Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub Awarded $27.5 Mil to Begin Project's First Phase

July 26, 2024

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Kassia Micek and Santiago Canel Soria (S&P Global) PNWH2 Phase one is expected to last 12-18 months -- ... "OCED is working with PNWH2 to build a clean hydrogen ecosystem across Washington, Oregon and Montana that leverages the region's abundant renewable resources to produce all of its hydrogen exclusively via electrolysis using clean, carbon free energy, facilitating greater connectivity and expansion of a clean West Coast freight network that links to the California Hydrogen Hub," OCED said in a July 24 statement.

In California, the ARCHES hydrogen hub announced July 18 an agreement committing an additional $11.4 billion in public and private matching funds, in addition to the $1.2 billion from the US Energy Department.

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The $27.5 million is for the first tranche of PNWH2 funding out of the total federal cost share of up to $1 billion to begin phase one of its project plan, according to OCED. Phase one is expected to last 12-18 months.

"PNWH2 is establishing the Pacific Northwest as a national benchmark for successful low-carbon intensity and economically viable green hydrogen production," the Consortium for Hydrogen and Renewably Generation E-Fuels said in a July 24 statement. "Phase 1 will encompass initial planning, permitting and analysis activities to ensure that the overall Hub concept is technologically and financially viable, with input from relevant local stakeholders."

PNWH2 aims to reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize industries including transportation, agriculture and electricity generation industries, with the ultimate goal of reducing carbon emissions by approximately 1.7 million metric tons per year - roughly the equivalent to annual emissions of 400,000 gasoline-powered cars, according to OCED.

The Pacific Northwest hub plans to produce hydrogen solely via renewable-powered electrolysis, playing a "key role" in lowering the cost of electrolyzers, the DOE said in an October statement. The agency has committed up to $1 billion to the project located in Washington, Oregon and Montana.

Key highlights of the PNWH2 Hub include the following:

Consists of eight project locations, also known as nodes, across Washington, Oregon and Montana.
Leverages the region's innovative technology and abundant renewable energy to address the hardest to abate end-users, such as public transit, agriculture products, medium- and heavy-duty transport and the electric power industry.
Washington State University, with support from its Consortium for Hydrogen and Renewably Generated E-Fuels, will oversee the Community Benefits Plan in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration's Justice40 initiative.

The public-private collaboration in PNWH2 focuses on developing low-carbon hydrogen for various applications, including medium to heavy transportation, refineries and power generation. READ MORE

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Pacific Northwest Launches Clean Hydrogen Energy Hub (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association Granted Phase 1 Award Status from U.S. Department of Energy (PNWH2)

Excerpt from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: PNNL research team to support technology analysis of hydrogen’s role in the Pacific Northwest energy landscape -- The Pacific Northwest is set to begin work building out a clean hydrogen economy with today’s announcement of a Phase 1 funding award from the Department of Energy. The $27.5 million award to the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2), a multi-state nonprofit organization, will be matched by industry partners up to $125 million in Phase 1 of the project.

DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will serve as an advisor to the PNWH2 by conducting life-cycle analysis to predict and understand the planned hydrogen energy infrastructure impact on decreasing emissions and aiding in community engagement.

Public and private groups represented in the PNWH2 Hub are working with leaders in Washington, Oregon and Montana to leverage the region’s renewable energy sources to produce clean hydrogen for the region. If successful, the region could receive up to $1 billion in total DOE funding, which would be supplemented by billions more in industry cost sharing, to build out a clean hydrogen ecosystem.

“We at PNNL join our colleagues at the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association in celebrating this important step forward and wish to acknowledge the dedication and hard work that went into reaching this milestone,” said PNNL Director Steven Ashby. “We look forward to collaborating with our government and industry partners to help realize a clean hydrogen ecosystem for the Pacific Northwest and beyond.”

