May–November 2021 Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technologies Office Newsletter
Welcome to the latest newsletter from the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO). The newsletter includes a recap of recent news and events, as well as a preview of upcoming activities. Visit the archives for past newsletters.
In this issue:
In the News
Landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Includes Clean Hydrogen
On November 15, President Biden signed into law the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal)—a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure that will create good-paying jobs, combat climate change, and grow the economy sustainably and equitably for decades to come. The infrastructure deal includes $9.5 billion for clean hydrogen: $8 billion for at least four regional clean hydrogen hubs, and $1.5 billion for electrolysis and clean hydrogen manufacturing and recycling research, development, and demonstration. Read more about it in DOE’s factsheet on the bipartisan infrastructure deal.
Secretary Granholm Launched Hydrogen Energy Earthshot to Accelerate Breakthroughs Toward a Net-Zero Economy
 On June 7, Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm launched the DOE Energy Earthshots Initiative. The first Energy Earthshot—Hydrogen Shot—seeks to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen by 80% to $1 per kilogram in one decade ("1 1 1"). The Hydrogen Shot will contribute to addressing the climate crisis and reach the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Read more about it in the Hydrogen Shot blog and watch Secretary Granholm’s announcement during the 2021 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting.
Secretary Granholm Joined John Kerry and Bill Gates for DOE’s First Hydrogen Shot Summit
More than 3,000 stakeholders convened for the first-ever DOE Hydrogen Shot Summit on August 31–September 1, 2021, to initiate an inclusive and transparent dialogue around what it will take to achieve Hydrogen Shot and how to leverage clean hydrogen to create opportunities for all. This event kicked off a dialogue on concrete actions and innovation needed to achieve the Hydrogen Shot. Speakers included Secretary Granholm, Deputy Secretary David Turk, Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Bill Gates, as well as various U.S. Senators and Representatives. Read more about the Summit’s highlights and view the recordings and presentations.
Secretary Granholm Explains Clean Hydrogen
 In commemoration of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day, Secretary Granholm posted a tweet with a video about the role of clean hydrogen to help decarbonize our economy, tackle the climate crisis, and create good-paying jobs. Watch Secretary Granholm explain clean hydrogen.
Hydrogen Shot Fellowship Announced
During the Hydrogen Shot Summit, Secretary Granholm launched the Hydrogen Shot Fellowship to recruit diverse talent who can contribute to making Hydrogen Shot a reality. Funded through HFTO, Hydrogen Shot Fellows will engage in Hydrogen Shot related work from one or more HFTO technical programs, including Hydrogen Technologies, Fuel Cell Technologies, Technology Acceleration, and Systems Analysis, as well as other functional areas including communications, workforce development, and stakeholder engagement and inclusion. Learn more about the Hydrogen Shot Fellowship.
DOE Announced $52.5 Million to Accelerate Progress in Clean Hydrogen
In July, DOE announced $52.5 million to fund 31 projects to advance next-generation clean hydrogen technologies and support DOE’s Hydrogen Shot. These 31 projects will focus on bridging technical gaps in hydrogen production, storage, distribution, and utilization technologies, including fuel cells, thereby paving the way toward decarbonization of the electricity sector by 2035 and the creation of good-paying jobs across the hydrogen sector.
DOE Celebrates Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day with Weeklong Campaign
On November 10, DOE, in collaboration with Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) country members, announced the launch of the H2 Twin Cities initiative during the COP26 Climate Summit. H2 Twin Cities are self-assembled, international community partnerships that share ideas, mentor and learn from each other, build a community of hydrogen best practices, and strengthen global commitment to environmental justice, social equity, and clean energy jobs, particularly at the city level. H2 Twin Cities is a unique partnering program under the CEM and will collaborate with other global hydrogen partnerships like the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy, Mission Innovation, and more. Watch the H2 Twin Cities video for more information. Interested cities should submit their interest to join the program by
December 29, 2021.
|
Funding Opportunities and Requests for Information
Request for Information Results Overview Now Available Online
In June, DOE issued a Request for Information (RFI) on Hydrogen Demonstration Opportunities aligned with the Hydrogen Shot Initiative. This request sought input on viable hydrogen demonstration and deployment projects that would enable clean and affordable hydrogen production, infrastructure, and end use to reduce emissions, create jobs, provide benefits to disadvantaged communities, and enable a net-zero carbon emissions economy by 2050. View the RFI Themes Overview as presented during the Deployment and Financing Breakout Panel Session at the Hydrogen Shot Summit covering the highlights of the responses received through the RFI.
DOE is Hiring a Hydrogen Technology Acceleration Manager
DOE is looking to hire a Technology Manager to support hydrogen technology acceleration efforts, with a focus on hydrogen and fuel cells for transportation applications, and contribute to supporting the President’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. An ideal candidate would possess direct experience related to hydrogen fuel cell transportation component development and vehicle integration (e.g., fuel cell stacks, onboard hydrogen storage, thermal integration, fuel cell/battery hybridization, power electronics). Offboard experience related to hydrogen fueling infrastructure or relevant safety, codes, and standards is also desired. The applicant should have strong written and oral communication skills and be highly effective and engaging in public settings such as presentations and public forums. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and would be expected to be physically located in Washington D.C. (or potentially Golden, CO) once DOE employees can return to the office (post-COVID). Interested applicants should send resumes to Jesse Adams, DOE Technology Acceleration Program Manager (jesse.adams@ee.doe.gov).
