Realization of the project is subject to receipt of local permits, and local, state and federal incentives, Air Products said.

The facility that is pegged to cost around $4 billion is targeted to go on stream in 2027 and is expected to be the largest US producer of clean hydrogen from solar and wind energy. Designed to produce more than 200 t/d of green hydrogen, it will be powered by about 1.4 GW of renewable electricity.

According to Air Products, the plant, which over its lifetime should be able to prevent the equivalent of more than 50 million t of CO₂ emissions annually, will have 115 permanent employees and serve growing demand for zero-carbon intensity fuels for the mobility market as well as other industrial markets.

The partners will each own 50% of the renewable energy and electrolyzer assets, with Air Products serving as the exclusive off-taker and marketer of the green hydrogen under a 30-year contract.  

Demand for green hydrogen for mobility and industrial applications is projected to grow exponentially across the US over the next decade, the partners predict. This will be supported by green hydrogen’s role in net-zero ambitions announced by several US states and major companies.

Author: Dede Williams, Freelance Journalist