-haul trucking and agriculture in the Upper Midwest and will serve as a principal clean hydrogen supply source for the Upper Midwest regional hydrogen hub.