Webinars and Workshops
H2IQ Hour Webinar Recordings and Presentations Are Available for Viewing
HFTO hosted monthly H2IQ Hour webinars to share information about the status and progress of DOE-funded hydrogen and fuel cell projects and initiatives. Recent H2IQ Hour topics included ammonia as a hydrogen carrier, research and development (R&D) activities, H2@Scale technical and economic analyses, national lab efforts engaging with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, hydrogen’s role in long-duration energy storage, federal regulations relevant to hydrogen, and the Hydrogen Business Case Prize competition. Argonne National Laboratory also explained their Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (GREET®) model for life cycle emissions analysis of hydrogen pathways. Recordings and presentation slides are available on the H2IQ Hour webinar page.
|
DOE 2021 Virtual Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR)
During the DOE Hydrogen Program AMR on June 7–11, independent reviewers watched presentations of DOE-funded hydrogen and fuel cell projects and evaluated their merit. You can view the entire proceedings and presentations and watch Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm announce the Hydrogen Shot Initiative.
Advances in Liquid Hydrogen Storage Workshop
On August 18, DOE collaborated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to host the Advances in Liquid Hydrogen Storage Workshop, which covered the DOE’s liquid-hydrogen-related initiatives and outlook. The workshop also introduced recent advancements in large-scale liquid hydrogen storage technologies and projects at NASA. Presentations are available for review.
Mission Innovation Off-Road Equipment and Vehicles Workshop
 On September 22–24, DOE, in collaboration with Mission Innovation member countries, organized a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Off-Road Equipment and Vehicles Workshop. The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of Energy of Chile, the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources of Australia, and the European Commission. Thirty presentations on agriculture, construction, and mining equipment and infrastructure focused on the use of fuel cell power and hydrogen fuel. DOE anticipates publishing a summary report of the workshop in December 2021.
Visit our website to find workshop and meeting proceedings and program presentations.
Studies, Reports, and Publications
DOE Releases Tool to Analyze Energy Storage Systems
DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory released StoreFAST, a techno-economic tool that analyzes both energy storage systems and flexible power generation systems on a side-by-side basis. Hydrogen systems are included in the model.
How Wind Energy Can Help Clean Hydrogen Contribute to a Zero-Carbon Future
 As part of President Biden’s goal of an energy economy with zero carbon emissions by 2050, the United States cannot rely on renewable energy alone. Hydrogen can be produced using renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, and can play a role in meeting climate goals. Read more about the outlooks of hydrogen from offshore wind and its potential for energy storage.
Program Record Estimates Hydrogen Production Potential From Nuclear Power
Program record 20003 indicates that a nuclear power plant providing 1 GW of power for hydrogen year-round could produce between 150,000 and 160,000 metric tons (tonnes) of hydrogen annually using polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzers. Ten plants using PEM electrolyzers could provide over 1.5 million tons or roughly 15% of the hydrogen produced today in the United States. If the plant utilized solid oxide electrolysis cell technology, a 1 GW plant could produce between 180,000 and 210,000 tons of hydrogen per year.
Program Record Documents Electrolyzer Capacity Installations in the United States
Program record 20009 shows locations and capacities of current and planned PEM electrolyzer installations in the United States Installations of all units 120 kW or greater, both firm announcements and those under construction, total approximately 172 MW as of June 2021. Current installed capacity is approximately 13.4 MW, while firm capacity with construction underway is approximately 159 MW.
National Laboratory, Principal Investigator, and Project Teams Spotlights
ECS Toyota Young Investigator Award Goes to Siddharth Komini-Babu
Congratulations to Siddharth Komini-Babu, recipient of a 2021–2022 ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellows prize for his proposal on “Novel Gas Diffusion Layer architecture for Improved Performance and Durability.” Siddharth is a Staff Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. His research focuses on understanding transport phenomena and development of electrode architecture for fuel cells and electrolyzers using computational and experimental methods.
DOE Hydrogen Program Presented 2021 Awards at Annual Merit Review
Each year, the Hydrogen Program presents awards to individuals from partner institutions for contributions to the overall efforts of the Program and to recognize R&D achievements in specific areas during the Annual Merit Review. This year's awards included 22 R&D Awards, as well as a Special Recognition Award to Giner, Inc., for their outstanding contributions to advancing the state-of-the-art fuel cell and electrolyzer technologies over the past 20 years. Award recognition included Hydrogen Program Special Recognition Award; Hydrogen Technologies—Production; Fuel Cells; Technology Acceleration; Technology Acceleration and Safety, Codes and Standards; and Systems Analysis. View the full list of award recipients.
|
