- Two federal cabinet secretaries visited Glasgow on Friday to promote the Biden Administration’s clean hydrogen initiatives.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh toured the Air Liquide research and development headquarters on GBC Drive, joined by Gov. John Carney and Delaware’s entire congressional delegation. Later, they participated in a roundtable discussion with leaders from local businesses and the University of Delaware.
Both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act provide incentives for increasing the use of hydrogen in the electricity, transportation and manufacturing industries. The laws provide tax credits for the production of clean hydrogen and also allot $8 billion to develop regional clean hydrogen hubs across the country.
“We are very excited to be able to demonstrate in large scale how hydrogen can work,” Granholm said.
The Department of Energy is seeking to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen fuel by 80 percent to $1 per 1 kilogram over the next decade.
According to the DOE, hydrogen energy has the potential to decarbonize multiple economic sectors such heavy-duty transportation and steel manufacturing, create good paying jobs and pave the way towards a grid powered by clean energy resources.
Traditionally, hydrogen has been manufactured from natural gas, a process that emits carbon. However, Air Liquide and other companies are now investing in green hydrogen, which is manufactured by using electricity to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen. If the electricity is from solar, wind or nuclear, the process is zero-emission. Another method is to convert methane from a landfill or other waste source into hydrogen.
Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells to generate power and heat. Today, hydrogen is most commonly used in petroleum refining and fertilizer production, while transportation and utilities are emerging markets, according to DOE.
While electric vehicles get most of the attention in discussions about transitioning away from internal combustion engines, many experts believe that hydrogen fuel cells have a role to play as well. Proponents say hydrogen is particularly suited for trucking because it doesn’t require lengthy stops to recharge like an electric vehicle would.
Granholm said hydrogen is just one of the tools needed to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of a 100 percent clean electrical grid by 2035 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“I often say there’s not a silver bullet; it’s silver buckshot,” she said. “There’s a whole range of technologies, but this is an incredibly important part of the buckshot.”
Friday’s visit was hosted by Sen. Tom Carper, who chairs the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee.
“Clean hydrogen has the power to create jobs, strengthen our economy and help save our planet,” Carper said. “It’s an extraordinary opportunity for the nation – and we are leading the way in Delaware with the innovative hydrogen technology companies in our state.”
SOURCE: NEWARK POST
Read the most up to date Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry news at FuelCellsWorks
