DOE to assign $160M to fossil-based hydrogen projects

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The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy will allocate $160 million to projects to improve fossil-based hydrogen production, transport, storage and utilization.

The US will authorize finances for advanced technologies for improvement of performance reliability and flexibility of methods to produce hydrogen.

This is to help recalibrate the vast fossil-fuel and power infrastructure for decarbonized energy and commodity production in the US. According to cost data in a recent DOE/FE Hydrogen Strategy Document, Fossil fuels are the lowest cost pathway for producing hydrogen. Low-cost hydrogen sourced from fossil energy feedstocks and processes is expected to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the processes and enable progress toward hydrogen production with net-zero carbon emissions.

Applicants to funding opportunity announcement (FOA), DE-FOA-0002400, Fossil Energy Based Production, Storage, Transport and Utilization of Hydrogen Approaching Net-Zero or Net-Negative Carbon Emissions, aims to make advancements in the following program areas:

• Net-Zero or negative carbon hydrogen production from modular gasification and co-gasification of mixed wastes, biomass, and traditional feedstocks
• Solid oxide electrolysis cell technology (SOEC) development.
• Carbon Capture
• Advanced Turbines
• Natural Gas-Based Hydrogen Production
• Hydrogen Pipeline Infrastructure
• Subsurface Hydrogen Storage

Projects will be managed by the National Energy Technology Laboratory.