PNNL scientists, engineers and analysts are providing economic, technological and emissions reduction evaluations of hydrogen production, integration with the electrical grid, and end users in the Hub. The goal of the PNWH2 Hub is to develop and market economical clean hydrogen power solutions to meet the United States’ clean energy goal while ensuring that at least 40% of the benefits flow to disadvantaged communities. The hydrogen will be used to address some of the hardest-to-decarbonize technology areas such as public transportation (transit buses), agricultural products (fertilizer), medium- and heavy-duty transportation and the electric power industry.

The PNWH2 Hub joins California as the first two of a planned national network of clean hydrogen producers, consumers and connective infrastructure, while supporting the production, storage, delivery and end-use of clean hydrogen. READ MORE

Excerpt from PNWH2:

The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association (PNWH2), a multi-state nonprofit organization focused on creating a robust network of clean hydrogen suppliers and end-users in the Pacific Northwest, announced today that it has received Phase 1 award status from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). PNWH2 is one of the first U.S. Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs to move into Phase 1.

As part of this designation, PNWH2 will receive an initial amount of up to $27.5 million from a potential future $1 billion in federal funding, as outlined in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Phase 1 will encompass initial planning, permitting, and analysis activities to ensure that the overall Hub concept is technologically and financially viable, with input from relevant local stakeholders.

“Today marks an important step for the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association and is the culmination of many months of discussions, planning and negotiations across our partners, stakeholders and community members,” said Chris Green, President of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association. “We are excited to embark on Phase 1 and lead the way in building a new clean energy commodity in the U.S. that will benefit generations of families throughout the region.”

Together with its partners, PNWH2 is establishing the Pacific Northwest as a national benchmark for successful low-carbon intensity and economically viable green hydrogen production. The PNWH2 Hub expects to consist of eight nodes across Washington, Oregon, and Montana and will leverage the region’s innovative technology and abundant renewable energy to address the hardest to abate end-users, such as public transit, agricultural products, medium and heavy-duty transport and the electric power industry.

Washington State University (WSU), with support from its Consortium for Hydrogen and Renewably Generated E-Fuels (CHARGE), will oversee the Community Benefits Plan for the PNWH2 Hub in alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 initiative. PNWH2 is committed to engaging communities to define and quantify benefits, avoid disproportionate burdens, and closely track and adjust to ensure that at least 40% of benefits flow to disadvantaged communities. These benefits will include the creation of more than 10,000 quality jobs and the development of STEM-based education programs from K-12 through college to ensure a pipeline of trained and qualified workers to build, then operate and maintain the Hub’s hydrogen projects. Project management for the PNWH2 Hub is led by AtkinsRéalis US Nuclear, a world-leading professional services and project management company.

Additional Quotes from Pacific Northwest Leaders:

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee: “Congratulations to the PNWH2 on officially launching into phase one of our exciting partnership with DOE to develop the hydrogen market in the Pacific Northwest. I look forward to seeing how this effort helps us decarbonize transportation and industrial sectors and create good-paying jobs for Washington workers and families for decades to come. This is exactly what we have been working for here in Washington state over the last 12 years and the PNWH2 is among the leaders in this effort.”
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek: “Mitigating climate change requires enormous effort and prioritization of resources. It takes a multi-state approach to get things done, like the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub,” Oregon Governor Kotek said. “Today’s announcement marks an exciting step forward in reaching our collective goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a clean energy future. Thank you to the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Biden-Harris Administration for their partnership in bringing our regional hydrogen hub to life.”
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA): “The Pacific Northwest is an undisputed leader in the clean energy economy, and PNWH2’s designation as a Hydrogen Hub—thanks to funding I helped to secure in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—will mean $1 billion in federal funding matched with billions more in private investment. PNWH2 is going to speed up our decarbonization efforts and the transition to a clean energy economy and today’s launch of Phase 1 marks a huge step forward in making this clean hydrogen ecosystem a reality. I’m thrilled to be a partner in this fight with PNWH2 and can’t wait to see the incredible impact they have on our region.”

The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association will host a webinar alongside its partners to share additional information and answer questions about the Hub’s plans for Phase 1 on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 11 a.m. PT. To register, please click here. READ MORE